Taxi (1978-1983): 15 Weird Facts You Didn't Know

Taxi looked like a sitcom about struggling New York cab drivers trying to survive another shift. But behind the garage doors of Sunshine Cab Company was a production filled with celebrity superfans, surprise cast shakeups, network cancellations, and enough behind-the-scenes drama to rival anything Louie De Palma could dream up. Michael Jackson secretly watched episodes being filmed from the tech booth. Andy Kaufman negotiated a deal that let him work only two days a week. Christopher Lloyd was hired for a single guest appearance before becoming one of television’s most beloved characters, and Danny DeVito landed his role by walking into an audition and insulting the script. These are 15 weird facts about Taxi — the kind that prove one of television’s greatest workplace comedies was every bit as unpredictable behind the scenes as it was on screen.