Cash Cab

Infobox Television
show_name = Cash Cab


caption =
genre = Quiz show
runtime = 30 minutes
creator = Adam Wood
presenter = John Moody (UK) Ben Bailey (US) James Kerley (AUS) Adam Growe (CAN)
network = ITV
country = United Kingdom United States Australia Canada
first_aired = 2005 (UK) 2005 (US) ? (Australia) 2008 (Canada)
last_aired = 2006 (UK) ? (US) ? (Australia) ? (Canada)
num_series =
num_episodes =
producer = Lion TV (UK) Lion TV (US) ? (Australia) Castlewood Productions (Canada)
related =
imdb_id =

"Cash Cab" is a game show, devised by Adam Wood, which originated in the United Kingdom. Passengers in a specially designated taxi cab are offered the chance to win money by correctly answering a series of trivia questions on the way to their destination. The American version of "Cash Cab" has comedian Ben Bailey as host, while the Australian version features James Kerley, and the Canadian version features Adam Growe. The show has been licensed to television networks in numerous other countries as well.

In the UK

Infobox Television
show_name = Cash Cab


caption =
genre = Quiz show
runtime = 30 minutes
creator = Adam Wood
presenter = John Moody
network = ITV
country = United Kingdom
first_aired = 2005
last_aired = 2006
num_series =
num_episodes =
producer = Lion TV
related =
imdb_id =

In the UK the programme is made by Lion TV and was originally shown on ITV beginning in the summer of 2005. Episodes of the show now air on Challenge.

The show's host initially poses as an ordinary taxi driver and drives around the major cities of the United Kingdom in a cab. The show pays its passengers for correctly answering standard general knowledge questions. Contestants are recruited in advance but are not told that the quiz will be taking place in the cab, so although the "pick-ups" are not as random as they appear on screen, the contestants are genuinely surprised when the taxi turns out to be the Cash Cab.

The contestants tell the driver their destination before getting into the taxi and are not allowed to change it. They then have the distance they need to travel to answer questions. The first five questions are relatively easy and worth £10 each, the next five are a little harder and worth £50, the next seven, even harder and worth £100, and any question after that is worth £500. If the contestant gets three questions wrong, they lose the money they have won up to that point and must leave the cab immediately. The host of "Cash Cab", John Moody, is a genuine qualified taxi driver, and has an easygoing presenting style.

In the U.S.

Infobox Television
show_name = CA$H CAB


caption =
genre = Quiz show
runtime =
creator = Adam Wood
presenter = Ben Bailey
network = Discovery Channel
country = United States
first_aired = 2005
last_aired =
num_series =
num_episodes =
producer = Lion TV
related =
imdb_id =

The United States' version of "Cash Cab" (or "CA$H CAB", as its logo states) [ [http://monsterscifishow.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/cashcab.jpgCash Cab logo] ] airs on the Discovery Channel. Once a passenger or group of passengers has been picked up, they must state their destination. This version of the show takes place in New York City. Anyone who hails the "Cash Cab" does not know that they are about to be on a game show until they hire the cab and the driver informs them of the rules. According to "Variety", Discovery Channel initially ordered 40 episodes from Lion Television and taping of the initial run was completed in November 2005 before the show premiered that December. A new set of 40 episodes were taped and aired in 2006 and 2007. Another 80 episodes were taped in 2007 and aired through spring and summer. In 2008-2009, 40 more episodes will be taped.

The driver/host of the "Cash Cab" is stand-up comedian Ben Bailey. In 2007, Ben Bailey was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host, but lost to Bob Barker. In 2008, Cash Cab won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show. Also in 2007, Discovery Channel began airing a new edition of the program, "Cash Cab: After Dark", in which contestants are picked up near or after sunset and the cash value of the questions is double that of the "classic" version of the show. However, a successful Red Light Challenge is still worth $250.

