After announcing Alpha, our new membership service with Geek & Sundry, a few months ago, we went back to our Dan Batcave and continued work. Itâs been a while, and we know that you want more information. You want this information like Zod wants Kryptonite. Now weâre here to deliver.
First off, one thing you should know: Alpha wonât just be throwing new delicious content in your face all the time–itâs also a new way for you to view the content that youâre already a fan of. Many of the shows you watch right now will be available to watch on Alpha⦠but they’ll be debuting 48 hours earlier on Alpha than they will anywhere else. And don’t worry–all of these shows will be available to watch later on VOD, just in case you can’t make the livestream.
Now, let’s get to the real meat of it.
Alpha, among its many features, such as live video chats and polls, will have TONS of new shows for you to point your eyeholes* at. Alongside some of the returning favorites such as The Dan Cave, Co-Optitude, and Because Science, which you can watch 48 hours before anyone else!
Alpha will internationally launch on November 17 and will be available at the monthly subscription price of $4.99 USD.
Lastly, if you were subscribed to either the Nerdist or Geek & Sundry Twitch channels before this announcement (9/28), you will receive a free six-month subscription to Alpha. More details on our blog!
To learn about all of the shows, continue reading below!
RETURNING SERIES
CRITICAL ROLE: ALPHA
Geek & Sundryâs hit show, Critical Role uses Dungeons & Dragons as the launching pad for the best-in-class voice actors to create an immersive storyline and gaming experience that fans canât get enough of! The campaign is invigorated as Alpha members experience several enhancements like special real-time dynamic character sheets, damage and heal animations, and visualizations. For non-Alpha members, Critical Role will still be freely available on Geek & Sundryâs Twitch channel at 7pm PST on Thursday evenings.
TABLETOP SEASON 4
Nerd icon Wil Wheaton invites his friends to share witty banter, cheeky camaraderie, and curated board games bi-monthly with TableTop! Pairing notable geek celebrities with a healthy mix of classic games and highly anticipated new tabletop games, TableTop is one of the most engaging shows to watch week after week! TableTop will premiere on Alpha exclusively and will be available on other platforms the week of January 30th, 2017.
NEW SHOWS
ESCAPE
Hosted by comedian Janet Varney, Geek & Sundry brings the newest trend sweeping the world, escape rooms to the screen with ESCAPE! Teams of celebrities like Josh McDermitt (The Walking Dead), Alison Haislip, Ingrid Oliver (Doctor Who), Burnie Burns (Rooster Teeth), and Yvette Nicole Brown (Community) work together to solve complex puzzles and enigmatic riddles to ESCAPE the room before time runs out! Live preview available on Alpha at 8:30pm PST on Wednesdays beginning November 16. VODs available on Thursdays.
SIDEKICK WITH MATT MIRA
The other guys, the number twos, the Sidekicks. Youâve all heard of them, and if you canât figure out who yours is⦠well, itâs probably you. And co-host of the Nerdist podcast, Matt Mira gets it. Mira acts as the ultimate late-night talk show sidekick to a brand new, different âguest hostâ each week on Sidekick. Live preview available on Alpha at 9pm PST on Wednesdays beginning November 16. VODs available on Thursdays.
TALKS MACHINA
Talks Machina is the official Critical Role after/talk show hosted by writer and friend of the Critical Role cast, Brian Wayne Foster. The show features a unique and completely fan-centered format, with cast members, super-fans, and celebrity guests breaking down the previous weekâs episode. The audience has the chance to win some exclusive and limited edition Critical Role merchandise, tickets to live events, and a chance to be on the show and ask the cast questions of their own. Airs Tuesdays on Alpha at 7pm PST. The first four episodes will be simulcast on Geek & Sundry’s Twitch channel and available later in the week on geekandsundry.com.
WELCOME TO THE SHADOW ZONE
Detroit local Mark Trillbury (you might know him as Onyx the Fortuitous) âskyrocketedâ into local fame as Weird Satanist Guy on a Detroit newscast. Now, Onyx has leveraged his fame into a public access show filmed in his motherâs basement. Tired of not having his voice heard, Trillbury gives us a glimpse into the weird world of Onyx. From his opinion on horror films and video games, to debuting music videos from his band, Thrice Damned and interviewing family members, neighborhood antagonists, and celebrity guests, Welcome to The Shadow Zone has it all! Available on Fridays on Alpha.
WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE
Comedy, wordplay, hip-hop, this show has it all! A thirty-minute mixture of live and pre-taped segments, comedian/rapper Zach Sherwin (âEpic Rap Battlesâ) examines the world around him from his unique perspective. Sherwin dives deep down the rabbit hole of funny and meets audiences at the intersection of funny, relevant, and super smart word-nerdery with Watch Your Language! Airs on Wednesdays at 8pm PST, first two episodes will be simulcast on Nerdist’s YouTube channel.
VAST
What happens when esteemed comic book creator Jackson Lanzing plays Game Master to an intrepid space exploration crew in a completely original science fiction role-playing game?  VAST! Lanzing guides two crews through the sprawling universe of VAST, navigating this space opera with countless unique stories to tell. Airs Mondays on Alpha at 7pm PST. The first four episodes will be simulcast on Geek & Sundry’s Twitch channel and available later in the week on geekandsundry.com.
MAX HIT POINTS
Nerdstrong Gym coaches Andrew Deutsch and Christy Black lead an RPG-styled campaign–for fitness! Fun, motivational fantasy elements plus lifestyle and nutrition tips make this much more than your ordinary workout show. Airs Fridays at 6pm PST on Alpha.
CHOOSE OUR DESTINY: IMPROV ADVENTURE
Featuring YouTube improv stars/LA-based sketch comedy group The Tin Can Brothers, Alphaâs premiere improv show Choose Our Destiny: Improv Adventure brings the freshest comedy to your screen! Driven by the Alpha audience, suggestions will push the action to determine which direction the show takes next, creating a brand new hilarious act every time. Airs Wednesday nights at 7pm PST on Alpha.
OTAKING HEADS
Hosted by Todd Haberkorn, anime and video game voice actor (and one of the most well-versed anime aficionados), Otaking Heads, is a new talk show featuring the best in anything and everything anime. Each week, Todd is joined by voice actors and other anime experts to explore the best in anime. Airs on Fridays at 8pm PST on Alpha.
PREMIERING IN DECEMBER
PREDICTAMENT
On the surface, this is just a typical celebrity interview, but just across the internet, the truth is revealed⦠on Predictament! Each celebrity guest will have no idea that for the engaged Alpha member, each moment is a wager opportunity, and each answer is a win or loss! Make the right guesses, and audience members can win great prizes on this interactive talk show.
PUBLIC ACCESSÂ
We at Geek & Sundry and Nerdist consider our viewers more than just âfans,â theyâre equals, so why should we be the only ones with cameras? Public Access gives members of the community the chance to make a show⦠any show! Every Sunday, Alpha lets viewers have an opportunity to watch or even host their own shows! Whether it be a little standup comedy, an arm-wrestling competition, or a round of a homemade board game, Public Access is your new home!
MAJORITY RULES
Majority Rules is a weekly live game show where audience members selected at random play a collection of mini-games. Ranging from simple flash challenges to move involved multi-round segments and trivia, viewers will have the chance to win epic prizes as long as the rest of the audience votes in their favor!
About Alpha
Alpha is the new premium content platform from Legendary Digital Networks that allows fans to interact with feature channels and personalities to form immersive communities around their passions. Alpha’s fully interactive channels include Nerdist Alpha, which features exclusive content from the genre and popular culture experts at Nerdist, as well as Geek & Sundry Alpha, offering specially curated content from the award-winning geek culture and lifestyle authorities at Geek & Sundry. Alpha bridges the gap between the audience and content through special features including original programming, chat, polling, and live fan experiences.
Offering online and offline perks to its members, including access to special Alpha members-only events, prizes, product discounts, and more, Alpha will provide a highly immersive, interactive experience with its original content. Â Additionally, members will have access to select episodes of existing fan favorite Nerdist and Geek & Sundry shows including The Dan Cave hosted by Nerdist Senior Editor Dan Casey, Co-Optitude featuring Felicia Day and Ryon Day, Because Science hosted by Nerdist Science Editor Kyle Hill, and more, 48 hours before the shows are available anywhere else.