"Taxi" (1978) TV series 1978-1983

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Creators:

James L. Brooks
Stan Daniels
David Davis

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

12 September 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

The staff of a New York City taxicab company go about their job while they dream of greater things.

Plot Keywords:

New York | New York City | City | Taxi | Taxicab

Awards:

Won 4 Golden Globes. Another 21 wins & 45 nominations

Cast

Judd Hirsch	...	Alex Reiger (114 episodes, 1978-1983)
Danny DeVito	...	Louie De Palma (114 episodes, 1978-1983)
Marilu Henner	...	Elaine O'Connor-Nardo (114 episodes, 1978-1983)
Tony Danza	...	Tony Banta (114 episodes, 1978-1983)
J. Alan Thomas	...	Jeff Bennett (114 episodes, 1978-1983)
Christopher Lloyd	...	Reverend Jim Ignatowski (84 episodes, 1978-1983)
Andy Kaufman	...	Latka Gravas / ... (79 episodes, 1978-1983)
Jeff Conaway	...	Bobby Wheeler (50 episodes, 1978-1982)

Runtime:

30 min (115 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:PG (season 1) | USA:TV-PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Dover Garage - 534 Hudson Street, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

John-Charles-Walters Productions

Trivia:

Unnoticable in the opening, the Taxi Cab in the ending credits clearly shows the cab number '804'. This is noteworthy for fans, as it was the cab in the series 1 two-parter, 'Memories of Cab 804'.

Quotes:

[in the mountains, Jim hits his head]
Alex Rieger: Jim, are you alright?
"Reverend" Jim Ignatowski: Yeah... who are you?
Alex Rieger: I'm Alex. We're friends, we work together.
"Reverend" Jim Ignatowski: What are we, lumberjacks?
Alex Rieger: No, we're cabdrivers.
"Reverend" Jim Ignatowski: I bet we don't do much business up here!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Andy Richter Controls the Universe: Bully the Kid (#2.9)" (2004)

One of my very favorite TV shows of all time. Long live Reverend Jim Ignatowski!

Funny thing, I never watched 'Taxi' during its initial run during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Something about the title, I never got past that. However, during its re-runs during the 1990s I became an enthusiastic fan. I taped all the episodes so I could watch them at my convenience (I didn't save them, so don't ask). It became like watching a 'family', much as did my other favorite, 'Northern Exposure.' Both series had a common quality, set in an unusual place, with quirky characters and meaningful stories, so that during each episode you actually begin to care for each one. Who could ever forget Alex Rieger, Louie De Palma, Elaine Nardo, Tony Banta, Latka Gravas, Simka, and my all-time favorite character, Christopher Lloyd as Reverend Jim Ignatowski. I like that he took the name 'Ignatokski' because it was 'flower child' spelled backwards! (If you don't get it, then you will never 'get it.')

A few of my favorite moments come to mind ...

Jim burns Louie's apartment. Jim discovers that "I must have had piano lessons..." Jim works all the overtime he can to buy ... a dozen TV sets, achieving his greatest goal in life. The moment in college, when Jim takes one bite of a brownie, and he becomes what we know as the kookie Ignatowski.

I'll think of many more after I post these comments!! A great TV series, maybe it will come out on DVD some day.