Taxi creator James L. Brooks just happened to be reading New York magazine in 1975, when he came across an article about a taxi garage in Greenwich Village. This article alone was enough to inspire the idea of an ensemble sitcom set in the same place. And the rest was history!
If you’ve ever listened to the sitcom’s notorious theme song, then you might understand why the original title of this series was intended to be "Those Were the Days". However, this title didn’t stick—and neither did Norman Lear’s initial title "And Justice For All". Looks like third time's a charm!
The show's theme song "Those Were The Days" was written by Lee Adams (lyrics) and Charles Strouse (music). Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton played and sang the song at a piano at the start of every episode. The live audience applause was included in the episode.
Although the role of Chrissy Snow would ultimately be given to Suzanne Somers, Loni Anderson auditioned for the part as well. But that didn't stop her from success--she would go on to play Jennifer Marlowe on the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, which landed her both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
The comedic duo of Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David was an unstoppable team. They originally came together to create a comedy special, known as The Jerry Seinfeld Show, that would air as part of Saturday Night Live's timeslot. However, once they got to work on it, they quickly realized that 90 minutes wasn't enough time to capture all the laughs they had planned!
The comedic duo of Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David was an unstoppable team. They originally came together to create a comedy special, known as The Jerry Seinfeld Show, that would air as part of Saturday Night Live's timeslot. However, once they got to work on it, they quickly realized that 90 minutes wasn't enough time to capture all the laughs they had planned!
Today nobody would think anything about it, but before I Love Lucy, mixed marriages were faux pas. Lucille Ball had been working on a popular radio show called My Favorite Husband, when CBS approached her to make a television adaptation of it. Lucille Ball agreed to the offer but only on the condition that her real-life husband Desi Arnaz play her husband on the show.
However, CBS was not onboard with the idea of a white woman being married to a Cuban man. An interracial marriage had never been done on television before and the network did not believe that American audiences would accept an average housewife being married to a foreign man – despite the fact that they were married in real life.
Norman Lear, the creator and writer of All in the Family, found inspiration in his past. Herman Lear, Norman’s father, became the muse for Archie Bunker. Through reflection on his own life and relationships, Lear crafted the overly boisterous and extremely humorous character.
Archie Bunker was ultimately a complicated character. The bigoted blue-collar is often depicted as an ultimately decent and loving man. As a WWII veteran, Archie Bunker struggles to adapt to the changes going on in the world. While the show wouldn't fly today, the character would really change television history.
It may be hard to believe, but a few of the most beloved comedic actresses of today were once almost cast as the iconic character on Seinfeld, Elaine. Before Julia Louis-Dreyfus ultimately secured the role and forever cemented her place in television history, Patricia Heaton, Rosie O'Donnell, Mariska Hargitay, and Megan Mullally were all considered for the part.
While these actresses could have shone in their own unique ways as Elaine Benes, it's universally agreed that Julia Louis-Dreyfus was meant for the role—a testament to her talents and charm that still linger to this day.
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who played Lucy and Ricky Ricardo were married in real-life and that’s no secret to most fans of the show. They didn’t, however, have the most solid marriage as they did on the show. Desi Arnaz was a serial cheater and he also had anger issues, susceptible to temper tantrums over the slightest things.
All of the instability ultimately proved to be too much for Lucille Ball, however. While Lucy and Ricky may have made it work, Lucille and Desi could not. Their off-screen problems led to their eventual divorce. The couple had met on the Broadway set of “Too Many Girls” and nobody thought they could ever be separated.
Before his role on Taxi, Judd Hirsch was primarily known as a stage actor. When producers approached him about a role, he was worried about being tied down to a television job, so he made an offer that he knew would be too high for the studio to accept. To his surprise, they did just that, and he took the role of Alex Reiger.
When an actor is so genuine, it can be easy to mistake their character’s personality traits and characteristics for their own. In reality, Carroll O’Connor had very different political views than his character Archie Bunker. He was born in the Bronx, raised as a liberal, and certainly valued his education.
