With only a few exceptions, the golden age of the ensemble sitcom is pretty much dead, or at least on hiatus. I’ve checked out some of the new shows that have invaded our televisions and I have yet to find one. Looking back, the last really good one was “Friends” and it finally flew the coop. When I was younger, at any given time I could watch cool shows like “MASH”, “Barney Miller”, “Night Court”, “Cheers” or “Taxi.” These were all terrific shows that featured extremely talented casts, who were by some miracle brought together and had just the right rapport to propel them into TV history. A good number of these shows started to become available in VHS format several years back through all those Columbia House Video Clubs. These were pretty expensive though, and 20 bucks usually only got you about 4 episodes. Times have changed however and there has been a renewed interest in these shows that has created newer and younger fans that are older than they are. The studios that own these shows have taken notice and there has been an increase in the amount of TV shows coming to DVD. Though it is sometimes a hit to the pocketbook, it’s a darn sight better than videotaping the shows all the time. The DVDs afford better quality, less shelf space, and best of all no commercials.

It’s thanks to these studios that some of my favorite shows have hit the DVD market and allowed me to revisit them at my leisure. The most recent show that I’ve had the opportunity to catch up on was “Taxi.” Paramount released the 1st and 2nd full seasons over the last few months and is now gearing up to release the 3rd season. Watching some of the episodes I realized I had forgotten just how funny the series was. It originally ran from 1978 to 1983 (geez, was it that long ago??), and featured an extremely diverse cast. The setting was an unusual one, and just in case you’ve actually never heard of it, it takes place in a New York City cab company.

Speaking of the cast, it was interesting to see just who was involved, and then compare their careers since. All of them had some modicum of success, at least enough to keep their names recognizable, the only exception being Randall Carver. He was only in the 1st season, and since that time has shown up in a just handful of other shows, though most recently he appeared in an episode of “Malcolm in the Middle.”

But when it comes to Marilu Henner, Judd Hirsch, Tony Danza and Jeff Conaway, they’re still pretty much household names. And of course, the late Andy Kaufman has become somewhat of a comedy legend, in part due to his untimely death. But a lot of that fame came from his extremely cerebral comedy style. I highly recommend watching Jim Carrey’s inspired performance as Kaufman in “Man on the Moon” (which features a re-enactment of a part of his “Taxi” stint). The biggest career surprise though has to be that of Danny DeVito. It was easy to discount him because of his diminutive size, so watching him on “Taxi” it’s hard to believe that he went on to be a huge movie mogul. Producing, directing and continuing to act, DeVito has become one of the kings of Hollywood.

Of course, there’s no way to talk about “Taxi” without mentioning Christopher Lloyd. Though he was only in one episode of the 1st season, his portrayal of Reverend Jim garnered him a permanent position by the 2nd. Suffering somewhat from a permanent case of brain freeze, his lines were some of the most classic of the series. For example, there’s an episode in the 2nd season called “Reverend Jim: A Space Odyssey” where there’s a classic scene in which Alex (Judd Hirsch) is trying to help Jim get his driver’s license. In it Jim asks Alex for some sample questions. Jim: “What do you do when you come to a yellow light?” Alex: “Go slower.” Jim: “What……do…..you….do….when….you….come…to….a…….yellow……light?” I laugh every time I think of that one.

Shows like “Taxi” rarely fail to deliver ‘classic’ episodes and there are several in the 3rd season. The first that came to mind while I was re-watching them was “Tony’s Sister and Jim.” Julie Kavner (the voice of Marge Simpson) guest stars as Tony’s sister and she falls head over heels for Reverend Jim. Of course, this doesn’t sit well with Tony. The Episode was so good as to take the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. There’s also a terrific two-part episode near the end of the season where news of the cab company’s bankruptcy cause all of the gang to seek new employment. Over the course of the episodes they gather to tell each about their experiences. Of course, you can guess how this one ends, considering the series went on for several more seasons. The season finale also has the distinction of giving birth to Latka’s alter-ego ‘Vic Ferrari.’

The 3rd season set of “Taxi” is a bit disappointing only in the fact that, like the previous two sets; it doesn’t include any special features. I know this is in part to help keep the purchase price down, but still, I would have loved to have seen some new interviews or even a commentary or two. At least there are episode synopses on the back of each case.

In spite of that one small nitpick, the set is still a bargain, especially if you’re already a fan of the show.

Episodes:
Louie’s Rival
Tony’s Sister and Jim
Fathers of the Bride
Elaine’s Strange Triangle
Going Home
The Ten-Percent Solution
The Call of the Mild
Latka’s Cookies
Thy Boss’s Wife
The Costume Party
Elaine’s Old Friend
Out of Commission
Zen and the Art of Cab Driving
Louie’s Mother
Bobby’s Roommate
Louie Bumps Into and Old Lady
Bobby and the Critic
On The Job, Part 1
On the Job, Part 2
Latka the Playboy

Starring: Judd Hirsch, Jeff Conaway, Tony Danza, Marilu Henner, Andy Kaufman, Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd
Extras: None
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital English Mono
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 9/13//2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Taxi:Season 3 a C+.