A support van tails the "Cash Cab" with producers and a camera crew (for the various street shots), and the staff provides logistical information and questions by way of a walkie-talkie and earpiece (sometimes visible when Bailey turns his head for the camera). [http://www.discovery.com/cashcab Ben Bailey, "When Ben Talks, July 19, 2007] ] The driver greets the fare(s), takes their destination, then pushes a button that both activates an LED light panel in the roof of the cab and plays a musical sounder with an iPod. After the shock and surprise has passed for the fare(s), the driver informs the players of the rules of the game (though not always shown onscreen). The players are also told that once the "Cash Cab" starts, the cab will not take detours of any kind unless directed by a police officer, stop sign, traffic light, or other legal means of diverting traffic, and offers them the chance to get out of the cab if they do not wish to play. Contestants must stay in the cab until they reach their destination in order to keep the money they have won in the game. Answering three questions incorrectly at any point during the trip will force the driver to pull over and dismiss the fare without the money they had already won. Once contestants have exited the Cash Cab, a camera crew from the trailing production car is already on the street waiting to tape them walking away from the cab, win or lose. Contestants are taped for approximately 10-15 seconds (though only about 5 seconds of this video is used in final production) walking away from the cab.

If the passenger stays in the cab, the game begins. For the first two seasons, the first four questions were worth $25 each, the next four questions were worth $50, and any question thereafter was worth $100. In "Cash Cab: After Dark", as well as the regular episodes of Season 3, all of the money values are doubled to $50, $100, and $200, respectively. If a contestant has won at least $200 (even on the After Dark version) and the cab is forced to stop at a traffic light, the driver will start a "Red Light Challenge". The driver will read a question that has multiple correct answers (usually four or five), and the passenger will then have 30 seconds to give those answers. Giving all the correct answers is worth $250, and failure to answer the question will not count as a strike, and they won't lose any money. Only one Red Light Challenge may be played per game, though, as with the Shout-Outs.

The passenger is allowed two "Shout-Outs" during the course of the trip, and each type can be used only once. The first type is the "Mobile Shout-Out", in which the contestant is allotted a phone call to a friend by means of the driver's cell phone. The fare is allowed 30 seconds to consult with their friend and give an answer. The contestant may also elect to use a "Street Shout-Out," causing the cab to pull over so that he or she can consult with anyone on the street without any official time limit.

One of the show's gimmicks involves the host giving a disappointed response initially to a contestant's correct answer, then excitedly telling them they actually got the question right. Bailey usually does this multiple times, to almost all his passengers. This a similar gimmick to that used by Chris Tarrant or Regis Philbin on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire".

Should the passenger reach the destination, the driver offers the passenger a choice. The passenger has the option of keeping the prize money and leaving the cab, or the choice of answering a final, more difficult, Video Bonus question for double or nothing. This is, essentially, a test of the risk aversion of the passenger.

Three games are usually played per episode. The first record for the most money won on the US show was $3,000 in an episode that aired June 13, 2007, under the old payouts. The trio of passengers correctly answered the Red Light Challenge and only missed a $50 question, but still ended up with $1,500 before doubling their winnings on the Video Bonus question. The second record for the most money won on the U.S. show was $3,700 on an episode of "Cash Cab: After Dark" aired in December 2007, with a group of young men who were heading to a bar for drinks. The trio traveled a total of 45 blocks, correctly answering every question and the "Red Light Challenge" along the way to win $1,850 before doubling their winnings on the Video Bonus question. The third highest winners, appeared on the show on April 17, 2008, and won $3,200, missing only one question. On a show aired March 25, 2008, with the new money ladder for season three, contestants Sean Devney and Steve Irolla, two New York City tour guides, won $4,100 after answering the Video Bonus question correctly. They reached their final destination with two strikes to their credit (both on $200 questions).

One episode of the program was a special celebrity edition, which featured actor Thomas Haden Church, Jed Ortmeyer and Ryan Hollweg of the New York Rangers, and Harry Smith, co-host of CBS's "The Early Show". All played for a charity of their choice. The Discovery Channel matched the contestants' winnings.

For equipment, the "Cash Cab" has ten cameras: one on the host, three on the passengers, one pointing forward from the back window of the cab, and three (front, left, and right) in the advertising shell on the roof of the cab. The rear of the cab behind the seats contains ten recording decks with a tower containing a countdown timer.

