Actor-comedian Michael Torpey and cable network TruTV have devised “Paid Off,” a show that offers the elements of a classic trivia game show with a Freddie Mac twist, the Washington Post reported. Three contestants square off to answer a range of trivia questions. Contestants — most are in their late 20s or early 30s — must be carrying college debt to appear on the show. (Some of their loads run as high as $50,000.) The series will kick off the first of 16 episodes today, hoping to raise consciousness about the many students and graduates saddled with debt and provide a few of them some relief. Depending on how many questions the winner answers in a speed round, the show will pay up to 100 percent of their loans, with TruTV footing the bill. Student debt afflicts as many as 44 million Americans, with the average student now carrying $37,000 in loans. The total amount owed in the United States exceeds $1.3 trillion.
