Taxi
Main title caption
Format	Sitcom
Created by	James L. Brooks Stan Daniels David Davis
Starring	Judd Hirsch Tony Danza Danny DeVito Marilu Henner Christopher Lloyd Andy Kaufman Jeff Conaway Carol Kane Randall Carver J. James L Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American producer, Screenwriter and director. Stanley Edwin Daniels ( July 31, 1934 – April 6, 2007) was a Canadian-American Screenwriter, producer, David Davis, the name of several people may refer to David Davis (Australian politician (born 1962 Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Council Judd Hirsch (born March 15, 1935) is an American Actor, known for playing the character Alex Reiger on the television comedy series Tony Danza (born Antonio Salvatore Iadanza on April 21, 1951 in Brooklyn New York) is an American Actor best known for starring Daniel Michael DeVito Jr (born November 17 1944 is an American Actor, director and producer, who first gained prominence for his portrayal Marilu Lucy Henner (born April 6 1952) is an American actress, producer and New York Times best-selling author Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is a three-time Emmy Award -winning American Actor. Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman (January 17 1949 &ndash May 16 1984 was an American Entertainer, Actor and Performance artist While often referred Jeff Conaway (born October 5, 1950, New York City, New York, U Carolyn Laurie Kane (born June 18 1952) is an Emmy Award -winning and Oscar -nominated American actress, known for her work Alan Thomas
Theme music composer	Bob James
Opening theme	"Angela"
Country of origin	United States
No. Bob James (born December 25, 1939 in Marshall Missouri) is a two-time Grammy Award -winning Smooth jazz Keyboardist The United States of America —commonly referred to as the of seasons	5
No.  of episodes	114
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	ABC (1978-1982) NBC (1982-1983)
Original run	September 12, 1978 – June 15, 1983
External links
IMDb profile

Taxi is an American sitcom that originally aired from 1978 to 1982 on ABC, and from 1982 to 1983 on NBC. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's The series, which won 18 Emmy Awards including three for Outstanding Comedy Series, focuses on the everyday lives of a handful of New York City taxi drivers and their abusive dispatcher at the fictional Sunshine Cab Company. The City of New York A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of Public transport for a single passenger or small group of passengers typically for a non-shared ride The series was produced by the John Charles Walters Company in association with Paramount Television (now CBS Paramount Television). The John Charles Walters Company was a production company formed in 1978 by four former employees of MTM Enterprises: James L Paramount Television was an American Television production / distribution Company that was active from December 1967 to January CBS Paramount Television (formerly Desilu Productions, Paramount Television, among other companies is an American Television production

Taxi was inspired by the non-fiction article "Hip-Shifting for the Night Fleet" by Mark Jacobson, which appeared in the September 22, 1975 issue of New York magazine. Non-fiction is an account or representation of a subject which is presented as Fact. Mark Jacobson (b1948 is an American Author living in Brooklyn New York, and New Orleans Louisiana. New York is a weekly magazine concerned with the life culture politics and style of New York City. This article helped suggest the idea for the show to James L. Brooks and David Davis, though nothing from it was used directly. James L Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American producer, Screenwriter and director. David Davis, the name of several people may refer to David Davis (Australian politician (born 1962 Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Council ^[1] The article was a profile of several drivers who worked the night shift for a New York cab company.

Taxi was ranked 48th in TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time is a list of American TV series compiled by TV Guide as a cover story for the week of May 4

Premise and themes

Much of the show focuses on attempts to "make it out of the garage" by achieving enough success in their external careers that they no longer need to supplement their income by driving. Only Alex, who is older than his colleagues and disillusioned with life, considers driving a cab his profession. The others, despite being unable to make a living via their outside careers, do not consider taxi driving their true calling. Elaine is a receptionist at an art gallery, Tony is a boxer with a losing record, and Bobby is a struggling actor. John Burns, who was written out of the show after the first season, is working his way through college. The rest of the drivers take pity on "Reverend Jim" Ignatowski, an aging hippie minister burnt out from drugs, and help him become a cabbie. Many episodes involve one of the characters having an opportunity to realize his or her dream and move up in the world, only to see it yanked away.

