Repo men: The new face of reality TV

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The producers of "Jersey Shore" are launching a reality show about a topic that's attuned to tough times: repossessed cars.

Spike TV, which is part of MTV, is about to begin production of "Repo Games," a quiz show hosted by repo men and starring hapless car owners who fall behind on their payments, according to MTV spokesman David Schwarz.

But all is not lost. On this show, they'll have one last chance to save their cars. The dispossessed owner can earn their cars back, fully paid, if they correctly answer three out of five trivia questions.

"They're fun questions, seemingly easy questions, the stuff that the majority of people can answer," he said. "We're not trying to stump people with impossible questions."

For example, they might have to identify state capitals, said Schwarz. But if they don't get three questions right, it's off to the impound yard.

"It's a show with real stakes involved," he said.

The show brings to mind "Repo Man," the cult comedy flick from the 1980s starring Emilio Estevez as a suburban punk who gets recruited into the often-hazardous job of repossessing cars.

But unlike the movie, "Repo Games" is actually hosted by real repo men who snatch cars for a living, not actors, said Schwarz.

The show won't just be about people who are too broke to make their car payments, he said. It will involve a cross-section of cars and people, including rich owners with luxury cars who space out on making payments.

"People who have had their car repossessed range from Paris Hilton to your average Joe," he said.

Schwarz said the show is currently in production and will air this spring.