Like Father, Like Daughter (Taxi)

Last updated

"Like Father, Like Daughter"
Taxi episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 1
Directed by James Burrows
Written by James L. Brooks
Stan Daniels
David Davis
Ed. Weinberger
Original air dateSeptember 12, 1978 (1978-09-12)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
Next 
"One-Punch Banta"
Taxi (season 1)
List of episodes

Like Father, Like Daughter is the pilot episode of the American sitcom Taxi . It originally aired on September 12, 1978. The episode was directed by James Burrows and written by series creators James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, David Davis, and Ed. Weinberger. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Plot

At the Sunshine Cab Company's fleet garage in Manhattan, the cab drivers discover that the plate on the payphone is broken, allowing people to make free calls. Everyone, except Alex Rieger (Judd Hirsch), gets in line to make a call.

Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner) arrives and talks to Louie De Palma (Danny DeVito), the dispatcher. De Palma mistakes her for a customer and is extremely polite. However, when she tells him that she is a newly hired cab driver, Louie reverts to his usual abusive self. Elaine sits by longtime driver Alex and explains she is only working there part-time. Alex cynically points out all of the other drivers who are also working there temporarily and observes that he is the only cab driver in the place.

The other drivers then suggest that Alex make a call, even though he has stated there is nobody he wants to talk to. Eventually, he admits that he was considering calling his daughter Cathy. Everyone is surprised, as nobody knew he had a daughter. Alex reveals that he has not seen Cathy in 15 years, not since she was a baby. His ex-wife Phyllis remarried and moved to South America, telling Alex that if he really loved his daughter, he would not contact her, as that would create confusion. Alex admits that he now realizes that to be a mistake and decides to call after all.

When Alex talks to Phyllis, he learns that Cathy is on her way to college in Portugal. As her plane will make a stopover in Miami, Alex decides to meet her there. He asks to borrow a cab for the weekend, but Louie refuses to give him one. Alex, fellow drivers Bobby Wheeler (Jeff Conaway) and Tony Banta (Tony Danza), Sunshine mechanic Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman) and bystander John Burns (Randall Carver) take one anyway and drive non-stop to Miami.

When Alex finds his daughter at Miami International Airport, he learns that Cathy has been told that he is living on a ranch in Montana and is considering running for the United States Senate. Alex then reveals his true situation. Cathy is curious about Alex, but is upset by his constantly referring to himself as her father, as she views her father to be the person who has raised her. When Alex reveals his memories of her first two years, however, she is touched. Just as she is about to board her plane, Cathy turns around and hugs Alex, and the two kiss briefly before she leaves.

Some time later, the telephone's plate is repaired, ending the free phone calls. John arrives and announces that he has gotten his hack license and is now a Sunshine cab driver.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cybill Shepherd</span> American actress and former model (born 1950)

Cybill Lynne Shepherd is an American actress, singer and former model. Her film debut and breakthrough role came as Jacy Farrow in Peter Bogdanovich's coming-of-age drama The Last Picture Show (1971) alongside Jeff Bridges. She also had roles as Kelly in Elaine May's The Heartbreak Kid (1972), Betsy in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976), and Nancy in Woody Allen's Alice (1990).

<i>Taxi</i> (TV series) American television sitcom (1978–1983)

Taxi is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from September 12, 1978, to May 6, 1982, and on NBC from September 30, 1982, to June 15, 1983. It focuses on the everyday lives of a handful of New York City taxi drivers and their abusive dispatcher. For most of the run of the show, the ensemble cast consisted of taxi drivers Alex Reiger, Bobby Wheeler, Elaine Nardo, Tony Banta, and "Reverend" Jim Ignatowski, along with dispatcher Louie De Palma and mechanic Latka Gravas. Taxi was produced by the John Charles Walters Company, in association with Paramount Network Television, and was created by James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, David Davis, and Ed. Weinberger, all of whom were brought on board after working on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Slater</span> UK soap opera character, created 2000

Charlie Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Derek Martin. Charlie's first appearance is in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2000. He was played by Jason McGregor in flashbacks broadcast in 2001 and Richie Daysh in a 2018 flashback. He also makes a cameo appearance in the second series of the spin-off EastEnders: E20.

The Reverend Jim "Iggy" Ignatowski is a fictional character in the 1970s television series Taxi. He was played by Christopher Lloyd. A gentle soul, Jim, in his own words, was "the living embodiment of the Sixties." His most noticeable character trait was his extremely "spaced out" behavior, a result of extensive drug use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cindy Beale</span> Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Cindy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Collins. She first appeared 10 May 1988 and originally departed on 27 December 1990, before returning as one of the show's central antagonists from 13 October 1992 until her exit episode on 10 April 1998; the character supposedly died off-screen during childbirth in prison on 5 November 1998. During her first stint on the show, Cindy embarked on a prolonged relationship with her would-be husband Ian Beale. Their marriage soon deteriorated, however, due to Cindy's selfish streak that shows the character becoming unfaithful to Ian and growing more concerned about her own needs than their own children. She lies and schemes to ensure that she gets what she wants.

