Do you consider yourself a bona fide nerd? If so, it’s time to see how you stack up to some of the nation’s top geeks, dweebs and brains as they compete for the ultimate nerdiness title on TBS’ King of the Nerds.

Whether you were a fan of season one or are brand new to the show, season two is about to begin, and it promises to be deliver a whole new level of nerdy fun.

The Premise

King of the Nerds is a reality show on which the contestants compete in a variety of challenges to prove who is the ultimate nerd. They’ll start out working together on teams, and as the season progresses, they’ll move to individual competitions. In the end, one champion will be crowned King of the Nerds and be granted the privilege to sit on the Throne of Games. The winner will also receive up to $100,000.

Some contests will return from the previous season, but this year’s show will also include some bigger and better challenges. For example, viewers of season two will be treated to a science fair, Robot Dodgeball and Nerdiocart. Challenges will require competitors to demonstrate their skills, use their brainpower, think creatively and show off their knowledge of nerdy pop culture.

Much to the fans’ relief, the producers have announced in advance that season two’s champion will be decided in an all-new way. The original King of the Nerds, Celeste Anderson, was selected by what amounted to a popularity contest at the end of the season one.

This approach sparked a great deal of backlash from fans who felt that this approach didn’t choose a winner based on merit. This time around, they’re nixing that system in favor of one that they hope will better reflect the spirit of the show and the strengths of the contestants. To find out exactly what the plans are, however, you’ll have to tune in to the show. Although the promise of a new approach has been announced, just what the plan for the ending is remains under wraps.

The People

Eleven nerds have been assembled as this season’s cast. They were selected through a casting process during 2013. The six men and five women chosen for this season are all in their 20 and live in the U.S. The group includes a puppeteer, a chess champion, a chemist and a library science scholar.

One competitor, Josh Wittenkeller (JWittz), was specially selected through a separate contest. At the same time that regular casting was going on, people could submit application videos through the show’s Facebook page. Based on those entries, the public voted for one applicant who would receive the title of The People’s Nerd and be a regular cast member for season two. The winner, JWittz, is a competitve cardgame player and a game vlogger.

During the show, the competitors will live together in a specially-designed home known as Nerdvana. Their crash pad includes bedrooms, a banquet room, a rec room, a RadioShack room and two “war rooms.”

Robert Carradine and Curtis Armstrong will return as hosts. Before collaborating on season one of King of the Nerds, the two appeared onscreen together on the 1984 film Revenge of the Nerds. Last year’s runner up, Genevieve Pearson, will be around in her new role in the King of the Nerds Challenge Department this season.

The Things You Need to Know

During season one, Common Sense Media rated King of the Nerds as appropriate for kids ages 13 and up. They noted that the series was generally clean and presented some worthwhile role models for children, but that there were occasional language issues. Some words were bleeped out, but others that parents might find objectionable were not.

King of the Nerds returns to TBS on Thursday, Jan. 23 at 10 PM EST. The season will be comprised of eight episodes.

Whether or not you consider yourself a nerd, will you be tuning in to Season Two of King of the Nerds?