MTM floundered after the mid-’70s as Paramount Television Studios swooped in to hire many of its best writers, including Brooks, promising them creative freedom if they’d just create a show the network could sell to ABC. Moore veterans Brooks, David Davis, Ed. Weinberger, and Stan Daniels wanted to create a “guys’ show.” What they came up with was Taxi, one of the funniest sitcoms of the ’70s, but also its most depressing. Set at a garage full of people who want to be anything but taxi drivers, Taxi boasted a stellar ensemble that included Danny DeVito, Andy Kaufman, and Christopher Lloyd). Its gritty New York setting was surprisingly accurate for a network sitcom, and its grim mood challenged audiences, leading to the show being canceled twice. It’s the first great American sitcom about giving up on the American dream.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/70s-sitcoms,45254/

Huh??? Did they never see Judd Hirsch dancing on top of the bar to "Do the Boogaloo"? They never saw Reverend Jim taking his driver's test?? :confused:

Huh??? Did they never see Judd Hirsch dancing on top of the bar to "Do the Boogaloo"? They never saw Reverend Jim taking his driver's test?? :confused:
Whaaaaat dooeeeees aaaaaa yeeellooooow liiiiiight meeeeaaaan? There's nothing depressing about that! It's just pure hilarity!!

There's no denying that "Taxi" was a very funny show but it could be depressing at times. It wasn't always a happy show. Many episodes had either average or sad endings. The music for the show kind of set the mood as well.

Look at Alex Reiger. His life, besides his friends, sucks. He's a lonely guy who can't seem to find the right woman. He fell in love and proposed, but she rejected him and moved away. He's at a dead-end job that he'll have until he retires or dies.

Jim, although a very funny and nice character, who's probably very content with his life is a former druggie, who lives in an abandoned apartment building and never fits in.

Louie had the love of his life leave him and then get married. His mother got married and left him. Because of his behavior, he has no real friends and is also a lonely guy.

Bobby was a struggling actor. Even when he left the show, they couldn't write him off getting a TV show. He was fired after the pilot was sold and decided to move to LA anyways.

Tony is now basically stuck with a woman he's not in love with because he got her pregnant. Of course Tony's career is a bust. And just when Tony adopts Brian, the little kid gets murdered by a gang down the street. That's from a lost episode, of course. ;)

Latka came to America and ends up a mechanic, who's always being bossed around by Louie. Latka's life at least has an up side, when he marries Simka. But before that, in her first episode, it was a sad break-up for them.

At times, "Taxi" also was able to combine the comedy with the sadness. There was the episode where Jim stays with Louie and burns the place down. Louie was upset with Jim to the point of never wanting to speak to him again. All of a sudden, it changes in a funny scene where Louie tries to take Jim for a lot of money from Jim's inheritance when he offers to help buy him a new apartment.

Ironic that the name of the characters' place of employment was the Sunshine Cab Company!!!

That's what made the show great, though. Did it have to be 100% hilarious all the time? The best comedies have a balance of both.

I agree with what ekkostar just wrote.

Some of the heavier or depressing aspects:

- The overweight woman who is very depressed regarding her life and dating prospects

- Finding out that Reverend Jim had a Harvard background but more or less threw away his future, though it was brilliantly handled with a lot of funny moments

- The death of Jim's father, who leaves him a cassette tape -- very sad when he plays it

Never really thought about it before but yeah I'd have to agree that Taxi is depressing. Virtually all the characters are lost souls who fall short of their life goals. The main set is a dirty garage in an old run-down, often infested building. A lot of the episodes have strange or sad endings. It's working class reality. All good humor has soom root in reality.

^ :yeahthat

Just why is it that characters in an American sitcom have to be happy happy people, and that Life is a dance around the Maypole? :)