He was definitely not the conservative and prejudice character that he embodied. It's important to remember that the things that happen in a television show are fictional. The people are not real and the actors that play them are usually nothing like the character, no matter how convincing they may be.
Billy Crystal auditioned for the lead role that eventually went to John Ritter. But looking back, it didn't seem to hurt Crystal's rise to stardom at all!
Jerry Seinfeld must have been so disappointed when his friend Jake Johannsen refused to play the role of George Costanza—though it all turned out for the best! Maybe Johannsen accidentally did us a favor, because Jason Alexander stepped up to the plate and did an incredible job with the role.
He brought some serious comedic chops to it and made us laugh every week. Thank you, Jake, and thank you, Jason!
Although the show was in black and white, Lucille Ball was recognized by the public for her iconic red hair. That’s the image that Americans had for many years in the same way someone like Taylor Swift is known for being tall and blond. But many people did not realize and still don’t that the red hair wasn’t Lucille Ball’s natural hair color.
Lucille Ball was actually a natural brunette. And before she even dyed her hair red, she dyed it blond when she was working as a model. She eventually settled on having red hair, which she first did for an acting role. Between this and finding out Emma Stone isn’t really a redhead either, you got to wonder if your whole life is a lie.
Danny DeVito's character, Louie De Palma, is a loudmouthed sleazebag. So, during his audition for the role, DeVito gave producers just that--he walked into the room and proceeded to berate the producers for such a terrible script. His stunt got a laugh, and he was hired shortly after.
The theme song for All in the Family was cringe-worthy—and mostly because Jean Stapleton’s singing voice was anything but angelic. But, most people don’t know that her tone-deaf trills were part of her act. She was actually an accomplished singer who was trained in musical theatre.
This is just another fact that goes to show how different the characters and actors can be. Of course, if Jean Stapelton had actually sung the song to the best of her ability, it wouldn't quite had the same vibe.
Although Three's Company was a far cry from the educational entertainment of Sesame Street, composer Joe Raposo wrote the theme song for both shows--as well as The Electric Company.
When the sitcom first rolled out, audiences were far from impressed. It was almost a disaster—after the pilot episode was screened for test audiences, it was widely panned due to its lack of story and its uninteresting characters. It took audiences a while to catch on and start appreciating the show's subtle humor and clever writing, which eventually led to it becoming an unexpected hit by season 5.
Most of us now look back fondly on those early episodes, with a newfound appreciation for the show that almost didn’t make it past the first episode!
William Frawley wasn’t the first nor the second nor even the third choice to play Fred Mertz. The first choice was Gale Gordon whom Lucille Ball was eager to have onboard since she worked with him on the radio show My Favorite Husband. Unfortunately for Lucille Ball, money was an issue in securing him.
Gale Gordon already had a gig on a radio show called Our Miss Brooks. Therefore, he was asking for more money than Desilu Productions was willing to offer and for that reason it ultimately didn’t work out. William Frawley was only someone that Lucille Ball knew in passing. And there were apprehensions about hiring him because he was a known drinker. Nevertheless, Arnaz helped him secure the job.
While Judd Hirsch was busy being indecisive about taking the role of Alex Rieger, producers were auditioning other potential actors--including the iconic Mandy Patinkin. While he would not ultimately get the role, Patinkin would later guest star on an episode of Taxi.
Before Carroll O’Connor was cast for the role of Archie Bunker, Norman Lear had another actor in mind. He wanted Mickey Rooney to portray the leading man—but when Lear called and described Archie Bunker to Rooney, he replied, “Norm, they’re gonna [end] you. They’re gonna [end] you dead in the streets.”
Clearly, he was opposed to the controversial character. Mickey Rooney was an accomplished stage and screen actor, as well as a comedian and radio entertainer. He had a number of successful television roles and performed on Broadway. Mickey Rooney was married eight times with six of them ending in divorce.
