Goodbye, Ben Bailey. Goodbye, Street Shout-Outs. And goodbye, Red Light Challenges.
If, like me, you’ve spent the last seven years obsessed with one of the Discovery Channel’s best shows, you’re saddened to hear that after more than 200 episodes, “Cash Cab” has been canceled.
For those who somehow missed out on this watershed moment in television history, here’s how the show worked: Charismatic host Ben Bailey drove a taxi around New York City, picking up unsuspecting passengers who were surprised to find out they were on a game show in a cab. Bailey would drive to their destination while asking general knowledge questions, for which the contestants could earn prize money.
There were no deals to be made or wheels to be spun. “Cash Cab” was similar to a Swiss watch in this way – the beauty was in its simplicity.
Bailey, who still moonlights as a mediocre stand-up comedian, exemplified the qualities that made “Cash Cab” so much fun. He didn’t need a stage for his game show. He didn’t need a plastic personality or an expensive suit. He was a likable, everyday guy – the type of person everyone wants to befriend.
As with any great TV program, it wasn’t always sunshine and daisies for “Cash Cab.” In 2010, it was revealed that, at least for the Chicago iteration of the show, a majority of contestants were pre-screened and cast rather than being picked up randomly off the street.
Discovery also acknowledged that the cash handed out at the end of the ride was fake and that there was some leeway in the Red Light Challenge, a portion of the show in which contestants could win extra sums of money.
Perhaps worst of all, a Cash Cab once killed someone. In July of 2011, the cab for the Vancouver edition of the show was being driven to a storage facility when the driver, who was also the show’s producer, struck a 61-year-old man on a crosswalk who died in a hospital later that night.
It’s safe to say that producer failed his Red Light Challenge.
But even after vehicular manslaughter and accusations that the show was a sham, I, along with millions of others, still loved “Cash Cab.” Sure, some of the show’s magic was destroyed after we realized the contestants weren’t the innocent, unsuspecting men-on-the-street we thought they were. But the show never failed to maintain the fun, lighthearted spirit that made it so successful.
But not even winning three Daytime Emmys, including one for Bailey’s work as a host, could save the show from cancellation. Discovery still hasn’t given a reason for axing the program, and I think I speak for all “Cash Cab” fans when I demand an explanation for the decision.
It is with a heavy heart that I write about the last hailing of the “Cash Cab.” The show’s many episodes will continue on in syndication, while there’s also hope that another cable TV station might pick it up.
But no one will ever be able to recreate the magic of Ben Bailey and his magic money taxi. So good night, sweet prince. Your days of rewarding strangers for random trivia may be over, but you’ll live forever in our hearts.
 
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Contact Joey Groner at [email protected]