Despite the zany humor regularly featured on the show, Taxi often tackled such dramatic issues as drug addiction, single parenthood, blindness, bisexuality, teenage runaways, failed marriages, sexual harassment, pre-menstrual mood disorders, and the loss of a loved one. Drug addiction is widely considered a pathological state. The disorder of addiction involves the progression of acute Drug use to the development of drug-seeking A single parent (also lone parent and sole parent) is a Parent who cares for one or more children without the assistance of another parent in the home Blindness is the condition of lacking Visual perception due to Physiological or Neurological factors Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation A runaway is a minor who has left the home of his or her Parent or Legal guardian without permission or has been thrown out by his or her parent Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD is a severe form of Premenstrual syndrome, afflicting 3% to 8% of women

Characters

The cast of Taxi during the final season of production: (back row, left to right) Danza, Kaufman, Kane; (front) Lloyd, Henner, Hirsch, DeVito

• Alex Rieger (Judd Hirsch) - Alex is the sensible, compassionate core of the show, the one everyone else turns to for advice. Judd Hirsch (born March 15, 1935) is an American Actor, known for playing the character Alex Reiger on the television comedy series At one point, he reveals his frustration with this unwanted burden. He once worked in an office, with a good chance of advancement, but lost his job due to his refusal to follow the company line. He was married to Phyllis Bornstein (Louise Lasser). Louise Lasser (born April 11, 1939) is an American actress She is known for her portrayal of the title character on the Soap opera parody When his wife divorced him because of his lack of ambition, she sought sole custody of their baby daughter, Cathy; he gave in rather than fight. He is also estranged from his philandering father, Joe (Jack Gilford). Jack Gilford ( July 25, 1908  &ndash June 4, 1990 was an Academy Award - and Tony Award -nominated and Daytime Emmy Award Alex is a recovered compulsive gambler, although he relapses in one episode. A pessimist, he has resigned himself to driving a cab for the rest of his life.

• Louie De Palma (Danny DeVito) - The dispatcher for the Sunshine Cab Company is the boss from Hell. Daniel Michael DeVito Jr (born November 17 1944 is an American Actor, director and producer, who first gained prominence for his portrayal Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering He not only has no morals to speak of, he positively revels in his misdeeds. Nothing is beneath him, from taking advantage of a drunken friend of his sometime-girlfriend Zena Sherman (played by real-life wife Rhea Perlman) to gambling with a young boy to stealing from the company. Rhea Perlman (born March 31, 1948) is an American four-time Emmy Award -winning actress, known for her role as Carla Tortelli He lives with his mother (DeVito's real mother, Julia, in two episodes). Under the amoral exterior beats a heart of pure lead. That said, he has (on very rare occasions) helped his workers, as in the episode in which an arrogant hairstylist (played by Ted Danson) gives Elaine a garish makeover just before a very important event and further humiliates her by stating he "didn't know how to do taxi drivers. Edward Bridge “Ted” Danson III (born December 29, 1947) is an American Actor best known for his role as central character " " It is Louie who bolsters her confidence to confront him. TV Guide ranked De Palma first on its list of the 50 greatest TV characters of all time. TV Guide is the name of a North American weekly magazine about television programming

• Elaine O'Connor-Nardo (Marilu Henner) - Elaine is a divorced mother of two struggling to cope, while trying to realize her ambitions in the field of fine art. Marilu Lucy Henner (born April 6 1952) is an American actress, producer and New York Times best-selling author The object of lust of Louie, she is attracted to characters played by actors ranging from Tom Selleck to Wallace Shawn. Thomas William Selleck (born January 29 1945 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American Actor, Screenwriter and Wallace Shawn (born November 12, 1943) sometimes credited as Wally Shawn, is an American Actor and playwright

• Tony Banta (Tony Danza) - The sweet-natured, if somewhat dimwitted boxer has little success in the sport. Tony Danza (born Antonio Salvatore Iadanza on April 21, 1951 in Brooklyn New York) is an American Actor best known for starring In fact, Louie makes a lot of money betting against him. Finally, the boxing commission takes away his license because he has been knocked out one too many times. Danza actually was a professional boxer.

