45 Fun Facts About Cash Cab

Which stand-up comedian and licensed New York City taxi driver hosted the American Cash Cab?

Ben Bailey holds a real New York City taxi licence, handy for a host who does the driving himself.

On which network did the American Cash Cab originally premiere in 2005?

Discovery Channel was home from the 2005 premiere until the show changed networks for its ninth season in 2019.

In which country did the Cash Cab format originate?

It began in the United Kingdom: the original ran on ITV from June 2005 to June 2006 before being franchised around the world.

How many wrong answers get contestants thrown out of the Cash Cab with nothing?

On the third strike the host pulls over immediately, and a camera crew from the trailing van is already waiting on the sidewalk.

How long do contestants get to answer a Red Light Challenge?

30 seconds. Running out of time costs nothing and is not a strike, so the challenge can only add to the passenger's total.

How much is a completed Red Light Challenge worth on a regular ride?

A Red Light Challenge pays $250 on a regular ride; on a Double Ride the same challenge pays $500.

What are the two lifelines available to Cash Cab contestants called?

Shout-Outs, one a phone call and the other a stop at the curb so passers-by can help, can each be used only once.

How long can a Mobile Shout-Out phone call last before the contestant must answer?

The Street Shout-Out, by contrast, has no official time limit once the cab is at the curb.

In the revived Cash Cab, the Mobile Shout-Out was replaced by a lifeline using which platform?

The Social Media Shout-Out lets viewers watching the live stream help the passenger.

Cash Cab passengers who reach their destination without striking out can double their money by risking it all on what?

A Video Bonus question doubles the money if they get it right; get it wrong and they leave with nothing but a cab ride.

Unlike some other versions, what happens to US contestants who decline the Video Bonus?

Passengers who take the money and leave never learn what they would have been asked.

From Season 3 onward, what were the three regular question values in the American Cash Cab?

From Season 3 the questions paid $50, $100 and $200, up from the first two seasons' scale; a rare Double Ride doubles them again.

In the first season, how much were the first five questions worth each?

The next five paid $50 and anything after that $100, so early rides were worth far less than later ones.

What was different about the 2007 spin-off Cash Cab: After Dark?

Night pickups with doubled prize values, and harder questions too; it debuted in August 2007 as a short-lived companion to the main show.

How many episodes did Cash Cab: After Dark run before it was ended?

It debuted on August 8, 2007 with double the usual cash values.

Which city hosted a special run of Cash Cab episodes filmed during the fifth season?

Las Vegas. Filmed in May 2010, the episodes had celebrities like Penn & Teller playing for charity.

The previous winnings record, $4,100, was set by two New York City workers in what job?

Sean Devney and Steve Irolla reached their destination with two strikes and then nailed the Video Bonus.

Which reality show's boat crews competed in Cash Cab's 250th-episode charity special?

Deadliest Catch: Time Bandit's Andy Hillstrand and Cornelia Marie's Josh Harris faced Sig Hansen's Northwestern crew, with winnings going to charity.

A special episode themed on which 2008 film was driven by the host of Cash Cab: Canada?

Adam Growe took the wheel for the promotional episode aired December 23, 2008.

Which comedian hosted the short-lived spin-off Cash Cab: Chicago?

Beth Melewski hosted it. It used the same rules as the New York show and was cancelled after a single season in 2011.

How many cameras are fitted inside and on top of the New York Cash Cab?

Three of them sit in the advertising shell on the roof, filming the passing streets.

How does the host receive questions and logistics during a ride?

Through a radio earpiece: a support van full of producers and camera crew tails the cab and feeds him the questions and logistics.

What model of vehicle is the New York Cash Cab?

A Toyota Sienna minivan dressed as a yellow cab with a rooftop advertising shell; the Canadian version also chose a Sienna.

What is true of the cash the host hands over at the end of a winning ride?

The bills are a prop; real winnings arrive by check later, because the money has to be taxed and documented.

Which device plays the Video Bonus clip in the American Cash Cab?

The lights and fanfare that greet passengers run from a switchboard wired to an iPod and the car stereo.

How are passengers who are selected in advance tricked into the Cash Cab?

The cab, of course, turns out to be the show itself; other riders are picked at random from the sidewalk.

In which year did TV Guide include Cash Cab in its list of the 60 greatest game shows ever?

2013. TV Guide placed Cash Cab among classics such as Jeopardy! and The Price Is Right, rare company for a cable game show.

In which year did the American host confirm Cash Cab's return for a new season?

2017. Season 7 premiered on December 4, 2017 with a Celebrity Edition featuring Scott Bakula and Gilbert Gottfried.

Which annual event did Cash Cab's Season 8 premiere tie into in July 2018?

Shark Week. The special coincided with the 30th anniversary of Discovery's famous programming block, which began in 1988.

To which network did Cash Cab move for its ninth season in October 2019?

Bravo. The move was announced in September 2019 after 14 years tied to its original home.

Where was the American Cash Cab host born?

Bowling Green, Kentucky. He was raised in Chatham Borough, New Jersey, and later attended Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

At which Los Angeles club was the future Cash Cab host tending bar when first offered a stand-up spot?

The Comedy Store. Emcee Skip E. Lowe overheard his after-hours stories and put him on stage.

Which NBC game show did the Cash Cab host front from 2011 to 2012?

Who's Still Standing?, the trapdoor quiz, ran one season on NBC from December 2011; it was not renewed because of high production costs.

In 2022-23 the Cash Cab host drove which group around in the spin-off Money Grab in the Cab?

Riders had ten minutes to answer as many questions as they could.

Which NFL team partnered with the Cash Cab host in 2025 to quiz its players and staff?

He drove members of the organization around and quizzed them, Cash Cab-style.

Which science series on the show's home network did the Cash Cab host narrate?

He has also popped up in 30 Rock, Blue Bloods and Law & Order: SVU, and had a recurring role on One Life to Live.

Which 2012 superhero film cut the Cash Cab host's scene from its final version?

His most notable film appearance is in Bad Parents.

Who hosted the original British Cash Cab on ITV?

Moody is a qualified taxi driver; the questions were read in voice-over by Annabel Raftery.

In the British version, how much were the first five questions worth?

Values climbed to £50, then £100, and any question after the seventeenth paid £500.

Which comedian hosted Canada's Cash Cab and returned for its 2024 revival, Cash Cab Music?

Adam Growe hosted the Canadian Cash Cab and returned in 2024 for the revival Cash Cab Music on AXS TV and Game TV.

What is the French-Canadian version of Cash Cab called?

Taxi Payant is filmed in Montreal, hosted by comedian Alexandre Barrette, and uses a Dodge Grand Caravan.

The Canadian version differs from the American one by focusing its questions more on what?

Science, technology, nature and adventure, matching the remit of Discovery Channel Canada, where the Canadian version premiered in 2008.

Which Canadian city hosted Cash Cab's fifth season in 2011, the only season not shot in Toronto?

That season added a 'bridge bonus' that doubled the score for one question per ride.

How many episodes did Discovery Channel initially order from Lion Television for Cash Cab?

Taping of that first run finished in November 2005, and the show premiered that December.

Which Friends actor joined unsuspecting passengers in Cash Cab's December 2017 Celebrity Edition?

Matthew Perry climbed in alongside regular passengers; Scott Bakula and Gilbert Gottfried also rode along in the Celebrity Edition to help contestants.