I like Chris Hardwick. I think he gets a bad rap with some people, because he is essentially the Ryan Seacrest of the geek world, but you know what? He’s good at his job, especially over on the Nerdist podcasts, where he’s disarming enough to elicit some of the most honest, amusing, and authentic celebrity interviews around. I do not watching his post-show discussions, like The Talking Dead, however, because they are put on by the networks who air the shows, which makes it difficult for Hardwick to be at all critical. It doesn’t prevent him from being amiable, however, or from getting the occasionally wacko guest, who assigns blame for a character’s motivations to her menstrual cycle.
Hardwick’s Dad passed away on Saturday, and on Sunday, the host of The Talking Dead still managed to host the show. At the end of the episode, however, Hardwick delivered a heartfelt message about the death of his father in what could not have been an easy time for the guy.
An interesting note about Hardwick’s Dad, Billy Hardwick, is that he was a professional bowler, considered to be one of the 50 greatest bowlers of the last 50 years. He died on Saturday of an apparent heart attack. RIP Billy Hardwick, and our condolences to Chris.