84 Fun Facts About Cash Cab

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

Ben Bailey says early riders took him for a crazy cabbie and climbed straight out; once the show caught on, fans began chasing the taxi instead.

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

Discovery Channel cancelled the taxi quiz in 2012, then brought it back five years later with the same comedian at the wheel.

The American Cash Cab was adapted from a show that began in which country?

United Kingdom: the ITV original fizzled out within a year or so, yet the format was licensed to some 25 countries and thrived abroad long after.

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

Three strikes and the ride is over: the host pulls over at once, wherever the cab happens to be, and the losers are put out on the street even in pouring rain.

What sets a Red Light Challenge apart from Cash Cab's regular questions?

It has several correct answers: riders get 30 seconds to name the answers asked for while the cab waits at the light, and success earns a $250 bonus.

What does failing a Red Light Challenge cost Cash Cab passengers?

No penalty at all: a miss brings no strike and no deduction, and wrong guesses along the way are free, so riders blurt out every answer they can think of.

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

Shout-Outs let a stumped rider phone a friend or ask a stranger at the curb; one passenger was so sure the strangers were planted by the show that he walked out mid-game.

The Cash Cab host jokes that New York has only two free rides: his taxi and which other?

The Staten Island Ferry dropped its fare in 1997; in the Cash Cab even losers ride free, although a bad run can leave them on the curb well short of where they were going.

When Cash Cab returned in 2017, stumped passengers could poll viewers through a live stream on which platform?

Facebook Live: the host goes live from the driver's seat and puts the question to viewers, a lifeline that replaced the old phone call to a friend.

What deal does the Video Bonus question offer Cash Cab passengers who reach their destination?

Double or nothing: a video clip plays, and one question about it either doubles the total or wipes it out, so riders must choose between walking away and gambling the lot.

What must surprised Cash Cab passengers do before their game can go ahead?

Sign release forms: the paperwork takes about 15 minutes, which is why New Yorkers in a hurry often turn the game down and climb back out.

Cash Cab rides cost passengers nothing, yet city rules still require which piece of taxi equipment to run?

The fare meter: New York's taxi commission wants a record of every trip, so the meter still runs although nobody is ever charged.

What first tells unsuspecting passengers that they have climbed into the Cash Cab?

Flashing lights and music: colored ceiling lights and a fanfare erupt once the doors shut, and only then does the driver turn around and reveal the game.

What did the 2007 spin-off Cash Cab: After Dark do to the value of every question?

Doubled it: the spin-off's $50, $100 and $200 questions were no one-off, because the same richer scale became standard on the regular show from its third season.

How did one stubborn Cash Cab passenger try to avoid being put out on the street?

Buckled in with every seat belt: the host recalls a drunk rider who slid to the middle seat, strapped himself in with both belts and announced he was not getting out.

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 rode in a special 2009 episode of Cash Cab?

Deadliest Catch: its crab-boat captains took questions in the cab in April 2009, and two months later the Cash Cab host fronted the fishermen's own round-table series, After the Catch.

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 city got its own Cash Cab spin-off in 2011, hosted by comedian Beth Melewski?

Chicago: the spin-off kept the New York rules but was cancelled after a single season, and within months the original was off the air as well.

Where are some of the Cash Cab's cameras hidden on the outside of the taxi?

In the rooftop advertising sign: cameras there film the passing streets while others inside watch the driver and riders, so the taxi looks ordinary until the game begins.

How does the Cash Cab host receive each question during a ride?

Through a radio earpiece: a producer feeds him each question, so he can keep his hands on the wheel and his eyes on Manhattan traffic.

Which minivan served as the New York Cash Cab during the show's original run?

Toyota Sienna: the host stands 6 feet 6, so every shift began with the towering comic folding himself into its driver's seat.

What happens to the cash handed to a winning Cash Cab passenger?

It goes back to the crew: the bills are a prop for the cameras, and the real winnings arrive weeks later as a check so that the money can be taxed.

