Taxicab Confessions
Encyclopedia
Taxicab Confessions is a television series of hidden camera
documentaries that have aired on HBO since January 1995. In segments taped in New York City
and Las Vegas
, the taxi
drivers are also producers
who steer both the vehicle and the conversations with passengers.
When passengers enter the cab, they are recorded with several small cameras
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
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
.
The series originated in New York, moved to Las Vegas and in recent years returned to New York.
for Outstanding Informational Special. The show was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2001 and 2002.
Hidden camera
A hidden camera is a still or video camera used to film people without their knowledge. The camera is "hidden" because it is either not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another object...
documentaries that have aired on HBO since January 1995. In segments taped in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, the taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
drivers are also producers
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
who steer both the vehicle and the conversations with passengers.
When passengers enter the cab, they are recorded with several small cameras
Hidden camera
A hidden camera is a still or video camera used to film people without their knowledge. The camera is "hidden" because it is either not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another object...
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
Waiver
A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege.While a waiver is often in writing, sometimes a person's actions can act as a waiver. An example of a written waiver is a disclaimer, which becomes a waiver when accepted...
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
Over the Rainbow
"Over the Rainbow" is a classic Academy Award-winning ballad song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by Judy Garland in the movie...
" by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
.
The series originated in New York, moved to Las Vegas and in recent years returned to New York.
Awards
The first episode won an Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Informational Special. The show was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2001 and 2002.
Appearances in the media
The show has been parodied numerous times:- Comedian Chris RockChris RockChristopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
on his series The Chris Rock ShowThe Chris Rock ShowThe Chris Rock Show is a late night comedy talk show featured on HBO. It was created by Chris Rock and featured various guests. The show won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program in 1999. It ran for three seasons from 1997 to 2000. Seasons 1 and 2 were released as a DVD set...
in a segment titled "Taxi Driver Confessions" where Rock played a cab driver who said outrageous things to unsuspecting customers. - The Goo Goo DollsGoo Goo DollsThe Goo Goo Dolls are a Grammy-nominated American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik and vocalist and bass guitarist Robby Takac. Since the end of 1994, Mike Malinin has been the band's drummer, a position previously held by George Tutuska...
, who had a member of their band, Dave Schulz, appear in episode #6, spoofed the show in their video for the single, "SympathySympathy (Goo Goo Dolls song)"Sympathy" is a song by the Goo Goo Dolls. The song was the last single released from their album, Gutterflower. The song appeared on the soundtrack to the film A Cinderella Story. It was edited to about 2:48 for the soundtrack...
." ' - The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
makes a reference to the show in an episode in which Homer complains about his family on a program called "Taxicab Conversations." - In Spin CitySpin CitySpin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on the ABC network. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike...
Michael Flaherty asks after being interrogated by a taxi driver whether this is Taxicab Conversations. At that point, there is a cut and the rest of the scene is portrayed to be from the view of an on-board hidden camera. - In a Season One episode of Two and a Half MenTwo and a Half MenTwo and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
, "Drive East on Sunset Until You Reach the Gates of Hell," the two brothers hail a cab after leaving a bar. The two are drunk, and Alan decides to "impose his dominion" over the wife who kicked him out. Both brothers then decide to confront their mother about the emotional scarring she inflicted on them as children. As the episode ends, the two brothers wake up on the deck of Charlie's house; nearby is a form saying they've signed the waiver for a TV show called Taxicab Confessions. Two clips of the recordings made in the cab follow, after which the screen dissolves in snow, then cuts to black.