The Knowledge (1979)

Interesting facts

The Knowledge is a 1979 British comedy-drama television film about a group of men and a woman doing "the Knowledge", the training required to become a London taxi driver. It was directed by Bob Brooks with an ensemble cast including Nigel Hawthorne, Mick Ford, Jonathan Lynn and Maureen Lipman.

Production

In 1978 Jack Rosenthal received a telephone call from Bob Brooks, an American who had lived in London for many years, wanting to make a film about something "exclusive to London". After some discussion they decided on "The Knowledge", the training and testing required to become a driver of a hackney carriage. They initially pitched the idea to Euston Films as a feature-length drama before settling on the concept of a comedy drama.

It was the first production by Euston Films to make use of Steadicam.

In his autobiography, Rosenthal describes Nigel Hawthorne as "such a lovely actor" who "gives a superlative, unforgettable comic performance as Mr Burgess, based on a real-life, notoriously sadistic examiner".

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