List of Taxi episodes

In a one-time chance to catch up with the daughter, Cathy (Talia Balsam), he has not seen in 15 years, Alex and the gang drive a cab to Miami to meet her at the airport before she moves to Portugal.

Tony gets the opportunity to become a sparring partner for a middleweight boxing champion (Carlos Palomino), but he may be getting more than he bargained for. Featuring Allan Arbus.

Alex arranges a date with the charming voice on Bobby's answering service, but is disappointed to meet an unattractive, gruff and surly woman (Suzanne Kent) in person.

Bobby, Tony and John try to decide who rightfully deserves the large sum of money which Latka found in the back of one of the cabs.

After giving himself three years to break into the acting business, Bobby goes on a hurried audition spree in the hours before his own personal deadline expires. Alex confiscates a dog from his abusive owner.

Elaine throws a party to impress her art gallery contacts but fears her high-class guests will discover she is a taxi driver.

John picks up a pretty woman (Ellen Regan) at a bar, and everyone is shocked when he returns from his date a married man.

Louie is afraid to face his old classmates at his 20-year high school reunion so Bobby offers to impersonate him ("I shot up in college") and attend the reunion in his place.

Faced with deportation, Latka marries a call girl, Vivian Harrow (Rita Taggart), in a quickie ceremony conducted by the bizarre Reverend Jim "Iggy" Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd, in his first Taxi appearance).

John and his new wife entertain Alex and Latka for dinner, where their financial situation exposes tension just below the surface.

Tony has trouble breaking up with his obsessive, pill-popping girlfriend (Gail Edwards), and Alex gets into an accident.

The cabbies tell stories about an old cab nearing a half-million miles on the road that has just been wrecked.

The cabbies continue their stories about their experiences with the recently wrecked Cab 804.
Features Tom Selleck and Mandy Patinkin.

At Christmas time, Louie's brother Nick (Richard Foronjy) visits, but infuriates Louie when he refuses to spend much time with their mother. Louie talks Alex into challenging Nick to a poker game, hoping for revenge.
Note: This was supposed to be the "Tony Clifton" episode in which he "guest starred" (hence Latka's absence) as Louie's brother, but Clifton was fired from the show and Foronjy was hired instead.

Alex picks up a friendly rich elderly woman (Ruth Gordon) who gives him presents and large tips.

Tony goes to Scranton, Pennsylvania to take part in a boxing match, which he loses. He trusts the care of his two pet fish to Bobby, who neglects to feed them, and they die. Tony refuses to forgive him, so Alex steps in to help repair their friendship.

Louie goes to the hospital for an operation and promises God he will turn a new leaf when he comes back to work.

Alex picks up a Congressman (Jeffrey Tambor) who cannot find a date, so Alex fixes him up with Elaine.

Bobby lands a small part on a soap opera, due to which he feels confident enough to quit his taxi driving job.

Alex has a one-night stand with Latka's attractive mother (Susan Kellermann). Upon finding out, Latka expects Alex to marry her. When he refuses to, Latka calls off their friendship.

Alex is robbed and shot in the ear on his route, causing him to quit his job in fear. He takes a job as a waiter at an upmarket restaurant, but soon returns to his old job.

A Hollywood producer (Martin Mull) comes to the garage looking for "real" cab drivers for a movie. It is up to Louie to decide if the movie is shot in the garage.

Elaine needs to see her sick aunt for a few days, but cannot take her son (Michael Hershewe) because he is competing in a spelling bee. The entire male cabbie staff takes turns looking after him.

Zena Sherman (Rhea Perlman, in her first Taxi appearance) falls for Louie, but Louie doesn't know how to date a nice girl.
Note: The role of Zena Sherman was played by Rhea Perlman, who married DeVito in 1982, and went on to portray Carla Tortelli on the Burrows' next series, Cheers.

Alex learns from his sister (Joan Hackett) that his estranged father (Jack Gilford) has suffered a heart attack, and has to be convinced to visit him at the hospital.

The cabbies meet Reverend Jim at a restaurant, and get him a job as a cab driver. Jim then spreads his special brand of reality around the garage.

