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The seventies featured several groundbreaking sitcoms. One of those was "Taxi," perhaps one of the first major serials which focused exclusively on the work environment - in this case, the Sunshine Cab Company in New York - rather than on the family. Perhaps the most vital cast member was Louie DiPalma (Danny DeVito), the fiendish yet lovable curmudgeon who owned the company. Each remaining character had a unique love-hate relationship with Louie, and their own story to tell, all of which contributed to each week's plot. Other characters included Alex Rieger (Judd Hirsch), aspiring actor Bobby Wheeler (Jeff Conaway), ex-boxer Tony Banta (Tony Danza), divorced mother of two Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner), and designated oddball Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd). And, of course, there was Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman), the affable mechanic of an indeterminate ethnic origin, whose dialogue may be translated into "This will make you laugh" in any language. One can only imagine how hilarious episodes featuring Kaufman as Tony Clifton might have been. When one considers what roles some of the cast members have played since, one can see that there was a lot of talent on this show. It also served as the lynchpin for subsequent television sitcoms, including "Cheers" and "Frasier".
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MIK7x3 16 December 2000
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0157425/ |
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