• Bobby Wheeler (Jeff Conaway) (1978-1982) - Bobby is a shallow, conceited actor whose pretensions are Louie's favorite target. Jeff Conaway (born October 5, 1950, New York City, New York, U Success eludes Bobby. Once, he is signed up by a famous manager, but it turns out she does not want to represent him; she only wants him as a lover. Another time, he is cast in a pilot for a soap opera called Boise. A soap opera is an ongoing episodic work of Fiction, usually broadcast on Television or Radio. The show goes into production, but his part is recast.

• Reverend Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd) (1979-1983) - A burned-out relic of the '60s, Jim lives in a world of his own. The Reverend Jim "Iggy" Ignatowski, played by Christopher Lloyd, was a Fictional character in the 1970s Television series Taxi Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is a three-time Emmy Award -winning American Actor. He was once a hard-working, serious student at Harvard University, with an extremely wealthy father (Victor Buono), but one bite of a drug-laden brownie was enough to get him hooked and send him into a downward spiral. Charles Victor Buono ( February 3, 1938 - January 1, 1982) was an Academy Award - and Golden Globe-nominated American The cabbies help him pass a written exam to become one of them, in a particularly memorable episode (see Quotes section below). He occasionally exhibits unexpected talents, such as the ability to play the piano masterfully. TV Guide placed Ignatowski 32nd on its list of the 50 greatest TV characters of all time. TV Guide is the name of a North American weekly magazine about television programming

• Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman) - Latka is an immigrant from a very strange land, often speaking in his invented foreign tongue ("ibi da", "nik nik"). Latka Gravas was a fictional character on the television Sitcom Taxi portrayed by Andy Kaufman. Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman (January 17 1949 &ndash May 16 1984 was an American Entertainer, Actor and Performance artist While often referred He works as a mechanic, fixing the taxis. Latka was an adaptation of the "Foreign Man" character Kaufman originated in his stand-up comedy act. Stand-up comedy is a style of comedy where the performer speaks directly to the audience with the absence of the theatrical " Fourth wall " He eventually grew tired of the gag, so the writers gave Latka multiple personality disorder, allowing Kaufman to play other characters, the most frequent one being a repellent, smooth-talking lounge-lizard persona calling itself Vic Ferrari. In one episode however, he becomes Alex, with profound insights into "his" life. Just when he is about to reveal to the real Alex the perfect solution for all his problems, he reverts back to Latka.

• Simka Dahblitz-Gravas (Carol Kane) (1980-1983) - She is from the same country as Latka. Carolyn Laurie Kane (born June 18 1952) is an Emmy Award -winning and Oscar -nominated American actress, known for her work They belong to different ethnic groups which traditionally detest each other, but they fall in love and eventually get married. She is much more assertive than her husband, often standing up to Louie for him.

• John Burns (Randall Carver) (1978-1979) - The naive young man works as a cabbie to pay for college. According to Carver, ". . . the characters of John Burns and Tony Banta were too similar. . . Some of the lines were almost interchangeable. . . "^[2], so he was dropped after the first season without explanation.

• Jeff Bennett (J. Alan Thomas) - Sunshine Cab's assistant dispatcher, he shares the "cage" with Louie but rarely speaks or interacts with the other characters. One exception is the Season 5 episode "Crime and Punishment", wherein Louie turns Jeff in for stealing car parts from the company and selling them on the black market (a crime which Louie himself committed).

