Taxi: The Complete First Season

Very few series in television history have been more popular than Taxi, which not only established a reputation for exceptional quality but also made bona fide mainstream stars of such cast members as Tony Danza, Danny DeVito, and even offbeat comic Andy Kaufman. The 22 episodes of the 1978-79 season, compiled here on an (unfortunately) extra-less three-disc set, introduced viewers to the employees of New York's Sunshine Cab Company, whose drivers included career cabbie Alex Rieger (played by Judd Hirsch, ostensibly the series' leading man) and part-timers Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner), Tony Banta (Danza), Bobby Wheeler (Jeff Conaway), and (for only one season) John Burns (Randall Carver). Berated by their tyrannical dispatcher, Louie De Palma (DeVito) and befuddled by their affable but peculiar mechanic, an immigrant named Latka Gravas (Kaufman), the Sunshiners never quite knew what to expect--and their uncertainty taxed the ingenuity of executive producer James L. Brooks (who went on to direct such big-screen hits as Terms of Endearment), veteran TV director James Burrows, and a gaggle of uniquely talented writers. Season one highlights include “One-Punch Banta,” which finds part-time prizefighter Tony getting an unexpected shot at the big time; “Blind Date,” which turns into an unforgettably awful night for Alex; “Come As You Aren't,” in which Elaine invites the gang to a party for her high-toned friends; “Louie Sees the Light,” a showcase for DeVito, whose character makes a short-lived deal with God after learning he needs surgery; and “Alex Tastes Death,” in which Alex temporarily quits the business after being robbed and shot while on duty. Even Kaufman got the spotlight to himself in “Paper Marriage” as a groom in a sham marriage to avoid deportation. Guest stars in the first-season shows included Tom Selleck (not yet famous as Magnum, P.I.), Mandy Patinkin (then a struggling stage actor), Martin Mull, and Ruth Gordon. You'll only need a cursory look at a few episodes to be reminded that Taxi richly deserved the awards and accolades it received during its long tenure on the small screen. Highly recommended. (E. Hulse)