When Suzanne Somers attempted to negotiate a better contract, things went south for her role on the show. Somers, who was already making $30,000 an episode, wanted the $150,000 per episode that John Ritter got. Negotiations broke down, her cast mates stopped speaking to her, and eventually her character Chrissy was written out of the show entirely.
Most people are so enthralled by the content of Seinfeld that they don't even notice how it is constantly evolving for each episode. The show's composer was a master at subtly adjusting the theme to match what was going on. From ratcheting up the comic instrumentation during funny moments to providing an emotional background score when someone is having a hard time—they could do it all!
It's truly enjoyable to go back and rewatch episodes and have your ear detect exactly how the theme has been tweaked. Ahh, now that's good television!
Fred and Ethel, played by William Frawley and Vivian Vance has excellent chemistry on camera but behind the scenes, it was a whole other story. For one, the age gap was a huge issue for the actress who was 22 years younger than Frawley. She did not believe the age gap was believable and would frequently complain about it.
Vivian Vance resented the fact that such an old man was her husband on the show, calling him an “old poop.” In turn, Frawley called her a “sack of doorknobs” – whatever that means. That feud mostly stayed behind the camera, however, and only those working closest with the actors knew that.
Everything about Andy Kaufman was unusual--including the contract he signed to star on Taxi. Because he was worried about the excessive time demands required for filming a TV show, he managed to get a clause in his contract that only forced him to show up twice a week. He made an appearance on Tuesdays for a read through and on Fridays for the actual taping. Despite this light load, Kaufman still managed to show up late on a regular basis.
As strange as it may sound, Jean Stapleton asked Norman Lear if they could end off her All in the Family character, Edith Bunker. She was growing tired of the repetitive nature of TV and wanted to return to the stage and silver screen. Although Lear believed it impossible to carry on without Edith’s character, her disappearance had little effect on the ratings!
If you don't recall Edith Bunker's demise, she died in the final episode, the 209th episode to be exact. In the episode, she becomes ill while cooking for a St. Patrick's Day dinner. having been suffering from phlebitis, she decides not to tell Archie until it is too late. She did not die on-camera, however, as it happens off-camera when the show continues in the sequel series Archie Bunker's Place.
After Suzanne Somers left the show, producers were looking for someone to replace her. And that person was definitely not Heather Locklear. In an interview, Locklear said that she was worried about sweating during the audition, so she had Kleenex under her arms. When she left the room, she heard laughter and realized the Kleenex had been slipping out of her shirt.
Needless to say, she didn't get the role.
There's something special about the number 9 for Jerry Seinfeld. It was the number of seasons the hit show ran for, and it's his lucky number. Jerry puts a lot of trust in the power of 9, so much so that he turned down a generous offer of $5 million for a 10th season.
He believed so strongly in sticking with his lucky number that he may have potentially missed out on billions of dollars since then! Some of us might be envious, but we can all learn a lesson from Jerry–if there's something you're passionate about and believe in, don't let anyone talk you out of it!
Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance would eventually become the best of friends but they didn’t always like each other. Lucille Ball was hesitant about sharing the spotlight with another attractive actress. As such, Ball required that certain changes be made to the actress, and subsequently the character of Ethel.
What were those changes? Lucille Ball wanted her to wear less flattering clothes and even for her makeup to be less flattering as well. But where it really gets messed up is that Lucille Ball made her put on additional weight for the role in an effort to make her look less conventionally attractive. The feud lasted at least three years before they started to become friends.
Before he was on Taxi, Kaufman was most well known for his stand up act--in which he would frequently play different characters. One character in particular, "Foreign Man," was such a hit that producers asked him to do exactly what he was doing on stage. And with that, Latka Gravas was introduced to the world.