Who rides up front to keep score during a Cash Cab game?

A production assistant: one hops into the passenger seat once the game is on, runs the in-cab effects and keeps a running total while the host drives.

What are Cash Cab passengers who were recruited in advance told they are being cast for?

A different TV show: recruits hear about a made-up travel series, then are sent to a pickup spot where the ride to the shoot turns out to be the game itself.

Which award for best game show did Cash Cab win every year from 2008 to 2010?

Daytime Emmy: the taxi quiz beat veterans such as Jeopardy! and The Price Is Right, and its host later won the game show host award himself, more than once.

After its 2019 move to a new network, Cash Cab promised more questions about what?

Pop culture: the new network pitched the reboot at fans of it, a shift from the general-knowledge mix of the original run.

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

Shark Week: the episode marked the programming block's 30th anniversary and worked in clips from divers and photographers featured in earlier years.

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

Bravo revived the quiz in 2019 with its original host, an upgraded cab and higher stakes, but the new run was over by August 2020.

Which earlier job helped the Cash Cab host land his audition for the show?

Driving limousines: he chauffeured for years to pay the bills as a stand-up, but still had to pass New York's taxi exam before his contract was signed.

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

The Comedy Store: he did odd jobs there, and after hours his stories made the comics laugh so much that he was offered a spot 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.

On the RFD-TV quiz Money Grab in the Cab, the Cash Cab host drove which contestants?

Farmers, for their FFA chapters: each had ten minutes to answer as many questions as possible, and in the second season the students climbed in to play too.

Which NFL team's 2025 schedule-release video put the Cash Cab host in a trivia cab with cornerback Trent McDuffie?

Kansas City Chiefs: for 'Chiefs Cab' the team found a van matching the original model, painted it yellow and had players and cheerleaders help fans win game tickets.

Besides driving and hosting, which behind-the-scenes credit did the Cash Cab host hold on its revived seasons?

Executive producer: the revival was first announced with no host and celebrities due to drive, but after fans pushed for him he returned with a producer's title as well.

What made John Moody a natural choice to host the British Cash Cab?

He was a qualified cabbie: Moody held a genuine hackney carriage licence, and his catchphrase promised to ask losing riders, politely but firmly, to leave.

Unlike its American cousin, the British Cash Cab had its questions read by whom?

An unseen announcer: Annabel Raftery voiced every question, leaving host John Moody free to drive, whereas the American host asks them himself at the wheel.

Which pastime lends its name to the closing question of the 2024 revival Cash Cab Music?

Karaoke: riders who take on the last question of the ride sing their answer, a finale to match a season of questions drawn from across music history.

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

Taxi Payant, literally 'paying taxi', flips the usual deal: host Alexandre Barrette drives Montreal passengers who can earn money instead of owing a fare.

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 is footage of Cash Cab passengers hailing and leaving the taxi captured?

From a van trailing the cab: producers and the camera and sound crew ride behind in a black van, filming each pickup and exit without tipping off the next passenger.

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

Matthew Perry was already in the cab when riders climbed in, part of the revival's new twist: famous helpers who could pitch in on any question.

Which 30 Rock character rides the Cash Cab to hospital in 2010 and answers every question correctly?

Tracy Jordan hails the cab with no money on him while his wife is in labour, and wins his way across town. He arrives in time to see his daughter born.

Which alternative to the yellow taxi did Cash Cab's producers briefly consider before reviving the show?

An Uber or Lyft car was considered as ride-sharing apps squeezed traditional taxis. The production company decided the iconic yellow cab had to stay.

Which would-be passengers does the American Cash Cab host refuse to pick up because they may be rushing?

People with suitcases might be in a hurry, so he leaves them at the kerb. Many other New Yorkers recognise him on sight, even years after the last episode.

According to the American Cash Cab host, how did one losing contestant try to avoid being thrown out?

He buckled every seat belt around himself in the middle seat and announced he was staying put. Losing players are normally put out wherever the cab happens to be.