Awards and nominations

Taxi is one of television's most lauded shows. During its run, the sitcom was nominated for 31 Emmy Awards and won 18, including three for Outstanding Comedy Series. It was also nominated for 25 Golden Globes, with four wins (three for Best TV Series - Musical/Comedy). The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner In 1979, it received the Humanitas Prize in the 30 minute category. The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity meaning and freedom

Awards

Emmy Awards:

• Comedy Series (1979-1981)
• Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Judd Hirsch (1981, 1983)
• Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - Ruth Gordon (1979)
• Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Carol Kane (1982)
• Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series - Carol Kane (1983)
• Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Danny DeVito (1981)
• Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Christopher Lloyd (1982, 1983)
• Directing in a Comedy Series - James Burrows (1980, 1981)
• Writing in a Comedy Series - Michael Leeson (1981)
• Writing in a Comedy Series - Ken Estin (1982)
• Film Editing for a Series - M. Ruth Gordon Jones ( October 30, 1896 – August 28, 1985) better known as Ruth Gordon, was an Academy Award - Pam Blumenthal (1979-81), Jack Michon (1981)

Golden Globe Awards:

• Best Television Series-Comedy (1979-1981), tied in 1980 with Alice
• Best TV Supporting Actor - Danny DeVito (1980), tied with Vic Tayback in Alice

Nominations

Emmy Awards:

• Comedy Series (1982, 1983)
• Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Judd Hirsch (1979, 1980, 1982)
• Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Eileen Brennan (1981)
• Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Danny DeVito (1979, 1982, 1983)
• Directing in a Comedy Series - James Burrows (1982)
• Writing in a Comedy Series - Michael Leeson (1979)
• Writing in a Comedy Series - Glen Charles and Les Charles (1980, 1981)
• Writing in a Comedy Series - David Lloyd (1981)
• Writing in a Comedy Series - Barry Kemp and Holly Holmberg Brooks (1982)
• Writing in a Comedy Series - Ken Estin (1983)

Golden Globe Awards:

• Television Series-Comedy (1982-1984)
• Actor in a TV Series-Comedy - Judd Hirsch (1979-1983)
• TV Supporting Actress - Marilu Henner (1979-1983)
• TV Supporting Actress - Carol Kane (1983)
• TV Supporting Actor - Tony Danza (1980)
• TV Supporting Actor - Danny DeVito (1979, 1981, 1982)
• TV Supporting Actor - Jeff Conaway (1979, 1980)
• TV Supporting Actor - Andy Kaufman (1979, 1981)

Ratings

The show was acclaimed by critics, but it was never a major ratings success. Alice was an American Television sitcom series which ran from August 31 1976 to July 2 1985 on CBS. Victor "Vic" Tayback ( January 6 1930 – May 25 1990) was a New York City-born American actor of Syrian Eileen Brennan (born September 3, 1932) is an American Actress of film television and theater It performed respectably during its first two seasons, even placing in the Top Ten in its first season behind the ABC powerhouse line-up of Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Three's Company, but numbers plummeted when it was moved from that secure time-slot into more competitive positions. Happy Days is an American Television sitcom that originally aired from 1974 to 1984 on ABC. Laverne & Shirley was a popular American television Situation comedy that ran on ABC from 1976 to 1983 Three's Company is an American Sitcom that aired from 1977 to 1984 on ABC. The show was cancelled in 1982 by ABC. The show was then picked up for its fifth and final season by NBC, being paired at first on Thursday night with Cheers. Cheers is an American Situation comedy television series that ran eleven seasons from 1982 to 1993

The show's seasonal ratings were as follows:

• 1978-1979: #9
• 1979-1980: #13
• 1980-1981: #53
• 1981-1982: #53
• 1982-1983: #73

Production

The series was produced on Stage 23, at Paramount Television, in Los Angeles, California, from July 5, 1978, to February 18, 1983. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar)

Opening sequence

The opening titles show a cab driving across the Queensboro Bridge. The Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge, is a Cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that was completed in The footage originally was intended as a "bridge" between scenes and is only about fifteen seconds long; parts of it are subtly repeated a few times to fill the opening. Tony Danza drove the cab in the sequence; he was in New York to shoot a scene that would air in the first season finale. It ended up being the whole series's only scene filmed in New York.