In 1997, TV Guide ranked this episode #63 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes.^[2] In 2009, it moved to #51.^[3]

Elaine has a chance to move up at the art gallery, so she burns the candle at both ends and begins to show signs of the stress. She goes to a psychiatrist (Tom Ewell) to prove that she is okay.

Bobby considers quitting acting after he meets a young actor-wannabe who just moved to New York and immediately lands a leading role in an off-Broadway play.

Alex is revisited by a now slimmer Angela Matusa (Suzanne Kent), whose romantic interest in him has grown since she last saw him a year ago.

Bobby and Tony become embattled in a fierce competition for the affections of a beautiful girl (Constance Forslund) they both met and asked out at Mario's.

Alex and Louie engage in a friendly competition to see who can take in the most money. If Louie wins he gets a date with Elaine.

Note: Danny Devito really bit Jeff Conaway’s finger breaking the skin and leaving a scar.

After his apartment complex is torn down, Latka unknowingly signs a lease to live in a luxurious penthouse that costs $3,000 a month. Realizing that Latka will have to move out after a month, the cabbies decide to spend every minute enjoying the perks of the apartment.

Alex embarks on a romance with a fragile former soap star (Dee Wallace) who is reluctant to get into a long-term relationship.
Note: Jim becomes a full-time regular starting with this episode.

After Latka's country erupts into a civil war, he feels that he has an obligation to go home and join the revolution.

Elaine is intrigued when a secret admirer sends her several romantic poems. She soon realizes that it must be someone in the garage.

Fearing that Zena will break up with him, Louie finally decides to meet her parents (John C. Becher and Camila Ashland). He then pays Alex to accompany him and make sure that he doesn't step out of line.

Jim has a good day at the track and decides to spend his winnings on a pet horse.

Tony is initially excited about fighting a former champ whose best days are behind him. His excitement turns to doubt when he realizes that the champ is dedicating the fight to a kid in a wheel-chair.
Note: Tony Danza's son, Marc Danza played the role of Brian Sims.

Tony is shattered when a kid that he wants to adopt decides to go with a wealthy couple.
Note: Tony Danza's son, Marc Danza played the role of Brian Sims.

Latka falls for Simka (Carol Kane in her first Taxi appearance), a girl from his native land, but prejudice gets in the way when it turns out she is one of the "mountain people," the most hated group in his country.
Note: First appearance of Simka Gravas (Carol Kane).

Bobby's acting career is on the rise after he starts having an affair with his new agent (Susan Sullivan).

Note: Judd Hirsch was only featured in the show's epilogue, separate from the main cast, as he was filming Ordinary People.

Elaine is elected shop steward in a labor dispute, which might require some creative negotiations with lascivious Louie.

Louie finally gets his date with Elaine, and TV audiences get the kiss they can never forget.

Following an excitement-filled ski trip, Alex decides to start living life to the fullest, which includes skydiving for the first time.

Elaine convinces the cabbies to pool their money and buy a valuable painting as an investment. But to raise the cash, they’ll have to make a deal with the devil — Louie.

When Tony meets Fantasy Island's Hervé Villechaize, it inspires the cabbies to describe their fantasies.

The fantasies continue in this conclusion to the season, culminating in Elaine's splashy production number to the song "Lullaby of Broadway."

Louie fears the worst when Zena (Rhea Perlman) confesses she has been dating someone else.

Tony Banta's newly divorced sister, Monica (Julie Kavner), falls in love with Jim Ignatowski, much to Tony's dismay.

Note: Jeff Conaway and Marilu Henner are absent in this episode.

Alex is upset when his ex-wife (Louise Lasser) purposely keeps him out of the wedding of their daughter (Talia Balsam), so he takes Elaine along with him to crash the reception.

Elaine's dating a man who, unknown to her, is bisexual and attracted to Tony. Tony begs for Alex's help in letting the man down easy.

After a private investigator tracks him down regarding a family matter, Jim and Alex pay a visit to Jim's wealthy father (Victor Buono).

With Bobby's acting career going nowhere, he takes Tony Banta under his wing and acts as his agent.

Alex, Tony, Bobby, and Jim end up stranded without provisions in a mountain cabin.

