Nerdist Industries, LLC (also simply known as Nerdist ) is part of the digital division of Legendary Entertainment . Nerdist Industries was founded as a sole podcast ( The Nerdist Podcast ) created by Chris Hardwick but later spread to include a network of podcasts, a premium content YouTube channel, a news division ( Nerdist News ), and a television version of the original podcast produced by and aired on BBC America .
17-550: Nerdist Industries was formed in February 2012 after Hardwick and Peter Levin ( GeekChicDaily ) merged their separate entertainment projects into Nerdist Industries, after which GeekChicDaily was rebranded Nerdist News. The newly formed company began to produce additional podcasts under the Nerdist Industries banner as well as producing content and webshows for its Nerdist YouTube channel. In July 2012, Nerdist Industries
34-482: A comedy/music label aimed to feature "a comic on one side and band they are friends with on the other." On November 16, 2015, Mystery Science Theater 3000 creator Joel Hodgson announced plans for Ray to host the series' upcoming continuation. The series was funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign and was released internationally by Netflix on April 14, 2017. Ray plays the character Jonah Heston for seasons 11 and 12. In April and May 2021, Joel Hodgson ran
51-652: A regional version of the newsletter, in April 2011. GeekChicNYC was later added in August 2011. The offices are based out of Santa Monica, California. Comedian Chris Hardwick 's Nerdist Industries , entered into an equity partnership with GeekChicDaily in June 2011. Nerdist Industries operates a podcast network, including the flagship Nerdist Podcast , Nerdist Blog and NerdMelt theater at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles. On
68-486: A television production of the show titled The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail , which debuted in July 2014. The show ended after three seasons in 2016. Ray was one of Chris Hardwick 's co-hosts of The Nerdist Podcast and television show. In February 2011, Ray revealed on an episode of the podcast that Jonah's Arcade , a video gaming-comedy pilot he created and stars in, was not picked up by Comedy Central . The pilot
85-1036: A week to bring the latest news in nerdy pop culture. The Nerdist Podcast , the flagship podcast of Nerdist Industries, is a weekly interview show launched February 8, 2010 "about what it really means to be a nerd" hosted by Web Soup and Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick , who is usually accompanied by Jonah Ray and Matt Mira . The audio podcasts are typically an hour in length and include conversations with notable comedians or entertainers, sometimes at their own home. Guests are varied, though typically relate to either stand-up comedy, nerd culture, or both, and have included CM Punk , Rob Zombie , Stan Lee , Ozzy Osbourne , Jeri Ryan , Drew Carey and several cast and crew of Community , Doctor Who , and Star Trek: The Next Generation . In late 2017, Hardwick's future with Nerdist Industries and parent company Legendary Entertainment became unclear. Although still technically CEO of Nerdist Industries, he considered his role to have become advisory, and no longer felt connected with
102-453: A writer and occasional voice actor on Current TV 's program SuperNews! . He previously wrote for Web Soup on the G4 network, and then The Soup on E! . He left The Soup in 2012. Ray co-hosted a weekly comedy show called The Meltdown with Kumail Nanjiani , produced by Nanjiani's wife, Emily V. Gordon , at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles. In late June 2013 Comedy Central announced
119-676: A writer's assistant for The Andy Milonakis Show , as well as working as a writer and performer on Showtime 's sketch comedy pilot The Offensive Show. He is also a frequent sketch and stand-up performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Los Angeles and has made appearances on programs such as Saul of the Molemen , Crossballs , The Sarah Silverman Program , and Jimmy Kimmel Live! He also hosted "Joe Genius", an online program about humor and homegrown science, on Revision3. Previously, he worked as
136-557: Is the Nerdist branded pop culture newsletter, founded and originally operated by former Nerdist Industries CEO Peter Levin. The cross-platform publisher currently has two newsletter publications, Nerdist News and TOKYOPOP . GeekChicDaily became Nerdist News after it merged with Nerdist to form Nerdist Industries in February 2012. In late 2013 Nerdist News transitioned to a web series on YouTube channel "Nerdist", hosted by previous IGN Daily Fix presenter Jessica Chobot that airs five days
