Given Taxi's amazing cast of characters, it only makes sense to discuss the series through exploring the wannabes and nobodies who made the Sunshine Cab Company such a fun place to hang out at week after week, as well as how some of of the characters and themes have aged in the decades since.

A lot of the show was pretty forward thinking, if not groundbreaking for the time. Character's like the bum-boxer Tony Banta (Tony Danza) was one of TVs first Vietnam vets, while Reverend Jim (Christopher Lloyd) was one of the first counter culture "drug casualties" to make a weekly appearance on TV screens. Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner) was a strong, single mother who found time to pursue her true passions while providing for her kids. Though some of it wasn't very forward thinking, but we get into that on the ep.

But more importantly: was it funny? Hell yes! There's a reason so many of the performers went on to do great things. This is a stacked deck of comedic performers who brought to life some iconic characters. While Andy Kaufman's naive Latka (and Kaufman's tragic death at a young age) tends to loom large over the show's legacy, Taxi is more than any single performer. It is a true ensemble comedy where the rich, individual parts come together like a sitcom Voltron to make one hell of a show.

Here are some links to articles we referenced and researched for this episode:

From the A.V. Club: 10 Episodes of Taxi that find heart and humor in a dead-end job
From The Hollywood Reporter: Taxi Turns 40 - A Wild Ride Down Memory Lane with the Cast and Creators
From New York Magazine: Night-shifting for the Hip Fleet (The 1975 article that inspired the show's creators)