The external shot of the Sunshine Cab Company was of a garage in New York's West Village. The building has since been demolished, the site now containing an apartment building and a Rite Aid. Rite Aid ( is an American Retailer and Pharmacy chain, operating over 5000 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia.

Theme music

Bob James wrote the theme music for Taxi throughout its entire run, including the main theme, "Angela", which was written for a sequence in episode 3 of the first season ("Blind Date", see below). Bob James (born December 25, 1939 in Marshall Missouri) is a two-time Grammy Award -winning Smooth jazz Keyboardist The producers liked the slower, more melancholy tune better than the original, more up-tempo original opening theme chosen, which was the title cut of James's 1978 album, Touchdown, on which "Angela" also appears. Touchdown is a 1978 jazz album by Bob James. It was a commercial breakout album for him that contained the song "Angela" the popular theme song to

Quotes

Elaine [on first meeting Alex]: I'm only going to be working here part-time. I'm not really a taxi driver.

Alex: Oh yeah, I know. We're all part-time here. You see that guy over there? Now he's an actor. The guy on the phone, he's a prize fighter. This lady over here, she's a beautician. The man behind her, he's a writer. Me? I'm a cab driver. I'm the only cab driver in this place.

Jim [taking a written driving test]: Pssst. What does a yellow light mean?

Bobby: Slow down.

Jim: Okay. What. . . does. . . a. . . yellow. . . light. . . mean?

Bobby: Slow down!

Jim [increasingly befuddled]: Okay. Whaaat. . . doooeees. . . aaa. . . yeeel-looow. . . liiight. . . meeeaaan?

Director James Burrows instructed Conaway and Lloyd to continue repeating their lines until he called cut. James Edward Burrows (born December 30 1940) is an American Television director who has been working in television since the 1970s The gag wound up being performed at least a half-dozen times in the studio until the audience laughter finally died down. Henner (who was also in the scene) can be seen stabbing herself in the hand with a pen in order to avoid laughing.

Episodes

Season 1

^[3]

Cast reunions

Danny DeVito hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live soon after Taxi was canceled after the fourth season. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City A filmed bit had him driving around New York looking morose until inspiration strikes and he blows up the ABC building. In addition, the Taxi cast members were given an opportunity for closure, which up to that point had been denied them due to the abrupt cancellation. Need for closure is a psychological term used to describe an individual’s desire for a quick answer as opposed to enduring ambiguity The actors took their "final" bows during DeVito's opening monologue, only to have NBC pick up the show. HBO was also interested in renewing the series for a fifth season after ABC's cancellation.

Decades later, most of the cast returned to play their younger selves and briefly re-enact scenes for the Kaufman biopic, Man on the Moon. A biographical motion picture &mdash often shortened to biopic &mdash is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people Judd Hirsch, Marilu Henner, Jeff Conaway, Carol Kane, Randall Carver and Christopher Lloyd all reprised their roles. The only two who did not were Danny DeVito, who produced and co-starred in the film as Kaufman's manager George Shapiro, and Tony Danza, who declined to participate.

Kaufman incident

Kaufman wanted his stage character Tony Clifton to appear on the show. Tony Clifton is a fictitious character created and often played by comedian Andy Kaufman "Clifton" was hired for a guest role, but after throwing a tantrum on stage, had to be escorted off of the Paramount studio lot by security guards. The incident was recreated in Man on the Moon.

DVD releases

CBS Home Entertainment has released the first three seasons of Taxi on DVD in Region 1. CBS Home Entertainment is the new Home video entertainment arm of CBS Corporation. It is unknown if the remaining 2 seasons will be released at some point.

Season One was released in the UK on 28/04/2008. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Footnotes

References

• Lovece, Frank, with Franco, Jules. Hailing Taxi: The Official Book of the Show. New York: Prentice Hall, 1988. Reissued as Taxi: The Official Fan's Guide. New York: Citadel, 1996. ISBN-10: 0806518014. SBN-13: 978-0806518015.

External links

• Taxi at the Internet Movie Database
• Encyclopedia of Television