Taxi season 1

ABC
Sep 12, 1978

ABC
Sep 12, 1978

Summary Taxi's television history is filled with contradictions. Produced by some of television comedy's most well-regarded talent, the show was canceled by two different networks. Despite winning fourteen Emmy Awards in only five seasons, the program's ratings were rock-bottom for its final seasons. Although it thrives in syndication and is sti...

Comedy

Created By: James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, David Davis, Ed. Weinberger

ABC
Sep 12, 1978

ABC
Sep 12, 1978

Taxi

Season 1

5 Seasons

Season Premiere: Sep 12, 1978

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 17 Critic Reviews

User Score Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings

8.0

My Score

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Comedy

Created By: James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, David Davis, Ed. Weinberger

Where to Watch

Season Episodes

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Episode 1 • Sep 12, 1978 • 30 m

Like Father, Like Daughter

Alex and the guys drive a Taxi from New York City to Miami so that Alex can see his daughter, whom he hasn't seen in 15 years, before she leaves for school in Portugal.

Episode 2 • Sep 19, 1978 • 30 m

One-Punch Banta

Tony gets a chance to spar with a world champion. And when he knocks the man down, he gets a bout with a ranked fighter. Everyone but Louie supports him. But before the fight he learns what really happened between him and the champ.

Episode 3 • Sep 26, 1978 • 25 m

Blind Date

Alex goes on a blind date with Angela, whom he knows only as a witty and winsome voice on the telephone. Latka finds an envelope of money in the backseat of a cab. Who gets to keep it?

Episode 4 • Oct 3, 1978 • 25 m

Bobby's Acting Career

Would be actor Bobby Wheeler made a wager with himself. Bobby had 3 years to make it as an actor and at 24 hours to go, Bobby attends any audition possible to hopefully beat the clock.

Episode 5 • Oct 10, 1978 • 25 m

Come as You Aren't

Episode 6 • Oct 17, 1978 • 25 m

The Great Line

Episode 7 • Oct 24, 1978 • 25 m

High School Reunion

Louie, an outcast in high school, dreads the idea of his class reunion. Wanna-be actor Bobby Wheeler comes up with a scheme to help Louie get even with his peers.

Episode 8 • Oct 31, 1978 • 25 m

Paper Marriage

In order for Latka to stay in the country, he gets married to a call girl. The wedding is held in the garage led by the Reverend Jim Ignatowski.

Episode 9 • Nov 14, 1978 • 25 m

Money Troubles

When John and his new wife are strapped for money, Alex considers giving them a loan.

Episode 10 • Nov 21, 1978 • 25 m

Men Are Such Beasts

Tony is tormented by a crazy, pill-popping, one-time love interest who refuses to break up with him and gets a job at the garage just to be with him.

Episode 11 • Nov 28, 1978 • 25 m

Memories of Cab 804: Part 1

After cab driver John Burns has an accident in taxicab #804, the gang at Sunshine Cab, while mechanic Latka is making repairs, talks about memorable customers they encountered in that cab.

Episode 12 • Dec 5, 1978 • 25 m

Memories of Cab 804: Part 2

Latka is still trying to repair Cab 804 and the stories of memorable customers the drivers encountered in the cab continue.

Episode 13 • Dec 12, 1978 • 25 m

A Full House for Christmas

Louie's gambling brother, Nick from Las Vegas, comes to visit the garage. Irritated that Nick refuses to spend time with their mother, Louie bankrolls Alex in a card game to try and get back at him.

Episode 14 • Jan 16, 1979 • 25 m

Sugar Mama

Alex befriends a wealthy elderly lady who pays him to take her around the city.

Episode 15 • Jan 30, 1979 • 25 m

Friends

Tony's friendship with Bobby is tested when he leaves town and Bobby accidentally kills his goldfish.

Episode 16 • Feb 6, 1979 • 25 m

Louie Sees the Light

When Louie ends up in the hospital for an operation, he makes a promise to God that if he is able to pull through, he will change his ways. He is quickly tested by an unconvinced Bobby.

Episode 17 • Feb 13, 1979 • 25 m

Elaine and the Lame Duck

While out on a fare, Alex befriends a socially inept congressman who is dumped by a woman. Feeling sorry for the guy, Alex fixes him up on a date with Elaine.

Episode 18 • Feb 15, 1979 • 25 m

Bobby's Big Break

Actor/cab driver Bobby Wheeler lands a role on a soap opera but the cynical Louie DePalma believes it wont last. Leading Alex to have a serious talk with Louie.

