By “mechanics”, I mean the selecting and screening of contestants, getting their consent to be recorded and broadcast on TV, etc. How do they know that the passengers will be good TV guests? Of course, they could simply not air the duds, but that is pretty expensive time wasted.
So, are the contestants really as random as they appear to be?
IIRC for the first set they showed Ben getting permission and for the others, it is assumed that they got it on film but didn’t air it. If someone said, “No, I really need to get to my destination in a hurry…I don’t want to be kicked out and have to look for another cab,” then they couldn’t air it for lack of permission. At least that’s what I guessed.
I always wondered how they got the street shots. They could pace the cab in another vehicle for shots as they roll. He could target a particular block for a pickup, have a camera guy there in advance.
I just googled and found this article.
I love ol’ CA$H CAB; Ben Bailey is a hoot (if you can find his stand-up special, it’s well worth the time) and it’s no wonder he’s won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Gameshow Host 3 times. I’m silly, yes, but I was on tenterhooks when the one guy won the $6200. It’s very good TV – a masterpiece of editing, which is the only reason I can watch Guy Fieri programs.
I’ve heard Ben Bailey on a number of podcasts (he’s a fairly regular guest on Doug Loves Movies) and I’ve heard, I believe directly from Ben Bailey on one of those podcasts, that the part where the passenger gets in the cab, the colored lights in the ceiling of the cab start flashing, Ben says “You’re on Cash Cab!” and the passenger acts all surprised, is faked. They’ve been vetted and clearances signed before that point. So the “random passenger” shtick and element of surprise is all a put-on, and after that it becomes a fairly ordinary game show on wheels.