It’s amazing how much useless trivia I carry around in my mind. I think a lot of folks are like me. Sometimes you just remember obscure facts you learned in junior high school decades later. Or you find that more recent news has actually seeped into your mind via osmosis or something. Jeopardy used to be one of my favorite game shows, but Cash Cab on the Discovery Channel has taken the lead. While the former is fairly straight categorized trivia, Cash Cab is so much more!
Now, nothing against Alex Trebek, but I’ll take Ben Bailey over him as a host any day. Yeah, yeah … the criteria for the shows are very different. I know that. But I think Ben could do Alex’s job and not so much vice versa. From his odd accents, both foreign and NYC area, to the fact that he’s actually driving a taxi in Manhattan, nope. Alex would strike out. Ben’s a comedian by trade, but he’s the epitome of a hack in the city, too. It’s just a shame I get the ones who just grunt or smell funny when I use cabs.
Not only is Ben a bonus for the show, but the location is a hit, as well. For folks who haven’t been privy to the city, it’s a slice of life. For someone like me, more of a Bridge and Tunnel type (yes, Jersey — is there a problem with that?), I get to see locations I know well and hear of some which I must check out. I never realized that there’s a Cowgirl Hall of Fame in the Village. Did you know that? I’ll have to don some spurs and check it out!
So, we have Ben and the location. Another aspect of the show which makes it a hit for me are the contestants. Unlike the people who go through the lengthy process to get on most game shows, these contestants were originally just trying to get from Point A to Point B. And, it’s the city. They run the gambit from tourists to the odd ones hanging out in Washington Square Park to find themselves. Well, maybe the latter are looking to find some drugs, but this isn’t that kind of show! You get the unique, you get the snooty, you get a pretty good sampling of the city.
I find myself checking out the cabs looking for the elusive Cash Cab whenever I’m in Manhattan. Then I sigh and head down the stairs to the subway. Heck, I’d even like to be a street shout-out, but only if I know the answer. There’s no sense going on national television to be the fool. I could apply for a reality show to do that!
You can catch the cab on Discovery at 6 PM ET/PT and also at various hours. Right now it’s between seasons, but it’s still a fun watch.
Clacked by Jackie Schnoop 
on Jan 09, 2009 @ 10:04 EST5EDT
The Cowgirl Hall of Fame is a restaurant. https://www.cowgirlnyc.com/menu_dinner.html
My family went up to NYC to catch a show in November and I asked my hubby if we could walk around in the vicinity of Times square to get a chance at being a shout out helper. I couldn’t talk him into it – 30 degrees isn’t that cold.
I love the fact that the people are random folks off the street. Just goes to show that a game show doesn’t have to pay a million bucks for the contestants to really get into it and the viewer to have a good time.
As a fellow member of the bridge and tunnel crowd from Jersey (though I plan on moving my stuff across the tunnel and into the city in the not too distant future)I can say I do the exact same thing when im in NYC. I always say I will only take a cab if its a Toyota minivan and Ben Bailey is driving it. So unless we see that we’re taking the subway.