''Taxicab Confessions'' is a
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
of
hidden camera
A hidden camera or spy camera is a camera used to photograph or record subjects, often people, without their knowledge. The camera may be considered "hidden" because it is not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another obje ...
documentaries
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...
that aired on
HBO from 1995 through 2006.
When passengers enter the cab, they are recorded with several small
cameras
A camera is an optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), with a ...
hidden in the taxi. The producer prompts passengers into discussing their past and/or present circumstances. This has led some participants to reflect on their life, recalling extreme tragedies or triumphs. Much is verbally or visually graphic, including explicit sex talk and sex acts performed in the back seat. At the end of the taxi ride, passengers are asked to sign
waiver
A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege.
Regulatory agencies of state departments or the federal government may issue waivers to exempt companies from certain regulations. For example, a United St ...
s allowing the hidden camera footage to be used on the program, and footage of this revelation is sometimes seen during the closing credits.
Separating the segments are short video montages showing life in the city, incorporating quick cuts of club interiors, flashing neon signage, strippers and the homeless, along with the series theme music, "
Over the Rainbow" by
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (often shortened to just Me First or the Gimmes) are a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in San Francisco in 1995. The band's lineup consists of Spike Slawson, Fat Mike, Joey Cape, and Dave Raun. C ...
.
The series originated in New York, moved to Las Vegas, and then returned to New York.
Awards and nominations
The first episode won the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Series or Special in 1995. The show was also nominated for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction Program (Reality) in 2001 and 2002.
See also
* ''
Cash Cab Cash Cab may refer to:
* ''Cash Cab'' (British game show)
* ''Cash Cab'' (American game show)
* ''Cash Cab'' (Canadian game show)
* ''Cash Cab'' (Japanese game show)
* ''Cash Cab'' (Australian game show)
{{disambiguation ...
'', a game show set in a taxi
References
External links
*
*
{{HBONetwork Shows
1995 American television series debuts
2006 American television series endings
1990s American reality television series
2000s American reality television series
1990s American documentary television series
2000s American documentary television series
Taxis
HBO original programming
American hidden camera television series
English-language television shows
HBO Shows (series) WITHOUT Episode info, list, or Article