In hopes of expanding its corner of the nerd market, AMC is now working on a pilot for a new show -- working title: Geek Out -- that aims to make the dreams of real-life Number One fans come true and give them an "awesome, otherwise unattainable experience related to their obsession." And to do it, they've enlisted the ultimate fanboy, Ernie Cline, as the genie that grants their wishes.
The unscripted show will be co-hosted by Cline, who wrote the ultimate Star Wars-lovers film Fanboys and the geek-culture-packed novel Ready Player One. It will not only try to make dreams come true for super-fans, but also highlight exactly what makes them special, "whether it be the guy who turned his apartment into an exact replica of the Starship Enterprise, the comic book fan whose body is covered in X-Men tattoos, or the suburban mom whose entire house is overflowing with Twilight memorabilia," according to the announcement.
"I tried to come up with a show that would celebrate what it means to be a geek, that would also be a total blast for me to host," Cline told Wired. "AMC is my favorite TV network right now, so I'm overjoyed that they loved the idea enough to greenlight a pilot."
Although the working title suggests that the fans tracked down for the show will be of the sci-fi lover/videogame player/comic book reader/George Lucas-opinion-haver variety, AMC promises that it will also include aficionados of athletes, celebrities, and authors.
The show should feel right at home on AMC, which has been stacking its decks with nerd-friendly fare like Comic Book Men, The Walking Dead, and the let's-talk-about-Walking Dead show The Talking Dead. A show with Cline, who owns his own pimped-out DeLorean (see above) and probably knows everything about the things he'll be geeking-out about on the new program, should fit nicely into that line-up. "Conceptually, Geek Out is right in AMC's wheelhouse of appealing to the fanboy community," AMC head of original programming, production and digital content Joel Stillerman said in a statement.
Since it's just a pilot order, however, it's hard to tell if or when the show might actually hit cable, but it still comes amidst a lot of activity for Cline. Ready Player One is currently being adapted for the big screen by Warner Bros. and his forthcoming novel Armada was snatched up -- much like its predecessor -- by both a publisher (Random House) and an adapting studio (Universal) within days of each other late last year. The Force is strong with that one.
