TBS's "King of the Nerds" Unveils 12 Competitors Vying for the Ultimate Nerd Title

TBS has announced the 12 nerds who will take to the field of nerd battle in the third season of King of the Nerds. Hosts Robert Carradine and Curtis Armstrong, who also serve as executive producers, will once again supervise the proceedings as competitors from across the nerd spectrum vie for the ultimate nerd title. King of the Nerds is set to kick off its third season on Jan. 23, 2015 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

In King of the Nerds, competitors face challenges that test their intellect, ingenuity, skills and pop-culture prowess. The nerds live together in "Nerdvana," competing first as teams before moving on to individual challenges. In the end, only one competitor will be named the quintessential master of all things nerdy, winning the $100,000 prize. Despite the show's gender-specific title, women have sat atop the Throne of Games in the show's two prior seasons.

The following are the 12 competitors set to participate in Season 3 of King of the Nerds:

Ori, 22 - "Larper" - Silver Springs, Md. - Ori puts in 110% to all of his nerdy exploits, with a primary focus on live-action roleplay, mentoring robotics teams and trying to survive as a mechanical engineering student. He also watches "a metric crap-ton" of anime and enjoys excessively bad puns.

Amanda, 24 - "Bookworm" - Gilbert, Ariz. - Amanda is a paralegal who enjoys steampunk, debating and playing the flute. She also has her own book blog and sells comic book-inspired apparel through her successful online boutique. Plus she's married with two kids.

Colby, 30 - "Jeopardy! Champ" - Chicago, Ill. - Colby is a world history teacher and quiz bowl coach. He's also a big-time Jeopardy! champion who took home $375,000 for two tournament wins on the series.

Jonathan, 28 - "Mathematician" - Tempe, Ariz. - Jonathan is a professional mathematician, with a PhD in Industrial Engineering, who uses his analytical skills to save businesses millions of dollars. In his spare time, he plays board games and video games. He's also married to a fellow math addict.

Jacob, 25 - "Quiz Master" - Oakland, Calif. - Jacob is an avid devourer of all nerdy media and is especially passionate about comic books and speculative fiction television. He participates in comedy shows all over the Bay Area and professionally writes bar trivia. His other obsessions include animation, comedy and finding good karaoke bars.

Kaitlin, 26 - "NASA Engineer" - Redwood City, Calif. - Kaitlin is a native Californian who loves the outdoors, the sunshine and the beach. While those aren't usually appealing to nerds, Kaitlin makes up for it with a doctorate in mechanical engineering, work at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a voracious reading appetite.

Heather, 24 - "Neuroscientist" - Denver, Colo. - Heather is a neuroscientist by day and fandom queen by night who prides herself in being well-versed in many areas of nerd culture. Having entered the online fandom for Harry Potter over 15 years ago, it remains a central part of her existence. Additionally, she runs a critical television analysis blog, participates in the international competitive scavenger hunt GISHWHES and spends all of her free time and money on attending conventions and constructing costumes.

Thomas, 21 - "Brony" - Huntington Beach, Calif. - Thomas is a Brony, the term for a guy who is a fan of My Little Pony. He's also Star Wars junkie with a fairly large Lego collection that takes up a good amount of his living space. In addition, he's into video games like Star Wars: The Old Republic, StarCraft II and Fallout. And he's an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.

Raychelle, 27 - "Gamer" - Springfield, Mo. - Raychelle, the self-proclaimed master of all things nerdy, is best known for her works with cosplay and video gaming. Her passions also include anime, manga, comics, horror, Disney and Nintendo, as well as science and math. She also does a mean Predator imitation.

Ben, 29 - "Marine Biologist" - Los Angeles, Calif. - Ben is a postdoctoral researcher studying microbial genomics in deep-sea environments. He considers himself a super nerd whose hobbies include competitive and non-competitive tabletop games. He also has a Star Wars-themed kitchen and Harry Potter-themed bathroom.

Lily, 22 - "Professional Cos-Player" - Denver, Colo. - Lily has a degree in developmental psychology and elementary education. While she is a proud trekkie and browncoat, Lily thinks Westeros and Middle Earth are pretty shiny, too. The perfect "girl nerd next door," she enjoys tabletop tournaments, marathons of PC gaming, competitive cosplay and conventions.

Todd, 26 - "Comic Book Nerd" - Pittsburgh, Penn. - "Todd the Bod" is an inquisitive digester of comic books and pop culture. He is the life of the party, generally putting himself in awkward scenarios for all to witness. He also enjoys gaming online with friends, discussing the latest issues of Green Lantern and building Magic the Gathering decks.

King of the Nerds originally premiered in 2013. In its second season earlier this year, the show averaged 1.5 million viewers and more than 1 million adults 18-49, with a median age of only 35. King of the Nerds is executive-produced by Ben Silverman and Chris Grant of Electus and Craig Armstrong, Rick Ringbakk, Charles Wachter and Anthony Carbone of 5X5 Media, as well as Carradine and Armstrong. Electus International, the global distribution arm of Electus, distributes King of the Nerds internationally.

About TBS

TBS is basic cable's reigning champion among young adults in primetime. Available in 101 million households, TBS features original scripted comedies like Cougar Town, Ground Floor and Sullivan & Son, as well as the upcoming Angie Tribeca (working title), Your Family or Mine, Buzzy's and American Dad!, which will become a TBS original series in late 2014. TBS also features original unscripted series like King of the Nerds, Deal With It, Funniest Wins and the upcoming The Smiths, starring Kenny Smith and family. In late night TBS, is home to the Emmy(R)-winning series CONAN, starring Conan O'Brien. The TBS lineup also includes popular contemporary comedies, such as The Big Bang Theory and Family Guy, along with blockbuster movies and championship sports.

TBS is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company. Turner Broadcasting creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.