To date, I've only seen the first season of the legendary series 'Taxi', that ran for five seasons from 1978. It's legendary for a reason, and that reason is evident from the very beginning. 'Taxi' is goofy but simultaneously real. There is no way that this show can be confused with any other sitcom, as they all exist in variously paradisaical dimensions. Bad things happen in 'Taxi', and they're not always offset by other better things.
We'll do each season, one-by-one, here on the Quirky Muffin, although it will take a long time. By the end, the series will have transformed completely, with several character replacements, a change in network, and a renovation of the barking mad Andy Kaufman character of Latka Graves. For now, in season one, we have an extremely brave production which goes places unknown to other shows. Obesity and poor self-image, career woes, pill addiction, elopement, and various other less serious issues vie for story time as the drivers at Sunshine Cabs go through their lives, trying to make it big in their chosen careers while living on driving money, and routinely failing to escape.
This is the season which boosted Danny DeVito into the big time, reinforced Judd Hirsch as a television star, and showcased the weirdness of Andy Kaufman. Along with Marilu Henner, Jeff Conaway, Tony Danzer and Randall Carver, they form a solid cast that could cope with almost any setting. Yes, Carver would leave at the end of the season and take his naive character with him, and Conaway would thankfully take my least favourite character away after the third season. For now, however, everyone does his part, and builds up the show for what will be a great second year, and one which we get a preview of when Christopher Lloyd makes his debut mid-season. What is this deal with his Reverend Jim, anyway?
It's gritty, packs an emotional punch, has a few clunkers (mostly involving Conaway's Bobby Wheeler), and has a heart of gold. We'll wrap this up with the Quirky Muffin's highlights of season one: (1) 'Like Father, Like Daughter', the first episode in which series lead Hirsch's Alex is reunited with his daughter; (11 and 12) 'Memories of Cab 804', in which Tom Selleck appears in one of the stories; (20) 'Alex Tastes Death and Finds a Nice Restaurant', in which Alex has a crisis and becomes a waiter.
It's a solid season of a show that hits some spots no other comedy would think to reach for. What will come in future years? Christopher Lloyd...
O.
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