SEATTLE — On NBC’s "The Wall," folks can win millions of dollars.
But what sets this primetime gameshow apart is another kind of currency according to host Chris Hardwick.
"I think it's the emotional journey that makes it different from other gameshows,” Hardwick said.
In this show from executive producer Lebron James, backstory plays a big role. Deserving contestants compete in pairs and must blindly trust their loved ones to make the decisions that could win — or loose — millions. Hardwick describes it as a flashy game show with a soft center of humanity.
“Some of my most cynical comedian friends will text me at the end of a wall episode and be like, 'Why am I crying? At your game show?'” said the comedian who’s also well known for hosting "Talking Dead" on AMC.
The only thing bigger than the emotions and the dollars? The set. It really is four stories tall.
“It is a behemoth like it really is a marvel of game show engineering when you see it - it's like the size of an apartment building and you could live in it." said Hardwick, who added no worries about him living it it, he'd never make it to the top because he’s afraid of heights.
As the balls drop on "The Wall’s" fifth season, Hardwick is happy to host — and provide therapy as needed during this gameshow packed with all the feels.
“I can comfort them, I can encourage them. I can high-five them.
I've gotten high-fives sometimes where it's like I can feel my skeleton rattle but that's what they needed in that moment. And so I'm there for them,” Hardwick said. “There's millions of dollars at stake, and I recognize that you really have to help people through that, because it's a very fun but intense experience, it can be life changing.”
Watch "The Wall" Tuesdays at 9 p.m. here on KING 5.
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