The towering American Cash Cab host jokes that strangers often mistake him for which fellow TV presenter?

Mike Rowe, the Dirty Jobs host, is the man people think they have spotted, and the comedian happily plays along. He admits he says outrageous things in Rowe's name.

Which NFL running back, phoned by his agent from the Cash Cab, flubbed a question about a Steinbeck novel?

Tiki Barber answered Lonesome Dove when the book about Tom Joad was The Grapes of Wrath. The host, a Giants fan, admitted a fumble joke slipped out at the star's expense.

What must surprised Cash Cab passengers spend about a quarter of an hour doing before play begins?

Signing legal waivers takes around fifteen minutes, which is why some people in a hurry simply decline to play. The paperwork starts the moment riders learn the cab is a TV set.

Besides phoning a friend, where else can stumped American Cash Cab contestants turn for help once per ride?

A passing pedestrian can be asked once the host pulls over to the kerb, and there is no official time limit. A rare double-money ride allows a second roadside appeal.

Under what two-word title did the Cash Cab format run on Germany's kabel eins channel from 2006?

Quiz Taxi ran on weekday evenings with Thomas Hackenberg at the wheel, and he came back for a 2023 revival. The other titles belong to versions in France, Taiwan and Slovakia.

Australian Cash Cab contestants could trade their winnings for a mystery prize kept where in the taxi?

The boot held prizes worth far more or far less than the cash, in a gamble called The Loot or the Boot. Choosing it reset the winnings to zero.

Which earlier job, alongside stand-up comedy, helped the American Cash Cab host land the role?

Limo driver was already on his CV when he was cast, and he went on to qualify as a real cabbie. The cab on screen is a genuinely registered one.

What trails the American Cash Cab through traffic, carrying producers and a camera crew for the street shots?

A support van follows close behind, and its camera crew is already waiting on the pavement to film losing players as they are put out. That is how riders are caught climbing in, too.

Which Apple gadget is wired to the American Cash Cab's stereo to trigger the fanfare when contestants climb in?

An iPod is hooked to a switchboard and the car stereo, so one press sets everything off the moment the host reveals the game.

Which NCIS franchise lead rode along to help surprised passengers in a celebrity edition of the American Cash Cab?

Scott Bakula, then starring in NCIS: New Orleans, joined riders who had no idea a famous face was coming. Comedian Gilbert Gottfried helped out in another ride shown the same night.

Which Oscar-nominated Sideways actor played for charity in an early celebrity edition of the American Cash Cab?

Thomas Haden Church rode for a charity of his choice, and the network matched whatever the famous players won. A CBS news anchor took a turn in the same episode.

Which rival presenter did the American Cash Cab host jokingly vow to run out of the game show host Emmy race?

Steve Harvey, the Family Feud host, had been collecting the trophy while the taxi quiz was off the air. The joke came as the cabbie returned to television after five years away.

According to the American Cash Cab host, what did some eager fans abandon on Third Avenue just to play?

Their own car was left double-parked in Manhattan so they could jump in the taxi instead. When the ride ended, nobody knew what had become of it.

Which American cable channel picked up reruns of the original New York Cash Cab and aired them into the 2020s?

GSN, the Game Show Network, ran the old episodes for more than four years, dropped them, then brought them back less than a year later.

In which state did the American Cash Cab host grow up, in the borough of Chatham, and later settle in Morristown?

New Jersey is where he was raised and later made his home. He met his future wife in a Morristown pub in the 1990s.

Which discount supermarket chain hired the American Cash Cab host to front an advertising campaign?

Aldi sent him into its stores to get shoppers to say what they loved about them. He has also fronted adverts for a Michigan energy company.

The American Cash Cab host's 2011 stand-up special paired Accidental Ornithology with which other title?

Road Rage was a fitting title for a comedian famous for steering a taxi through Manhattan traffic. His first Comedy Central special had aired five years earlier.

Which Virginia university did the American Cash Cab host leave a semester before graduating to move west?