In Australia

Infobox Television
show_name = Cash Cab


caption =
genre = Quiz show
runtime =
creator = Adam Wood
presenter = James Kerley
network = Channel V
country = Australia
first_aired =
last_aired =
num_series =
num_episodes =
producer =
related =
imdb_id =

The Australian version airs on cable music channel Channel V Australia and is hosted by James Kerley. Series 1 was shot entirely in Melbourne.

With 26 episodes, the Australian version has a heavier focus on music questions and introduces a segment called "The Loot or the Boot". At the end of the fifth question, contestants have the opportunity to give up all of what they have won so far, which will be $60, $80 or $100, depending on how many questions they answered correctly, for what is "in the boot". The viewer at home is always shown what is "in the boot". If the player chooses the boot, the prize is given to them by Kerley as it was not literally in the back of the car. Boot prizes may be worth substantially more than their sacrifice or substantially less. Players play on regardless of what they choose, and the prize is theirs to keep, even if they use up their three strikes.

The Australian Cash Cab is fitted with eight cameras and a ninth camera follows in the car behind. Rather than tape, the cameras are all recorded directly to hard drives that are stored in the boot of the taxi.

In Canada

Infobox Television
show_name = Cash Cab


caption =
genre = Quiz show
runtime =
creator = Adam Wood
presenter = Adam Growe
network = Discovery Channel Canada
country = United States
first_aired = 2008
last_aired =
num_series =
num_episodes =
producer = Castlewood Productions
related =
imdb_id =

The Canadian version is produced by Castlewood Productions and began airing on September 10, 2008 on Discovery Channel Canada and Discovery HD, hosted by comedian Adam Growe.

With a first season of 26 episodes, the Canadian version closely mirrors the structure of its US counterpart, retaining familiar features like Shout Outs, Red Light Challenges, and the "double or nothing" Video Bonus option at the end of each game. Where the Canadian version differs is in its heavier focus on questions of science, technology, nature and adventure, as opposed to purely general knowledge. It is also the first Cash Cab format to be filmed and broadcast entirely in High Definition. The first season was filmed in downtown Toronto.

The Canadian Cash Cab uses eight high definition cameras: five different angles within the cab, two mounted in the advertising shell on the roof, and a mobile camera that records on the street or from the follow van.

Other countries

The format of the show has been sold to numerous countries around the world, including the Netherlands (BNN), Greece (Mega Channel), Israel (Channel 2), Ukraine (City Channel in Kiev), Pan-Arab (MBC 1) , Russia (TNT), France, Poland, Turkey, Indonesia, Spain, India (Bindass) and Serbia (Fox televizija). The show airs on Kabel 1 in Germany (as "Quiz Taxi"), and has been successful enough to merit a spin-off version of the show in which celebrities play the game. In Norway, it has been commissioned as a prime time show. A second season was recently commissioned in Hungary (Viasat 3), and the show will begin soon in Lithuania (LNK), and in the Czech Republic (Czech TV). Mexico's Televisa recently launched their own version of the show called Taxi Cash on January 28, 2008 on Canal 4 (Channel 4).

Other countries that have the rights to launch their own versions include Japan, New Zealand, Argentina, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras, Portugal, Malaysia, (called Teksi Tunai shown on the Astro Prima channel. The cab driver is local funny man, Bob Lokman), South Africa, and Chile.

ee also

*Taxicab Confessions

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0465321|title=Cash Cab (UK version)
*imdb title|id=0790825|title=Cash Cab (US version)
* [http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/cashcab/cashcab.html "Cash Cab"] on Discovery Channel
* [http://www.cashcabonline.ca "Cash Cab Canada"] on Discovery Channel Canada/Discovery HD
* [http://channelv.com.au/v/cashcab/default.aspx "Cash Cab"] on Channel V Australia
* [http://www.ukgameshows.com/index.php/Cash_Cab "Cash Cab"] on UKGameshows.com
* [http://www.kabeleins.de/serien_shows/quiz_taxi/ "Quiz Taxi"] on kabel eins
* [http://www.keshet-tv.com/cashcab/Default.aspx "מונית הכסף"] in Israel