Jimmy Pardo Talks Hosting Science Channel's ‘Race to Escape’ [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]

Comedian Jimmy Pardo is showing off his hosting chops yet again and taking the lead as the master of ceremonies for the new Science Channel series Race to Escape. Pardo, the longtime host of the oh-so-popular podcast Never Not Funny, brings his quick-witted humor to this puzzle-based game show. The series, which kicks off Saturday, July 25 at 10 p.m., pins two teams of three against one another, with both teams being locked in two separate, but identical, rooms. Together, each team must work together to get out in under an hour. How so? They must find the clues hidden within the room.

Pardo recently took some time to sit down with MStars News to chat about the new show, Never Not Funny's evolution, and why comedians just might make the perfect television hosts.

MStars News: Race to Escape premieres July 25. You're doing a Reddit AMA to promote the it. Are you a Reddit guy?
Jimmy Pardo: No, not at all! [laughs] I'm told I'm going to be called names and people are going to insult me so that should be fun.

MS: How did you hook up with the Science Channel?
JP: Well, first of all, I'm a great host. Let's not ignore that part of it, Kyle.

Really, I got a phone call one day from a friend of mine who worked at Discovery. He said they wanted to meet with me [about the show] and thought they wanted to offer me the job. So I went to meet the creator of the show, Riaz Patel- a brilliant, funny, great guy. We hit it off immediately!

When this was explained to me, specifically that we were going to go at it classily and it was something families could watch, I was like you know what, I knew. It was that cliché of wanting to do something my son could watch. And I think we did it. My son loves it; he's going to be eight years old. He's yelling at the TV, he's trying to guess at it, and even gets mad when I interject.

So, getting back to your question, it was just this meeting, and sure enough they offered me the job – that's flattering! Without auditioning? I love it!

And it's not a Jimmy Pardo show, but I'm honored to be hosting this thing. Hopefully people dig it, and I think they will.

MS: You mentioned that on Never Not Funny- that it's not a Jimmy Pardo show. But it does seem as if you were able to bring your own personality to it.
JP: I tried to. So far the feedback's been good. There's a lot of science information I have to get out; there's a lot of psychological information I've got to get out. We did these post-show interviews where it's me being me. Maybe if there's a second season there will be more of me, but there's a lot of Jimmy in this season.

So much work goes into this show. There's a team of game designers, a team that has to construct the rooms, and they have to be identical. The puzzles all have to be tested, the rooms have to be tested. So much goes into even one episode that me mocking these people is just the cherry on the Sundae.

And I hate myself for that expression.

MS: I'll be sure to keep that in the interview.
JP: Please do!

MS: As a fan of yours, it's interesting to watch you be a "professional" – especially after listening to an episode of Never Not Funny.
JP: It is! It is weird to go from Never Not Funny, where we can talk about whatever and I can just be a jackass, and then go and be Tom Bergeron – and I mean that complimentary to him.

But being a host, in a weird way, I'm grateful for the opportunity because everybody knows that I can be funny and riff and in the moment but a lot of people haven't seen the host skills in a little while, so it's good to show them off.

MS: Getting to that, you've hosted quite a bit in the past. What is it about hosting that you love? It obviously comes very natural.
JP: I love interacting with people. I think growing up and idolizing Johnny Carson had something to do with it. I always wished I had more opportunities in the past to show off that I can do it, because I really do love doing it.

MS: These Escape The Room-type things are very popular today. Had you heard of them before taking on this gig?
JP: No! Now they're huge! When I took my first meeting, it had to be explained to me. But since then I can't stop hearing about them.

MS: So, as the host, have you tried it out?
JP: No, but I would love to. I would suck; I think I'd be horrible at it. I'd be the guy who would try to control everything but not know what I'm doing. Then I'd be mad no one would listen to me even though I'm wrong.

MS: So if you could build your own team to help you through it, who would it be?
JP: I honestly think it'd be [my wife] Danielle [Koenig] and (Never Not Funny video producer) Eliot [Hochberg] because I think we could work it. I do think Eliot would be great at it, but do I want to give him the press? [laughs]

Yeah, I'd have to say it would be Eliot and Danielle.

MS: it seems comedians are perfect hosts for game shows. Why do you think that is?
JP: I think it's that interaction, the ability to make something scripted look off the cuff. We've done that for our entire career. My act, while improvised, has a certain scripted element to it. Even though we're reading off a prompter the rules of the game or whatever, comedians can make it look like we're doing it for the first time, or even better, just make it look conversational.

MS: It's also your personality.
JP: It is! And I don't think every comic would be good at it. I don't think Jerry Seinfeld would be good at it, and he's arguably one of the best stand-ups of our generation. But I don't think he'd be good at that job. And I don't want him to be good at that job. He's got enough.

MS: Of course. It's your job.
JP: Right?! Leave it for me, Seinfeld. Stay in your car... [laughs]

MS: Never Not Funny is coming up on ten years. How are you still able to keep it exciting?
JP: You know what I think it is- I think the show has evolved in such a way that we're a cast now. It's less "Jimmy is bringing on his funny friends," and more "What are these four people and their guests up to?"

Now Eliot is his own character, and Garon is a character. Matt has grown into a character. I think Matt's finally the freest he's ever been.

There's a new dynamic and everyone knows we're going to make it fun and add that fifth person who brings their stories and sensibilities to it.

I also think I've turned a corner where I'm less afraid to offend people with my thoughts. Now I figure just say what you want to say. You can make all the jokes you want and people love it, but when it's something about them and something they like, it's "How dare you!!"

MS: How did you get to that point where you found yourself less afraid?
JP: I don't know, really. I think its just accepting that we have this great, loyal audience. We might get some more great people; we might lose some people. But I think it's the thought of we are who we are. We're having fun and it's working so why be scared?

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Race to Escape premieres on the Science Channel on July 25 at 10 p.m.