Rob Reiner’s acting career began in the late ‘60s. He made appearances on The Andy Griffith Show and The Beverly Hillbillies before auditioning for All in the Family. He desperately wanted the role of Michael Stivic, but was turned down twice. Clearly, his resume and previous acting gigs weren’t enough to promise him a job. It wasn’t until his third audition that Lear decided he earned the title of “Meathead.”
Rob Reiner's role as Michael Stivic made him a huge success. He earned two primetime Emmys for the role and would earn many more acting roles before ultimately becoming a director for films like A Few Good Men, When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride.
Even in 2001, there were still fans watching reruns of Three's Company on Nick at Nite. One eagle-eyed viewer noticed that in one scene, John Ritter's short shorts didn't quite keep their "cargo" out of sight. There's still debate about exactly what gets seen in this shot, but Nick at Nite made edits just to be safe.
Elaine Benes's infamous dance moves are an unforgettable moment for all Seinfeld fans. From the overly expressive flailing to the knee-slapping humor it evokes, her dancing is an iconic part of the show we just can't help but love.
Believe it or not, though, the writers were initially concerned that it wouldn't make any sort of impact and, in fact, might even have a negative effect on Julia Louis-Dreyfus's career. Thankfully they decided to give it a chance, and we now think of Elaine Benes every time her ridiculous moves come on screen!
Lucille Ball wasn’t the only one with marriage problems on the show. Vivian Vance also had some problems with her IRL husband Phillip Ober. He was said to be abusive and jealous, and would often make her feel underappreciated. In fact, she would often go to therapy in order to deal with it.
After initially fighting, Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance became close friends, which Ober did not like. He was resentful of their relationship and he made certain attempts to pull them apart. He even attempted to break them up by starting a rumor that the two of them were lovers – but ultimately, it didn’t work.
When Christopher Lloyd showed up to his audition for Rev. Jim, the receptionist thought he was homeless thanks to his beat up jeans, jacket, and boots. The producers appreciated his look, though, and styled Rev. Jim based on the outfit Lloyd had worn to the audition.
If All in the Family’s beginning seems hazy to you, you’re not alone. The original pilot episode was financed by ABC network. This was when the show was still titled "Justice For All". The network producers felt uncertain about the sitcom’s potential and ditched it—which was great news for CBS network. They agreed to carry the program, and after two more pilot episodes, the show became a hit.
In the first season, All in the Family drew in over 11 million households. By season 2 it drew in over 20 million viewers. Slowly those numbers declined, but not by much. It's lowest-rated season had 16 million. Many of its spin-off series were not as successful and the sequel show, Archie Bunker's Place had decent ratings but was not particularly successful with critics. That show only went on for four seasons.
After season three, landlord Stanley Roper and his wife got their own spin-off, The Ropers. At first, actor Normal Fell didn't want to, but he was assured that if the show didn't make it more than one year, he could return to Three's Company. Unfortunately, the show didn't do well, but it did hang on for a year and a half, which meant that Roper would never return to the original.
Susan was definitely not meant to be: everyone agreed she had no chemistry with George and lacked the comedic timing that could have made her a beloved integral part of the show. When it came down to it, Jerry Seinfeld and Julia Louise-Dreyfus led the charge in deciding she had to go, but how would they write her out? It was a conundrum until showrunner Larry David came up with one of the most brilliant solutions ever: what if Susan licked poisonous wedding invitation envelopes?
Who knew such a dire fate could befall an offbeat yet relatable character? Talk about hitting two birds with one stone—leaving plot lines open for new characters while also providing comic gold. You just can't make this stuff up!
The episode “Job Switching” which is sometimes referred to as the candy factory episode is one of the most beloved episodes of the series. It features a particularly famous scene where Ethel and Lucy are stuffing their faces with chocolate as they are trying to keep up with the conveyor belt as they hand-dip chocolates.
For authenticity, a real chocolate dipper was brought on the set and featured in the show. The woman was found at See’s Candy by stage manager Herb Brower. The woman, Amanda Milligan had never actually seen “I Love Lucy” but Brower thought her deadpan expression would be perfect for Ball and Vance to play off of.
