Zachary Levi to Host ‘Geeks Who Drink’ Trivia Series for Syfy

April 15, 2015 10:20am PT by Lesley Goldberg

Based on the pub trivia contest of the same name.

Syfy is getting into the game show business.

The NBCUniversal-owned cable network has picked up to series Geeks Who Drink, based on the popular trivia contest of the same name.

Zachary Levi will executive produce and host the series, which hails from Kinetic Contact and Conde Nast Entertainment and the Chuck alum's Nerd Machine production company. The 12-episode weekly game show will premiere Thursday, July 16.

The trivia game has become a phenomenon in bars across the country with more than 25,000 participants in 600 bars in 35 states. Each installment will feature two teams of "trivia geeks" who battle it out in rapid-fire quizzes covering topics including pop culture and science fiction. Following three rounds, the winning team will earn a spot on the leaderboard and a bevy of prizes.

“Not only is Zachary a spectacular talent both in front of and behind the camera, he lives and breathes geekdom and is a true pioneer in bringing the nerd community together," said Heather Olander, senior vp alternative drogramming and development at Syfy. "As executive producer and host of this series, Zachary has the unparalleled ability to introduce the beloved bar game to the masses, inviting viewers at home to experience the infectious joy of the game for themselves."

The Geeks Who Drink series comes after Levi signed a first-look deal with Syfy corporate sibling Universal Television to develop new projects for the studio.

The series will be exec produced by Levi, Chris Coelen, Karrie Wolfe, Corin Nelson, Dawn Ostroff, Joe LaBracio and David Coleman.

For Syfy, Geeks Who Drink comes as the cabler continues to focus more on sci-fi fare. The network is also teaming with Nerdist's Chris Hardwick for a weekly talk show based on web series Nerdist News in a push to supplement its existing unscripted lineup that includes the recently renewed Face Off, among others.

Levi next stars in NBC's Heroes Reborn revival.