The Angry Video Game Nerd
Seen it?2004 | 20 seasons | Comedy, Documentary
Saturday Specialearly ratingWhy it’s a Saturday Special
Critics loved it (77 on Metacritic) and it held a wide audience for several seasons. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who wants a laugh and the curious. If you loved Nathan for You or The Rehearsal, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Light and funny, eye-opening.
- The pace
- 20 seasons, but most episodes stand on their own, so you can dip in anywhere.
- What might put you off
- Rated TV-MA: meant for adults.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
The Angry Video Game Nerd is an adult web television series of comedic retrogaming video reviews created by and starring James Rolfe. The show's format revolves around his commentary and review of older, but unsuccessful video games which are deemed to be of particularly low-quality, unfair difficulty or poor design. The series began as a feature on YouTube and later became a program on ScrewAttack Entertainment before moving to GameTrailers exclusively. The show was renamed The Angry Video Game Nerd to prevent any trademark issues with Nintendo and due to the fact he started reviewing games from non-Nintendo consoles such as those made by Atari and Sega. Rolfe's character, "The Nerd" is a short-tempered and foul-mouthed video game fanatic. He derives comic appeal from excessive and inventive use of anger, profanity, and habitual consumption of alcohol while reviewing video games.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
77 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.5 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerStrong
Ran for 20 seasons and reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 151K people sought it out in the past year
Season by season
The show overall is a Saturday Special. Here's how each season stacks up; Season 9 is the high point.
Season 12004 · 17 episodes · 6.4 out of 10Weeknight- Season 22007 · 24 episodes · 6.9 out of 10Weeknight
Season 32008 · 23 episodes · 7.2 out of 10Sunday- Season 42009 · 25 episodes · 7.1 out of 10Sunday
- Season 52010 · 11 episodes · 7.4 out of 10Sunday
- Season 62011 · 6 episodes · 7.3 out of 10Sunday
- Season 72012 · 11 episodes · 7.5 out of 10Sunday
- Season 82014 · 16 episodes · 6.6 out of 10Weeknight
- Season 92015 · 5 episodes · 7.6 out of 10Sunday
- Season 102016 · 5 episodes · 7.4 out of 10Sunday
- Season 112017 · 12 episodes · 7.1 out of 10Sunday
- Season 122018 · 9 episodes · 6.6 out of 10Weeknight
- Season 132019 · 11 episodes · 7.4 out of 10Sunday
- Season 142020 · 12 episodes · 6.6 out of 10Weeknight
- Season 152021 · 15 episodes · 7.5 out of 10Sunday
Season 162022 · 6 episodes · 6.0 out of 10Monday- Season 172023 · 6 episodes · 6.0 out of 10Monday
- Season 182024 · 9 episodes · 5.5 out of 10Monday
- Season 192025 · 8 episodesNot rated yet
- Season 202026 · 6 episodesNot rated yet
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Created by James D. Rolfe
- James D. RolfeThe Nerd