@midnight

@midnight with Chris Hardwick (shortened to and formerly exclusively titled @midnight) was an American late night Internet-themed panel game show, hosted by Chris Hardwick, that aired Monday through Thursday nights between October 21, 2013 and August 4, 2017 on Comedy Central. "@midnight with Chris Hardwick" premiered on October 21, 2013. It was syndicated internationally in Australia on SBS2 and The Comedy Channel, in the United Kingdom on Comedy Central Extra, and in Canada formerly on MuchMusic and later on The Comedy Network.
"@midnight" received a nomination for Outstanding Interactive Program at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards. It received a nomination and win for Outstanding Social TV Experience at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards.
On July 18, 2017, Comedy Central, Chris Hardwick, and Funny or Die mutually agreed to end "@midnight with Chris Hardwick". The final episode, the 600th, aired on August 4, 2017.
Format.
Three guests compete in a series of Internet-themed improv games. "Rapid Refresh" is a game where contestants craft a funny response or choose an answer based on an Internet meme or trending news headline. On Thursdays during the run-up to the 2016 presidential primaries, this round was alternately referred to as "Panderdome" and focused on the candidates' gaffes and antics. Other games run daily include "Hashtag Wars" in which contestants buzz in with a phrase based on the given hashtag theme, and where fans can submit their own tweets which may show up in the game, and "Live Challenges" where the contestants write their answers over the commercial break. Hardwick would shout "Points!" and give the contestants arbitrary amounts.
Towards the end of the game, the third-place contestant is eliminated, the scores are wiped with a gesture, and the remaining two contestants play the final round called "FTW (For The Win)" Hardwick would read a question and the contestants would write down a response. The responses would then be read back anonymously and the winner would be decided by one whose response generates the most laughter/applause from the studio audience. The winner "wins the Internet for the next 23.5 hours".
Other gimmicks.
The "@midnight" website provided a complete list of guests who have appeared on the show to date with a leaderboard that indicated who appeared the most and who had the most wins.
Production.
The initial pilot for the show was called "Tweeter Dome" and was hosted by Thomas Lennon. It was revamped with Chris Hardwick as host, and trialed in the summer before airing at The Meltdown Comics store backroom. Lennon remained as co-executive producer throughout the run.
The show was shot on Stage 2 of the Hollywood Center Studios, where the CBS series "I Love Lucy" was originally shot.
Reception.
During its initial 2013 run, the series averaged 453,000 viewers in the 18–49 ratings demographic, putting it above Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live", E!'s "Chelsea Lately", and TBS's "The Pete Holmes Show". It also had the youngest audience of any late-night television show.
The week of February 17, 2014, was reported to be the show's highest rated to date; the show had 731,000 total viewers, and it tied "The Daily Show" as the most-watched late-night program on cable in the 18–34 demographic.