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

Another unlikely contender for Elaine’s affections was Reverend Jim Ignatowski, played by the brilliant and versatile Christopher Lloyd, in the episode “Elaine’s Secret Admirer.” When he writes her poems and deconstructs his van to create a castle for her so she will feel special, I get the fuzzies inside. You can’t judge a burnt-out hippie by his cover. I also love the episode “A Grand Gesture,” in which Jim gives each of the cabbies $1,000 to give away so they’d know how great it feels to be charitable after he was criticized for blowing so much of his inheritance money on others.

As a kid, I was fascinated by Rev. Jim but probably not for the reasons you’d expect. Mostly it was because of his brown hair – as an ‘80s-‘90s kid, it was hard for me to imagine him as anyone other than my hero, the silver-haired Doctor Emmett Brown from Back to the Future. But I don’t think I’ve ever laughed harder than the first time I saw “Reverend Jim: A Space Odyssey,” in which the other cabbies help Jim get his driver’s license. “What does a yellow light mean?” “Slow down.” Rinse and repeat in a slower voice over and over = hilarious.

However, the most lovable character on the show for me is immigrant-turned-mechanic Latka Gravas, played by Andy Kaufman. Even if he may not have always enjoyed playing that character on TV, I thoroughly enjoy watching him. His wide-eyed innocence and broken English are adorable, and he had many memorable episodes, as well as catch phrases (“ibi da,” “nik nik,” and “tenk you veddy much.”). The shows that come to my mind are “Latka’s Cookies,” in which he got to meet his hero Famous Amos, “Simka’s Monthlies,” in which he has to deal with his pre-menstrual wife played by the talented Carol Kane, and “Scenskees From a Marriage,” in which he was forced to sleep with someone else to avoid freezing to death while in a broken-down cab trapped in a blizzard. His alter-ego Vic Ferrari is not as lovable, but equally memorable in “Latka the Playboy” and other episodes.

Tony Danza and Jeff Conaway rounded out the cast of main cabbies, as Tony Banta the struggling boxer and Bobby Wheeler the struggling actor, respectively. I cover them together because I always think of them together. They were best buds, both boyishly good-looking and several plot lines revolved around their friendship, including the one where they are both dating the same woman who must choose between the two.

While there are other honorable mentions (cabbie John Burns (played by Randall Carver) who married his wife the same night as their first date and Louie’s assistant dispatcher Jeff Bennett (played by J. Alan Thomas), I don’t have time to go into further detail about them except to say they were phenomenal too.

Danny DeVito has gone on the record calling for a Taxi reunion movie the past few years – I guess the cast had fun reprising their roles briefly in the Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon. I’d like to see a Taxi movie happen but with two of its brightest stars dead (Kaufman and Conaway), I have my doubts it ever will. I’d just like to say thanks, Taxi, for giving me something to watch that always makes me feel better. After all, isn’t that what great television is supposed to do?

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