Current game shows like Beat Shazam, That’s My Jam, and the Name that Tune reboot have been keeping music-geared game shows alive and well on the small screen, balancing the abundance of celeb-filled talent competitions such as The Voice. But those series tend to test contestants’ overall awareness of popular music more so than any deeper knowledge about the songs and artists. That all changes with AXS TV’s upcoming series Parking Lot Payday, and as its title indicates, it features one of the most unique game show settings imaginable: concert parking lots.
Debuting on AXS TV on July 12, Parking Lot Payday will be hosted by ESPN’s Around the Horn and G4’s Attack of the Show vet Zach Selwyn, who will give unsuspecting concert attendees a chance to score some well-earned cash just for being well-informed fans. The show’s four-episode first season features Selwyn & Co. popping up within the parking areas of different arenas and putting select fans in the hot seat, with the challenge of answering a variety of multiple-choice questions pertaining to the headlining bands. The shortlist of said acts is below, along with the airdates:
- Metallica - July 12
- The Rolling Stones - July 19
- Imagine Dragons - July 26
- Coldplay - August 1
Check out the Parking Lot Payday trailer below before reading more about the new AXS TV series.
Here’s how the game will go. Each fan will have the chance to answer up to 10 questions about the aforementioned bands, with the first correct answer earning $5, with the reward money doubling each time. (So $10 for question 2, $20 for question 3, and so on.) Everyone could potentially walk away with a grand total of $2,560, simply for being a dedicated and learned fan. Or they can also walk away at any time if they don’t want to risk losing it all on a wrong guess, because that’s all it takes to get eliminated. And even if they don’t have the answers immediately on-hand, there are a few ways for contestants to get some assistance.
With a more enjoyable set of options over Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’s lifelines, Parking Lot Payday will allow perplexed contestants to straight up ask for a hint, to text a friend, or to go on an Internet-searching spree for 30 seconds to try and find the answer. I can’t think of anything about Metallica that couldn’t be stumbled upon with some crafty Googling, but I’m betting the show’s creative team thought of that. And speaking of Metallica, check out a clip from the AXS TV game show’s series premiere below, which features a rundown of the rules, followed by some question-and-answer fun.
It sounds like the show will be another example of AXS TV’s unique approach to music-geared programming, which also includes the endlessly fascinating scandal-centered Music’s Greatest Mysteries (which debuted its second season in March), the fun and informative list-based Top Ten Revealed, and its many concert series that have aired over the years. One can only imagine a certain Jeopardy! contestant would love to have seen a Rolling Stones-based game show episode ahead of misidentifying Michael Caine as Mick Jagger, since that was…just wrong.
Here’s what Zach Selwyn had to say about the new show in a statement:
Parking Lot Payday is the ultimate concert pre-game, showcasing the incredibly knowledgeable fans that have become as much a part of these legendary band's history as the chart-topping hits they’ve created. This is a really fun and interactive series that fans of all ages can enjoy. We had a great time putting it together, and we look forward to sharing it with AXS TV’s audience when Parking Lot Payday debuts on July 12.
One can only imagine how rowdy things could get with a show like this, as well as what other concerts and events Parking Lot Payday could hit up in the future. So be sure to tune into AXS TV on Tuesday, July 12, at 8:00 p.m. ET, to test your own musical knowledge. And while waiting for the new show to arrive, head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows will be available to watch soon.