Old Dominion in Norfolk was where he studied liberal arts until 1993, when he quit one semester short of a degree and headed for Los Angeles.

Which 2006 sporting event led ITV to shelve most of the British Cash Cab's second series?

The FIFA World Cup bumped the quiz whenever a match was on, so only two of sixteen leftover episodes aired. The rest surfaced on a different channel the following spring.

How were the questions put to contestants riding in the original British version of Cash Cab?

By a woman's voice-over, supplied by Annabel Raftery, rather than by the cabbie at the wheel. In the American version the driver asks every question himself.

Which common taxi mishap did the American Cash Cab host say in 2017 had surprisingly never happened in his cab?

A passenger vomiting is something people often ask him about, and he said it had never occurred. The worst he saw was the occasional sore loser.

In which city was the French-language Canadian version of Cash Cab filmed?

Montreal is home to the French-language version, even though its comedian host, Alexandre Barrette, was born in Quebec City.

A third lifeline added to Canada's Cash Cab in season two let contestants do what with a top-value question?

They could swap it for a new one, supplied by the show's dispatcher, once they reached the highest-paying tier. The original two lifelines stayed in play as well.

What full-time job did the host of Canada's Cash Cab hold before he switched to stand-up comedy and television?

Morning DJ was his day job on the airwaves before comedy took over. He later turned his fame behind the wheel into a trivia stage show.

Before filming began, what did the comedian chosen to host Canada's Cash Cab have to complete?

Taxi school turned him into a properly licensed cabbie before the cameras rolled. He had won the job at an audition after moving to Toronto.

The Australian Cash Cab left the east coast for its third season to film in which city?

Perth hosted the third run after two seasons in Melbourne, with a stand-in presenter at the wheel. The Gold Coast took over for the fourth.

Which comedian and former co-host of The Project drove the Australian Cash Cab for its third season only?

Charlie Pickering stepped in while regular presenter James Kerley was away fronting a dating show. Kerley was back in the driver's seat the following season.

Where the American Cash Cab counts strikes, what does a wrong answer cost players on Germany's version?

A life is lost with each mistake or silence, and the host puts players out on the spot once the last one is gone.

A lifeline added to Germany's Cash Cab in 2023 gives passengers a few seconds to do what on their phones?

They may search the internet for the answer against a short countdown. The same revival moved the quiz into a seven-seat Volkswagen bus.

Why does a second car, steered by a local cabbie, travel ahead of the taxi while Germany's Cash Cab films?

To show the route, so that the quizmaster never gets lost mid-question. With another vehicle following behind, the taxi always travels in a small convoy.

At the height of Cash Cab's fame, what did its American host switch off to avoid being chased by fans?

The interior lights gave the game away, so he kept the colourful display dark and even hid from approaching passengers.

On Germany's Cash Cab, players could win back a used lifeline by describing words with what in their mouths?

A plastic ball made every word a mumble in a mini-game played at red lights, which could also involve miming or drawing. Success handed back a lifeline the team had already spent.

Japan's Cash Cab offered a third lifeline that sent the taxi straight to the nearest what?

A bookshop stop gave players five minutes to hunt for the answer. The fourth edition allowed just one book, bought without peeking inside.

Danish cabbies reported their country's version of Cash Cab to police partly because the fake taxi lacked what?

Proper licence plates were missing: the car wore ordinary white ones instead of those Danish law requires for cabs. Drivers also accused the quiz of poaching their customers.

Besides German cities, Germany's Cash Cab occasionally picked up passengers on which Spanish holiday island?

Mallorca hosted occasional rides, as did the Austrian ski resort of Kitzbühel. Most episodes stuck to cities such as Berlin, Munich and Cologne.

Which comedian and Curb Your Enthusiasm director was announced as executive producer of Cash Cab's revival?

David Steinberg, a veteran stand-up, was attached when the comeback was announced, before any driver had been named. Famous guests were even expected to take the wheel.