Guide Note

Taxi, an American sitcom whose run lasted from 1978 to 1982, was about the diverse bunch of New York City cab drivers at the Sunshine Cab Company. Typical plots followed the characters as they contended with each other, their own personal demons and disappointments, and their rageful and unscrupulous dispatcher, Louie. The show's graceful balance of comedy and drama, as well as its accomplished cast of actors, made it one of the most award-winning sitcom's in television history. In commercial terms, Taxi was somewhat less successful—its Neilsen ratings sank to the tail end of the Top 100 after it's second of five seasons. However, its reruns continued in wide syndication through the 1980s and 1990s.

Fast Facts

1. Episodes: 114
2. Network: ABC (1978-1982), NBC (1982-1983)
3. First Aired: September 12, 1978
4. Won 18 Emmy Awards
5. Starring: Judd Hirsch, Tony Danza, Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner, Christopher Lloyd, Andy Kaufman, Jeff Conaway, Carol Kane
6. Created by James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels and David Davis

Taxi's cast rivals that of any sitcom before or since, in terms of subsequent success and acclaim. It included the innovative comedian Andy Kaufman, who played the zany immigrant character Latka Gravas and was later the subject of the Jim Carey film Man on the Moon. Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd became two of the most successful character actors of the 1980s. And several cast members went on to become network TV staples, including Tony Danza, Judd Hirsch and, to a lesser extent, Carol Kane.