Here in San Fran, we get Taxi reruned t 12:30 AM weeknights, so i can finally see the show. You see, i was 0-5 when it aired, and remember little or none of the show. The only thing i remembered was the theme. But now i can watch it all the time, and do. The characters are very intertaining, especially Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito. So, Dopers who got to see this show when it orignally run, what do you consider the best episodes? The worst? Any guest stars i should keep an eye out for? I have seen Rhea Pearlman as DeVito’s girl, George Wendt as an exterminator, and Grampa Munster as a night watchman with a dummy. Any good lines you remember? for me, pretty much anything Lloyd says is pure gold.
One of my favorites is when they all talk about their fantasies and Elaine dreams of them all singing “Lullabye of Broadway” in the cab station. Also look for Carol Kane as Latka’s wife/girlfriend, Simka.
Oh, and the one where Jim gets his license. Good stuff there, I tell ya.
One line:
“You did it with another woman.” 
Do you mean the one where they’re all at the DMV, coaching Jim on his written exam? If so you brightened my day just making me think of that.
Jim: (*Sotto voce) *Psst! What does a yellow light mean?
Other character(s): Slow down.
Jim: (Slower, slightly louder) What…does…a…yellow…light…mean?
Others: Slow down!
Jim: (Still slower, and louder) What…does…a…yellow…light…mean?
Others: Slow down!!!
Jim: (Very loud and slow) : WHAAAAAAT…DOOOOESS…AAAA…YELLOOOOOOOWW…LIGHT…MEAN?
Priceless!
“Nardeau’s got knobs.”
javaman, that’s the one. Makes me laugh just thinking about it.
Bobby: Mental illness or narcotic addiction?
Jim: Now that’s a tough choice…
That is my all-time-favorite TV joke ever. Thanks!
There’s one where the condemned building where Jim is living starts to get demolished while he is still in it. A huge wrecking ball sails through his living room while he is eating breakfast. He manages not to notice.
Practically all of my funniest “Taxi” moments involved the Reverend Jim character. Practically none of them involved the Latka character. I just never found him very funny.
That yeeeelloooooooowwwww liiiiigggghhhhtt scene has to be on the top ten greatest tv moments ever.
I loved Latka and Simka’s wedding, where Simka was to prove her maiden-ness by wearing a crown of flowers and walking amongst the guests without it falling off. Of course, it flew off her head like a rat out of the cellar! Plus Mrs. Gravas’s soliloquy on the joys of marriage (not!) and the introduction of Reverend Jim to the show make this ep a classic.
“Good-bye, cockroach. Good-bye, mouse. Good-bye, Jeff.”
Louie explains why he is so fond of a particular woman ((pardon my garbling): “She sees something good in me. Something true, and strong and wonderful. Something that isn’t there.”
Aren’t we all looking for someone like that?
Jim: Shinto is one of the three best types of weddings you can go to.
Shinto for the poetry.
Polish for the dancing.
Alex: What’s the third?
Jim: Vegas. For the glitter.
Probably my favorite actual episode was the one where we flash back to Reverend Jim’s Harvard days. We get to witness his first hash brownie. The facial expressions alone are worth the price of admission.
Jim: I was the living embodiment of the 60’s. I went to Woodstock. I protested the war. I did drugs. (Everyone laughs) Not as many as you think. How many drugs do you think I did?
Elaine: A lot!
Jim: Hey, that’s right.
I’ve seen most of the old episodes on TNN – there’s a lot of gold there but I’m always shocked by how poor the production values are. The sets are so clearly sets, actors are constantly forgetting their lines or screwing up their timing, etc. Also, there’s no effort to maintain continuity whatsoever, which must have worked then but is very jarring to my more modern sensibilities. (The ultimate example is when the crazy photographer woman – Zena’s friend – shows up again a season or two later. In the original episode, they had one fling and that was it; on her return it’s played like they had actually dated for a while, and Louie actually felt he had a chance with her even though in the original episode, it was made very clear that she never wanted to see him again.)
–Cliffy
The one where Jim becomes a perfect cabbie so that he’ll get lots of tips, so that . . .
He can afford a giant wall of TVs!
My favorite Taxi quote…
Jim: Hey, Alex–You know the really great thing about television? If something important happens, anywhere in the world, night or day… you can always change the channel.
Oh, gee, where do we start —
Some of the best ones have already been said. However, I can add a few more:
The one where it’s predicted that Alex is going to die at midnight in his apartment wearing a green sweatshirt and a catcher’s mask while doing the can-can…
Someone mentioned the fantasy episode, and while Elaine’s was great, let’s not forget Jim’s fantasy (where he gets on a spaceship).
Laughing Lagomorph mentioned about Jim’s building getting demolished. But the funniest part of that episode was what was to come. Jim moves in with Louie and manages to burn his apartment (and everything Louie owns) to a crisp. Jim gets his father to pay for the damages. The funny scene is watching Louie get the blank check and trying to figure out how much money to make it out for.
Zev Steinhardt
This is also my favorite episode, especially Jim’s Sinatra retrospective and the Delaware state legislature’s debate over whether their citizens should be called Delawarites or Delawarians (the Delewenians didn’t stand a chance).