Chris Hardwick And LeBron James Partner On New NBC Game Show THE WALL

NBC has named actor, comedian, author and TV personality Chris Hardwick as host and executive producer of the network’s new 10-episode primetime game show series “The Wall.”

From NBA superstar and global icon LeBron James’ and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Entertainment and Glassman Media, this unique network series will feature two-person teams that are bonded together by family, friendship or life experiences. They will compete for life-changing amounts of cash that can be won or lost in an instant, depending upon whether a ball bounces your way, or a trivia question is answered correctly.

Teams of deserving competitors will can range from a close knit father and daughter duo, to a wife and her heroic Marine husband who upon returning helped his trusted translator become a U.S., citizen, and to a churchgoer who gave her car to a woman so she wouldn’t have to walk long distances.

Like life itself, the game is unpredictable. A ball will come down a wall made up of a field of pegs, with each row offset from the previous row. At the bottom of the board are slots marked symmetrically with monetary values.

If one member of the team answers a question correctly, the ball turns green and the team will earn cash based on the value of that slot. If the question is answered incorrectly, the ball turns red and the team will lose cash based on the value of the slot.

“I’m excited about this series because it’s different than anything on TV right now. It’s got everything – excitement, drama, and action – and it’s something the entire family can watch and root for together. I believe Chris Hardwick brings all of that together in a really entertaining way that people will enjoy,” said James. “For SpringHill Entertainment, it’s about creating quality and innovative content for all types of audiences, and I’m proud of the exciting projects we continue to be a part of.”

Said Hardwick: “I love game shows, and partnering with LeBron James and NBC to potentially give away millions of dollars to people who deserve it is an incredible opportunity. (I’m sorry, NBC, I’m hoping to give away a lot of your money.)”

“‘The Wall’ is a bit like life, it rewards people who are both smart and lucky. It’s a game that’s had us on the edge of our seats, and Chris Hardwick is a brilliantly witty and warm host,” said Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment.

“The Wall” was developed by Glassman Media in conjunction with CORE Media.

Hardwick is founder and CEO of Nerdist Industries and hosts the extremely popular Nerdist Podcast, which garners over 5.8 million downloads per month. He also hosts the Emmy Award-winning Comedy Central series “@Midnight with Chris Hardwick” and hosts the Emmy-nominated “The Walking Dead” discussion show “Talking Dead,” now in its fifth season on AMC. He continues to perform stand-up to sold-out audiences as part of his 50-city Funcomfortable Tour and lends his voice as Craig in the Nickelodeon animated series “Sanjay and Craig.”

“The Wall” is a collaboration between SpringHill Entertainment and Glassman Media with James, Hardwick, Carter and Andrew Glassman serving as executive producers. Other groundbreaking SpringHill projects include Starz breakout series “Survivor’s Remorse” that has been renewed for a third season, Disney XD’s inspirational series for kids and families “Becoming,” and an upcoming reality series for Esquire Network.

Glassman Media was founded by Andrew Glassman following his successful career as an Emmy Award-winning investigative broadcast journalist during which he appeared on-air at NBC News, CNBC, MSNBC, WCAU and WNBC. Glassman’s credits include NBC’s hit “Average Joe,” whose first season finale attracted more than 25 million viewers and the critically acclaimed “Three Wishes” also on NBC.

A premiere date for the series has yet to be announced.