Producers had intended for the song "Touchdown" by jazz musician Bob James to be the theme song for Taxi. However, when they heard another track the artist had composed for the show, they decided it was a better fit for the opening credits. That track was "Angela", and it's become one of the most recognizable theme songs of all time.
Before Rob Reiner was cast for the role of Michael Stivic, Norman Lear was hopeful Harrison Ford would be interested in auditioning. But when Lear offered Ford the part, he turned him down. He was opposed to Archie’s bigotry and worried the show would be offensive.
As mentioned earlier, the role of Michael Stivic ultimately went to Rob Reiner who played it to perfection. Rob Reiner appeared in 174 out of 202 episodes.
Lots of actresses auditioned for the role of Chrissy Snow, but producers didn't see anyone they liked. By a stroke of luck, they happened to rewatch Suzanne Somers' audition tape the day before production began and decided to give her a shot.
Kramer was a godsend to any live audience and every time he came on screen, it was like an all-out standing ovation from the audience. While this certainly pleased everyone in the studio and helped make Kramer an even more spectacular character, it ended up ruining the comedic timing of scenes as well.
To maintain comedic timing and keep the audience's reactions audible despite their eager claps, a time limit had to be implemented so that at least one joke would remain out there long enough to leave an impression.
One fan-favorite episode, “Lucy Does a TV Commercial,” was not so favored by the show’s star Lucille Ball. While normally she could perform fairly flawlessly, this episode left her nervous. During the film, she became exceedingly nervous and was concerned about messing up her lines. It prevented her from enjoying the filming of the episodes and the end product.
While Lucille Ball was a fantastic physical comedian, improvisation was not her forte. Every line of the show was in the script. So, if she ever forgot her lines, she had a failsafe plan: the script supervisor Maury Thompson would stand off to the side and hold up her lines for her in front of the podium where she was speaking.
Jeff Conaway had been struggling with substance abuse since before he starred on Taxi, but these problems all came to a head during his time there. When he was found in his dressing room too high to act, producers fired Conaway and wrote his character, Bobby Wheeler, out of the show.
All in the Family became one of the most iconic TV shows of its time. It was so influential that it inspired more than six spin-off TV series. The Jeffersons, Maude, Good Times, Archie Bunker’s Place, Gloria, and 702 Hauser Street are just a few shows that found inspiration in Norman Lear’s writing and producing.
The Jeffersons was easily the most successful of all the spin-off shows of All in the Family. It became of the longest-running sitcoms on television and was once the longest-running sitcom with an African American cast. It received 14 Emmy nominations during its run and had eight seasons in total.
In what can only be described as the worst idea to come from Three's Company, producers decided that they wanted Ritter, DeWitt, and Somers to sing the theme song. Thankfully, they weren't up to the job, and actual singers Ray Charles (not the one you're thinking of) and Julia Miller were brought in instead.
Seinfeld's classic "The Chinese Restaurant" episode remains one of the funniest and most beloved Seinfeld episodes. Network executives, however, didn't think the idea of our main characters sitting in a Chinese restaurant waiting to be seated would have been funny at all. But Larry David knew what he was doing!
He believed that this kind of silly, everyday annoyance was totally in tune with the "show about nothing" theme of Seinfeld, and thankfully, he got his way. People love it when someone is brave enough to take a risk and it paid off in a hilarious way for Larry David—and us!
Unlike many shows, nowadays, where there really isn’t a live audience involved, on the set of I love Lucy, refilling wasn’t really a thing because it was avoided at all cost. The show wanted genuine reactions to scenes and didn’t want them watching the same thing over and over again.
This also meant that most bloopers that occurred on the set are actually included in the show. If someone flubbed their lines or giggled, it would just be left in. Bloopers in scenes are typically glossed over and the scene just keeps rolling. It just shows the dedication to their work and their unbridled professionalism.
