''Taxi!'' was a BBC television comedy-drama series transmitted in 1963 and 1964. Created by

Ted Willis Edward Henry Willis, Baron Willis (13 January 1914 – 22 December 1992) was an English playwright, novelist and screenwriter who was also politically active in support of the Labour Party. In 1941 he became the General Secretary of the Young ...

, who had developed ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...

'', Willis was well aware of taxicab drivers inclination to provide stories, and intended 12 individual plays for what became the first series. Starring

Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. He was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series. Born to a mi ...

as cab firm owner and driver Sid Stone, it is similar to his role in the near contemporary film ''

Carry On Cabby ''Carry On Cabby'' is a 1963 British comedy film, the seventh in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). Released on 7 November 1963, it was the first to have a screenplay written by Talbot Rothwell (although the first screenplay "To ...

'' (1963), but the programme was more a drama with humour than comedy,

Jack Rosenthal Jack Morris Rosenthal (8 September 1931 – 29 May 2004) was an English playwright. He wrote 129 early episodes of the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' and over 150 screenplays, including original TV plays, feature films, and adaptations. ...

scripted a few episodes and Bill Owen appeared as the cab firm's co-owner Fred Cudell with Ray Brooks as driver Terry Mills. The three men shared part of a converted house, with Sid Stone tending to interfere in the lives of his colleagues and his customers. James' character was, according to John Fisher, "streetwise, but conscientious". While ratings for the first series were poor, it was transmitted in the summer, a second series was broadcast in 1964. Female neighbours were now introduced, and Bill Owen's character was written out. The series was produced by Michael Mills among others. Of the 26 episodes broadcast, only one is believed to still exist due to

wiping Lost television broadcasts are mostly those early television programs which cannot be accounted for in studio archives (or in personal archives) usually because of deliberate destruction or neglect. Common reasons for loss A significant prop ...

Cast

* Sidney James as Sid Stone (26 episodes, 1963-1964) * Ray Brooks as Terry Mills (26 episodes, 1963-1964) * Bill Owen as Fred Cuddell (12 episodes, 1963) *Diane Aubrey as Sandra (11 episodes, 1964) *Artro Morris as Harry Mason (9 episodes, 1963) *

Michael Kilgarriff Michael Kilgarriff (born 16 June 1937) is an English actor, author and pianist from Brighton. As an actor, he is well known for his rich voice and height. His film and television roles include ''The Dark Crystal'' (1982) as the General, and ...

as Ron Farnes (7 episodes, 1963) *

Eddie Leslie Eddie Leslie (11 October 1903, in Camberwell, Surrey, England – 27 June 1975 (age 71) in West Chiltington, Sussex, England) was a British film actor and screenwriter. He often acted alongside Norman Wisdom, on stage and in his films ' ...

as Wally Farnes (6 episodes, 1963) * Sydney Keith as Proprietor of Cab Shelter (6 episodes, 1964) *Jack Bligh as Old Jonty (6 episodes, 1964) *Robert Bridges as Tubby Weston (6 episodes, 1963) *

James Beck Stanley James Carroll Beck (21 February 1929 – 6 August 1973) was an English actor who played the role of Private Walker, a cockney spiv, in the BBC sitcom ''Dad's Army'' from the show's beginning in 1968 until his sudden death in 1973. Ea ...

as Len Gladwin (5 episodes, 1964) *Joe Ritchie as Andy Martin (5 episodes, 1963) *Peter Sinclair as Scotty McIvor (5 episodes, 1963)

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0162114
''Taxi!''
- entry in the BFI's Film & TV database 1963 British television series debuts 1964 British television series endings 1960s British drama television series BBC television dramas Lost BBC episodes Black-and-white British television shows English-language television shows