"The Rye" is the 121st episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 11th episode of the seventh season, originally airing on January 4, 1996. It was the final episode of the series to be written by American comedian Carol Leifer. In this episode, Elaine's relationship with her saxophonist boyfriend is complicated by the issue of oral sex, George tries to avert a feud between his parents and his fiancée Susan's parents over a loaf of marble rye bread, and Kramer takes on a temporary job as a hansom cab driver.

<i>Me Too!</i> (TV series) Childrens live-action educational television series

Me Too! is a British live action educational television programme for preschool children based on Balamory broadcast on BBC Two and CBeebies created by Brian Jameson from September 2006 to March 2008 and is set in the fictional city of Riverseafingal in Scotland, though in reality the programme was filmed in North Berwick, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Newcastle upon Tyne and Manchester. The round school in the programme is a real school situated in Gourock, called Gourock Primary School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Russo</span> Fictional character on TV sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place, portrayed by Selena Gomez

Alexandra Margarita "Alex" Russo is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place, portrayed by Selena Gomez. In 2008, AOL named her the twentieth greatest witch in television history. Selena Gomez, who plays Alex, is one of the only two cast members to appear in every single episode of the series; the only other cast member to do so is David Henrie, who plays Justin Russo. The character has also appeared in The Suite Life on Deck episode, "Double Crossed".

Candy Cabs is a comedy drama series shown on BBC One in April 2011. The plot revolves around a group of friends who set up a female-only taxi company in a seaside town in Northern England. It was written by Johanne McAndrew and Elliott Hope and produced by Splash Media. The series was axed immediately after the first series aired.

<i>Shake, Rattle and Roll Fourteen: The Invasion</i> 2012 film by Chito S. Roño

Shake, Rattle and Roll Fourteen: The Invasion is a 2012 Filipino science fiction horror anthology film directed by Chito S. Roño, and the fourteenth installment of the Shake, Rattle & Roll film series. The film stars an ensemble cast including Dennis Trillo, Lovi Poe, Janice de Belen, Herbert Bautista, Paulo Avelino, Martin Escudero and Vhong Navarro.

<i>Annaliza</i> 2013 Filipino TV series or program

Annaliza is a Philippine television drama series broadcast by ABS-CBN. The series is a remake of a 1980 Philippine television drama series of the same title aired on GMA Radio-Television Arts. Directed by Theodore C. Boborol and Cathy O. Camarillo, it stars Andrea Brillantes, Zanjoe Marudo, Denise Laurel, Kaye Abad, Patrick Garcia, Carlo Aquino and Kyline Alcantara. It aired on the network's Primetime Bida line up and worldwide on TFC from May 27, 2013, to March 21, 2014, replacing Little Champ and was replaced by Mirabella.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yaser Abdel Said</span> Egyptian-American murderer and former fugitive

Yaser Abdel Said is an Egyptian-American convicted murderer. For 12 years, Said evaded arrest for the January 1, 2008, fatal shootings of his two daughters, whose bodies were found in his abandoned taxi cab in Irving, Texas. Said went into hiding after the killings. He remained a fugitive from law enforcement for 12 years, and for six of those years was on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List.

<i>Alex & Co.</i> Italian TV series

Alex & Co. is an Italian television series that first aired on Disney Channel Italy on 11 May 2015. It was created by Marina Efron Versiglia and stars Leonardo Cecchi, Eleonora Gaggero, Beatrice Vendramin, Saul Nanni, and Federico Russo, as well as English actress Olivia-Mai Barrett in the special season episodes.

Tim Metcalfe (<i>Coronation Street</i>) Fictional character from Coronation Street

Tim Metcalfe is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Coronation Street, played by Joe Duttine. He made his first on-screen appearance on 21 January 2013. Duttine had previously appeared in the soap between February and June 2010 as D.S. Carr, the police officer that arrested Gail McIntyre for the murder of her husband, Joe McIntyre. Tim is introduced as Faye Windass' biological father. His storylines initially focused on his relationship with his long-lost daughter Faye and her adoptive family - mother Anna Windass and her partner Owen Armstrong. Tim's storylines have since revolved around his relationship to Sally Webster - whom he illegally married, and the birth of his granddaughter Miley.

References

  1. "Like Father, Like Daughter". imdb.com. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  2. "Taxi - The Complete First Season". amazon.com. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  3. "Like Father, Like Daughter". tv.com. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  4. "Roundtable Review: Taxi, "Like Father, Like Daughter"". thiswastv.com. June 14, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  5. "Episode Detail: Like Father, like Daughter - Taxi". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 6, 2014.