Episode 19 • Feb 27, 1979 • 25 m

Mama Gravas

Latka Gravas's mother comes to visit and because he must work, he asks Alex to keep his mother company for him leading Alex to end up with more than he bargained for.

Episode 20 • Mar 6, 1979 • 25 m

Alex Tastes Death and Finds a Nice Restaurant

After being shot in his cab, Alex quits the garage and takes a job as a waiter at a high-class French restaurant.

Episode 21 • May 8, 1979 • 25 m

Hollywood Calling

A Hollywood movie producer comes to the garage to interview and follow cabbies in order to get material for his latest film.

Episode 22 • May 15, 1979 • 25 m

Substitute Father

With Elaine going out of town to visit her sick aunt, the guys at the garage takes turns watching over her son so that he can compete in a spelling bee.

5 Seasons

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore

Generally Favorable Based on 17 Critic Reviews

88% Positive
15 Reviews

12% Mixed
2 Reviews

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

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Metascore

Generally Favorable Based on 17 Critic Reviews

88% Positive
15 Reviews

12% Mixed
2 Reviews

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

The A.V. Club

Oct 18, 2022

The personable cast carries the creators' vision of a New York full of false hope, made tolerable by a network of friends. And then there's that Bob James theme song, so pretty and forlorn, playing in the opening credits over an endless shot of a cab crossing a bridge and never getting anywhere. It's the whole mood and meaning of the show, established in less than a minute.

By Noel Murray FULL REVIEW

Boston Globe

Oct 18, 2022

Like "the Mary Tyler Moore Show" this something-for-everyone comedy touches the nerves of character without forsaking the pratfall. [11 Sep 1978, p.25]

FULL REVIEW

The New York Times

Oct 18, 2022

As a situation, Taxi is no better or worse than any other situation comedy on television. But the series has two distinctive assets. The scripts tend to be better than average. And the cast, headed by Judd Hirsch as the somewhat sour, deadpan AleX, happens to have coalesced rather rapidly into a first‐rate repertory company.

By John J. O'Connor FULL REVIEW

Orlando Sentinel

Oct 18, 2022

Taxi is a joyride, a warm, breezy, character-oriented comedy in the tradition of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Barney Miller." [12 Sep 1978, p.72]

FULL REVIEW

People Weekly

Oct 18, 2022

Judd Hirsch, Jeff Conaway, Tony Danza, Randall Carver, Marilu Henner and Andy Kaufman are a New York cab crew in a sitcom that does produce some genuine comedy.

FULL REVIEW

Newsday

Oct 18, 2022

Even if it gets permanently blocked in traffic, Latka and Hirsch are a lot for the average TV sitcom. [12 Sep 1978, p.35]

By Marvin Kitman FULL REVIEW

Miami Herald

Oct 18, 2022

There could be a lot of laughs in the daily lives of cab drivers and tales to be spun out of their reasons for hacking. But Brooks and company have let their concept sputter away into a shapeless gagbag, wasting entirely their principal actor, Judd Hirsch, to say nothing of the supporting players aspiring to some kind of steady employment. [12 Sep 1978, p.134]

FULL REVIEW

See All 17 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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User Score

Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings

8.0

75% Positive
3 Ratings

25% Mixed
1 Rating

0% Negative
0 Ratings

User Reviews

View All

User Score

Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings

8.0

75% Positive
3 Ratings

25% Mixed
1 Rating

0% Negative
0 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Where to Watch

Where to Watch

Season Episodes

Top Cast

Judd Hirsch

Alex Reiger

Jeff Conaway

Bobby Wheeler, Louie De Palma, Skip

Danny DeVito

Louie De Palma

Marilu Henner

Elaine Nardo

Tony Danza

Tony Banta

Andy Kaufman

Latka Gravas, Vic Ferrari, Alex Reiger

Christopher Lloyd

Reverend Jim Ignatowski

J. Alan Thomas

Jeff Bennett

Carol Kane

Simka Dahblitz-Gravas, Simka Dahblitz

Randall Carver

John Burns

T.J. Castronovo

Tommy Jeffries

Rhea Perlman

Zena Sherman, John's Girlfriend

Gene LeBell

Referee, The Referee

Jimmy Lennon Sr.

Announcer, Jimmy Lennon, Ring Announcer, The Ring Announcer

Al Rosen

Cabbie

Louise Lasser

Phyllis Bornstein Consuelos, Phyllis Reiger

Susan Kellermann

Greta Gravas

Vincent Schiavelli

Reverend Gorky

Melanie Gaffin

Jennifer

Ed. Weinberger

Boxing Fan, Producer #2, Suicidal Man

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

User Reviews

User Reviews

User Reviews

User Reviews

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