Remembering Taxi, a poignant show with a dynamic ensemble cast – CliqueClack Flashback

Whenever I’m sick, I like to pop old familiar favorites into my DVD player and snuggle further under the covers. More often than not, Taxi is one of the shows I find myself wanting to watch when I’m too miserable to sleep. As soon as the soothing strains of “Angela” come on and the hypnotic image of the taxi gliding across the Queensboro Bridge appears on my screen, I’m transported to another place and time and lulled into a happier, relaxed state of mind almost instantly. It’s a powerful show.

I’ve long contended that I was really born in the wrong era because of my deeply-rooted appreciation for classic television, movies and music. I find it really sad that many in my generation have never seen an episode of this once iconic show. That’s why I say Taxi is one of the greatest under-appreciated sitcoms. I introduced my boyfriend (who is four years younger than me) to it last year and to my delight, he quickly became a fan.

I think what makes Taxi such a stand-out show is its poignant writing and memorable, diverse cast of cabbies who were employed by the Sunshine Cab Co. Airing from 1978 to 1982 on ABC and one final season 1982-83 on NBC, Taxi featured cab drivers from all walks of life, each with their own reason for being a cabbie, whether it’s their full-time career or just a part-time gig while they work days pursuing their true passion in an art gallery (Elaine Nardo, I’m looking in your direction). Taxi was nominated for 31 Emmy Awards, of which it won 18, including three for Outstanding Comedy Series, and yet many have never watched it?!

I’d like to examine each of the main characters and why I love them as if they were close, personal friends of mine. We may as well start with Alex Rieger, played by Judd Hirsch, because he’s the unofficial leader. Whenever someone has a problem, it’s rock-steady Alex they turn to for sage advice. But Alex himself has a lot of demons, making him a richly complex character. Several episodes focus on his ex-wife and the grown daughter he doesn’t know and at least one episode dealt with a gambling addiction.

However, one of the most memorable Alex episodes is “Alex Tastes Death & Finds a Nice Restaurant.” After being held up by gunpoint in his cab, he quits and becomes a waiter in an upscale restaurant. That episode made the show very believable and real, exploring the darker side of being a New York City cabbie.

Dispatcher Louie De Palma, played by Danny DeVito, is the character you love to loathe. And yet, there are times when you see another layer to his personality, such as when you watch his heart break as Zena (played by his wife Rhea Perlman) marries someone else. Zena was the first nice girl Louie had been out with more than once. On other occasions, you also feel sorry for him such as when he thinks his blind girlfriend won’t date him once she can see again or the time he paid Bobby to be him for his high school reunion.

As the only main female cabbie, Elaine Nardo, played by the beautiful Marilu Henner, is a sweet but tough divorced mother with two kids who works days in an art gallery and nights as a cabbie to make ends meet. Elaine just can’t seem to find Mr. Right. Among her hopeful contenders over the years were Tom Selleck in one of my favorite episodes (“Memories of Cab 804”), a monk, Alex, Louie (in his fantasies) and the unlikely Arnie (played by Wallace Shawn). To this day, I’m not sure if Alex and Elaine really spent the night together in “Vienna Waits” or not, but that’s one of the mysteries I love about the show.

Clacked by Kim Tibbs
on Jun 07, 2012 @ 13:58 EST5EDT