Latka inherits his grandmother's cookie recipe, which he plans to mass-market because the cookies are addictive – literally.

The boss's wife (Eileen Brennan) invites Louie over for an affair so she can get back at her husband. Louie fears the worst after remembering that her last fling, a cabbie named "Curly" Melnick, has not been heard from since.

The gang crash a party which they believe has famous actors in attendance.

Elaine makes up an imaginary boyfriend, "Bill Board," to impress a wealthy and successful former school friend (Martha Smith), and Alex pretends to be Bill.

Tony is informed that he can no longer box due to the risk of brain damage.

Note: According to Sam Simon, Jeff Conaway got high on cocaine just before filming and was unable to perform all of his scenes. Conaway's scenes were quickly rewritten and Conaway was fired at the end of the season.

After Jim picks up a couple of businessmen at the airport, he realizes that his life is missing something. Focusing on being the best cab driver he can be, Jim breaks company trip sheet records in an effort to amass enough wealth to achieve a special goal which he reveals to his fellow drivers.

After Louie places his mother in a nursing home, he realizes that his vision of living without her was not as good as it seemed.

Note: The part of Louie's mother is played by Julia DeVito, Danny DeVito's actual mother.

Elaine stays with Bobby, leading Alex and others to suspect they're having an affair.

After Louie hits an old lady (Iris Korn) with his cab, she takes the Sunshine Cab Company to court for a million dollars. Louie soon realizes that he has a strong case against her when Alex remembers from a prior experience that she is a known con artist.

After reading the newspaper and seeing another nasty review of a play by powerful critic, John Bowman (John Harkins), Bobby decides to compose a letter attacking Bowman, only to reconsider and throw it in the trash. When Louie recovers the letter and sends it to the newspaper, it unexpectedly creates positive buzz for Bobby and his acting career.

After the Sunshine Cab Company goes bankrupt, the gang decides to meet at Mario's a month later to tell stories about their new jobs.

With the Sunshine Cab Company still closed, the former employees continue to share stories of their new jobs.

Latka creates a suave but obnoxious alter ego, Vic Ferrari, to help him score with the ladies. However, nobody likes his new persona, and Alex tries to convince him to bring the old Latka back. George Wendt appears in this episode.
Notes: George Wendt would later go on to play Norm Peterson on Burrows' next series Cheers in 1982.

In 1997, TV Guide ranked this episode #19 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes.^[4]

Jim has psychic visions of the future and predicts that Alex will meet a horrible fate involving a blonde woman.
Note: One of two episodes originally produced for the third season but held over.

When Alex and Elaine take a European vacation together, she has plenty of luck with the men and he has none with the women.
Note: The first episode produced for the fourth season, and the first without Jeff Conaway.

Latka's multiple personalities are getting worse: In addition to Vic Ferrari, he becomes Alex, and starts living Alex's life better than he did.

A television executive (Martin Short) uses Jim's psychic abilities to help him choose programs for a major network.

After Louie has an affair with Zena's friend Emily (Andrea Marcovicci), he wants to live out his dream by dating both women at once.

Alex and his estranged father become involved with the same woman.

Louie is furious when his mother announces her engagement to a Japanese man (played by Jerry Fujikawa).
Note: Louie's mother is played by Julie DeVito, Danny DeVito's actual mother.

Elaine tries to help an artist (Paul Sand) who refuses to leave his apartment.
Note: This episode, originally produced for the third season, was Jeff Conaway's last episode as a regular.

Tony becomes the manager for an up-and-coming fighter (Ernie Hudson).

Elaine calls the National Organization For Women on Louie after she catches him peeping at her while she's undressing.

After seeing a Donahue show about the threat of nuclear war, Louie holds an apocalypse preparedness drill in the garage.

Bobby returns from Hollywood to announce that he's gotten a part on a TV pilot. When the pilot is picked up as a series, his part is recast, but the gang encourages him to return to Hollywood and continue to follow his dream.
Jeff Conaway's final appearance on the series.

A cheerful young cabbie (Charlayne Woodard) challenges Alex's sour worldview when she falls in love with him.

Tony falls for the beautiful, rich woman (Rebecca Holden) he's been hired to chauffeur.

