‘Cash Cab’ Host Reveals New Details of Show’s Revival

Fan-favorite reality show Cash Cab is set to return to the Discovery Channel after a hiatus of several years, and host Ben Bailey shared that passengers are delighted to have him back.

“It felt like the whole city was welcoming us back and happy to have us back,” Bailey told MONEY. “It was awesome.”

Despite the popularity of ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, New Yorkers will have reason to hop in a cab once again, as the show’s premise involves unsuspecting cab-goers arriving in the Cash Cab as Bailey gives them a chance to answer trivia questions to earn money.

For each question they answer correctly, they earn more cash, and if they get one wrong, Bailey kicks them out of the cab. The show originally ran from 2005-2012 and allowed Bailey, a stand-up comedian who earned three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host for his work on the show, to hone his trivia skills.

“Standup comedy has kept my wits sharp,” Bailey explained. “You also learn how to control the room and run the show.”

The revival will mostly keep to the show’s original format, although it will include celebrity guests to help passengers answer questions and swap the previous mobile shout-out for a social media shout-out, where Bailey goes live on Facebook to ask viewers for help on a question.

Now that the show is returning, fans will surely be more likely to take a cab, just in case.

“People burst into tears, people get out and shut the door — they have all kinds of different reactions,” Bailey said. “Ninety-nine percent of the time they scream, yell and say they can’t believe it.”

Cash Cab premieres on Discovery Channel at 10 p.m. on Monday.

Photo Credit: Discovery Channel