Wil Wheaton is turning his status as geek culture legend into a television show. SyFy has given his The Wil Wheaton Project the greenlight.
Each episode of the topical weekly comedy show will cover the geeky topics the former Star Trek: The Next Generation actor loves, like science fiction, television, video games, viral videos and general pop culture news.
“Wil Wheaton’s rock star status within the genre fan base, along with his insatiable passion for all things pop culture make him the ideal arbiter of what’s hot and what’s not in the genre space,” SyFy president Dave Howe said in a statement. “Wil’s legion of fans will relish his wry sense of humor and sharp wit, coupled with his unique commentary on the most popular genre entertainment out there.”
Wheaton explained how the concept came together on his blog, noting that he met with a production company a year ago to discuss hosting a show. He made it clear that he can’t just be a host. “I’ve been producing Tabletop for two seasons, and if I’m going to be the public face of a show, I need to have a hand in its creative direction. I want to write for it, and I need to be a producer,” he recalled telling the executives.
“The Wil Wheaton Project has been incredibly fun to develop, and I can’t wait for my fellow geeks to see it,” Wheaton added in a statement from the network.
The show will be produced by Pilgrim Studios with executive producers Craig Piligian and Mike Nichols. It premieres on Thursday, May 27 at 10 p.m.
Wheaton’s name was everywhere earlier this week when a months-old video of him answering a little girl’s question about being a ‘geek’ went viral.