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With his signature dry wit and \u201cclean\u201d humor, comedian Nate Bargatze is stepping into the game show spotlight with \u201cThe Greatest Average American,\u201d <\/a>premiering Wednesday, Feb. 25, on ABC and streaming on Hulu. The concept is as relatable as it sounds.<\/p>\n \u201cI travel all over the country,\u201d Bargatze told PauseRewind’s entertainment reporter Courtney Tezeno. \u201cI would jokingly always call myself \u2018the greatest average American,\u2019 that I know all the average American things. And so I wanted to make a game show that kind of celebrates that it\u2019s fun, it\u2019s silly, it\u2019s weird little questions that you wonder.\u201d<\/p>\n The show grew from a bit in his stand-up into a full-fledged competition series. With the help of executive producer John Quinn, Bargatze brought the idea to life. \u201cI kind of came up with the idea, and then got paired up with John Quinn, who actually knows how to make the game So then we created it, and yeah, I\u2019m excited for it to come out.\u201d<\/p>\n Competitors have a chance to win a grand prize of $67,920, which is the average American salary. That number could change each season as the economy fluctuates.<\/p>\n \u201cIt should be going up. So you hope it goes up,\u201d Bargatze said. \u201cEverybody\u2019s going to know the average American salary. So you hopefully will get to see that go up, and we will go up with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike many hosts, Bargatze doesn\u2019t just stand on the sidelines. He jumps into the challenges himself without knowing what\u2019s coming.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what the challenge is before we go in,\u201d he shared. \u201cI was like, I\u2019d rather just go in and not know. Don\u2019t tell me what it is I need my natural reaction. So if my first answer is probably going to be the dumb one, let it be the dumb one.\u201d<\/p>\n The 46-year-old comedian says his favorite segment is a nostalgic parking lot test. \u201cWe put shopping carts into [the cart return station] you see if you can make it into the railing in the parking lot. And so that was one that I enjoyed. I was better at it than I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n The show also leans into audience participation, including a final round built from pre-show audience responses. Bargatze hopes the game show experience becomes destination-worthy, much like the shows he grew up watching.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like when you see people want to go be on \u2018Price Is Right” I like the idea of creating something that people want to be a part of,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you get to come to the show, there\u2019s a great chance you\u2019re going to be shown on the show, and you play a big part in it.\u201d<\/p>\n Bargatze also reflected on how his early days in stand-up shaped his perspective. \u201cWhen I first started here in New York City, everybody’s kind of doing jokes essentially about New York City when you’re first starting. And so then you’re like, well, that’s not going to work in, you know, Columbus, Ohio,\u201d he said. \u201cGetting out of this element and going home, it kind of was a balance.\u201d<\/p>\n That balance is part of why filming in his hometown, Nashville, was so important.<\/p>\n \u201cI love Nashville I wanted to raise my daughter at home, around family,\u201d he said. \u201cThis game show is a big reason. I wanted people to want to be on it and come see our city we\u2019re a city that\u2019s growing very fast, and we welcome you to come.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond the new show, Bargatze, dubbed the \u201cnicest guy in comedy,” is hitting the road soon. For tour information and tickets, visit natebargatze.com.<\/a> Fans can also look forward to his new book, \u201cBig Dumb Eyes\u201d, available here<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n