Latka's ex-girlfriend Simka is free again, but Latka's attempts to reconnect with her are stymied when she seems to prefer his alter ego, Vic Ferrari.

Jim meets a boy who's run away from home and decides to raise him himself.

Alex's ex-wife (Louise Lasser), dumped by her second husband, rebounds by dating the most unsuitable person imaginable: Louie.

A snooty hairdresser (Ted Danson) gives Elaine a terrible hairstyle and insults her when she complains. Her friends go back to the salon to help her get revenge.
Meanwhile, Louie introduces a Pac-Man arcade machine to the garage, and Jim becomes obsessed.
Note: Ted Danson would later go on to play Sam Malone on Cheers in 1982.

Tony tries to re-enter the world of boxing.
Bubba Smith guest stars.

Elaine reluctantly brings Jim along to a high-society party.

Latka and Simka announce their engagement, but to get married according to the customs of their country, they have to pass a series of tests of their love.

When a wrecking ball destroys Jim's apt., he moves in with Louie and promptly burns down Louie's apartment.

When Elaine considers leaving for a better job in Seattle, her friends talk about the decisions that changed the course of their lives.
Tom Hanks guest stars.

The cabbies continue to talk about their crucial decisions and Elaine gets news about her dream job.
Max Wright guest stars.

Latka and Simka try to match up each of their single friends with his or her perfect mate, including Louie with a blind girl, Elaine with nerdy Arnie (Wallace Shawn), and Jim with Marcia Wallace.

Jim's father dies and unexpectedly leaves him millions of dollars, but Jim's brother has him declared legally incompetent to handle the money himself.

Alex slips back into his addictive gambling habits after a trip to Atlantic City.

Latka sleeps with a female cabbie (Allyce Beasley) to keep from freezing to death during a snowstorm. When Simka finds out, their priest (Vincent Schiavelli) declares that the only way to right this wrong is for her to sleep with one of his friends.
Note: Beasley and Schiavelli, two supporting actors in this episode, would later marry in real life.

Simka selects Alex as the man she must sleep with to compensate for Latka's infidelity. When Alex refuses, the only option left is divorce.

When Louie's theft from the company is discovered, he pins the crime on his assistant Jeff (J. Alan Thomas).

Alex fulfills his dream of working in theatre when he becomes a gofer for two obnoxious Broadway producers (Matthew Laurance and David Paymer).

Louie plans to get revenge on Emily (Andrea Marcovicci), the woman who broke up his romance with Zena and then dumped him.

Tony gets a chance to know his father (Donnelly Rhodes) when they work together on a ship.

Elaine falls in love with Simka's cousin Zifka (Mark Blankfield), who is a monk with one week off from his vow of silence.

Louie's hope of getting back together with Zena is shattered when he finds she's getting married.
Note: Last appearance of Zena Sherman (Rhea Perlman).

Alex's ex-wife (Louise Lasser) is particularly depressed during the holiday season and suggests getting back together with Alex.
Note: The last of Louise Lasser's three appearances as Alex's ex-wife.

Louie tries to move into a co-op apartment where the snobbish tenants' panel has just rejected Penny Marshall as unsuitable.
Note: Features Gayle Hunnicutt as an estate agent.

Alex must accept that his old dog Buddy is not long for this world.

Elaine is upset when her son gives up his music studies and wants to take boxing lessons from Tony.

Danny DeVito hosts a one-hour collection of memorable clips from Taxi in this retrospective.

Alex finds that the woman he's crazy about (Catherine Shirriff) is actually in love with Jim.

Louie's blind girlfriend (Murphy Cross) is about to have an operation that will restore her sight, and he's afraid of what her reaction will be when she sees him.

Arnie (Wallace Shawn) tries to get on Elaine's good side by bribing her children to like him.

Tony's girlfriend announces that she's pregnant.
Note: Features Keenan Wynn as Tony's boxing manager.

Jim gets permission from his brother to use some of his millions to make an investment, so he buys the cabbies' favorite hangout, Mario's.

To show how wonderful it feels to give away money, Jim gives each of his friends $1000 on condition that they will immediately give it to another person.

Simka's premenstrual syndrome affects her behavior just before her immigration hearing.