153-470: The Nerdist Blog, Hardwick stated that "Peter Levin, founder of GeekChicDaily, will take over the business-y parts of the growing Nerdist tentacles." In February 2012, GeekChicDaily fully merged with Nerdist Industries and became Nerdist News. Jonah Ray Jonah Ray Rodrigues (born August 3, 1982) is an American actor, comedian and writer from Los Angeles . He stars as Jonah Heston , one of
170-483: The company. As his contract with Legendary approached its end with no discussion about renewing, Hardwick – who retains full rights to the podcast, including its catalog of back episodes – decided to move the podcast. Since he didn't have rights to use the Nerdist name on the podcast without heavy fees, and as part of a new venture, in February 2018 it was renamed to ID10T with Chris Hardwick . During 2011, Nerdist began releasing various other podcasts. As of January 2016
187-653: The full range includes: The Nerdist Showroom , also known as NerdMelt or the NerdMelt Showroom , was a performance space operated in collaboration with, and located inside, Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles, California . The showroom opened in April 2011 and ran through March 2018. It featured the Nerdist logo near the entrance, plush chairs, dark walls, and a far off green room. Performances included live stand-up comedy, storytelling shows, sketch comedy, movie screenings, writer's panels and podcast recordings. It
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#1732802309201204-445: The original Nerdist podcast and archives remaining under Hardwick's control under the new title ID10T with Chris Hardwick . His presence with the company, including as founder, was clarified and removed from the website on June 15, 2018, after abuse allegations were made against him by a former girlfriend. On August 10, 2018, his name was then returned to Nerdist's website. Nerdist News (founded February 2012; formerly GeekChicDaily )
221-466: The primary hosts of Mystery Science Theater 3000 . He is a former host of The Nerdist Podcast and was the co-host of Comedy Central 's The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail . Originally from Kailua, Hawaii on the island of Oahu, Ray played in local Hawaii rock/punk bands and later moved to Los Angeles . Once there he first pursued opportunities in punk rock, but later started to focus on writing and performing comedy. Ray started his TV career as
238-621: Was a multi-platform publisher of pop culture based newsletters, founded by Peter Levin and Gareb Shamus and operated by CEO Peter Levin. The now-defunct publisher had multiple newsletter publications including GeekChicDaily, GeekChic Los Angeles and GeekChicNYC. The targets for the newsletters were socially active consumers of genre fare. Rebranded as Nerdist News post merger with Nerdist Industries. CEO Peter Levin and Gareb Shamus launched GeekChicDaily with Peter Guber and other advisors in October, 2009. The company launched GeekChic Los Angeles,
255-426: Was acquired by Legendary Entertainment. It was announced that Nerdist Industries would operate independently with Hardwick and Levin as its co-presidents. Peter Levin left Nerdist Industries in 2013 and now heads Lionsgate's Interactive Ventures and Games. Hardwick then took over, and served as chief executive officer until 2015, when he relinquished operational control until the expiration of his contract in 2017, with
272-645: Was also the home of the Comedy Central television series The Meltdown with Jonah & Kumail . Past performers include Louis C.K. , Jim Gaffigan , Dan Harmon , Kumail Nanjiani , Jonah Ray , and Robin Williams . The Showroom closed with Meltdown on March 31, 2018, after the building's owners sold it to a developer planning to construct a new residential development along two blocks. Content featured on Nerdist's YouTube channel. includes: GeekChicDaily GeekChicDaily (founded in October, 2009)
289-445: Was later released on YouTube, produced by the same producers of Web Soup . In October 2012, Ray began hosting his own podcast Jonah Raydio featuring guests from various independent music scenes. Regular contributors and guests on the show include Man Man , Andrew Jackson Jihad , Pup, and Har Mar Superstar . On a 2014 episode of his podcast, Ray announced the launch of his own record label through ATS, Literally Figurative Records,
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