The Cosby Show

American television sitcom (1984–1992)

Not to be confused with Cosby (TV series) or The Bill Cosby Show.

The Cosby Show

Genre| Sitcom
Created by|

* Bill Cosby
* Ed. Weinberger
* Michael J. Leeson

Directed by|

* Jay Sandrich
* Various (seasons 3–8)

Starring|

* Bill Cosby
* Phylicia Rashad
* Sabrina Le Beauf
* Geoffrey Owens
* Lisa Bonet
* Joseph C. Phillips
* Malcolm-Jamal Warner
* Tempestt Bledsoe
* Keshia Knight Pulliam
* Raven-Symoné
* Erika Alexander

Theme music composer|

* Stu Gardner
* Bill Cosby

Opening theme|

* "Kiss Me"; performed by:
* Bobby McFerrin (season 4)
* James DePreist performed by The Oregon Symphony Orchestra (season 5)
* Craig Handy (seasons 6–7)
* Lester Bowie (season 8)

Ending theme| "Kiss Me" (instrumental; various versions)
Composers|

* Stu Gardner
* Arthur Lisi

Country of origin| United States
Original language| English
No. of seasons| 8
No. of episodes| 201 (and outtakes special) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers|

* Marcy Carsey
* Tom Werner
* Bernie Kukoff (season 7)
* Janet Leahy (season 8)

Production locations|

* Kaufman Astoria Studios
* Astoria, New York, U.S.

Camera setup| Videotape; Multi-camera
Running time| 23–24 minutes
Production company| Carsey-Werner Productions
Original release
Network| NBC
Release| September 20, 1984 (1984-09-20) –
April 30, 1992 (1992-04-30)
Related
A Different World

The Cosby Show is an American television sitcom created by (along with Ed. Weinberger and Michael J. Leeson) and starring Bill Cosby that originally aired on NBC from September 20, 1984, to April 30, 1992, with a total of 201 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons, including an outtakes special. The show focuses on the Huxtables, an upper middle-class Black-American family living in Brooklyn, New York; the series was based on comedy routines in Cosby's stand-up comedy act, which in turn were based on his family life. The series was followed by a spin-off, titled A Different World, which ran from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993, with a total of six seasons consisting of 144 episodes.

TV Guide listed the series as "TV's biggest hit in the 1980s", adding it "almost single-handedly revived the sitcom genre and NBC's ratings fortunes",[1] while also ranking it 28th on their list of 50 Greatest Shows;[2] with this list, Cliff Huxtable was named as the "Greatest Television Dad" in 2014.[3] In May 1992, Entertainment Weekly stated that The Cosby Show helped to make possible a larger variety of shows with a predominantly black cast, from In Living Color to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.[4]

The Cosby Show spent five consecutive seasons as the number-one rated show on television and, along with All in the Family, is the only sitcom in the history of the Nielsen ratings as the number-one show for five seasons, having spent the series in the top 20 ratings. It also remains the only scripted TV show with a predominantly African-American cast to top the Nielsen ratings, and to do so more than once. Its spinoff, A Different World, also became a ratings hit, featuring in the top 5 of the ratings for four of its six seasons. It launched the extended cast into stardom and Cosby, having already had a successful career on television, films and stand-up, became the highest paid actor on television.[5]

It was also an international hit, garnering a following from across the world being a regular fixture in markets previously considered unattainable for African-American leads, such as Europe, where the show became a ratings and commercial hit and cemented itself as an international icon of 1980s pop culture. Its effects on Black American portrayal and gender politics on television were a major part of its success. The portrayal of Clair Huxtable, the matriarch of the Huxtable family, by Phylicia Rashad sparked an international wave of working mothers on television dubbed the "Clair Huxtable effect", and Bill Cosby was nicknamed "America's Dad" for his highly celebrated portrayal of Cliff Huxtable. The colourful sweaters he wore as Cliff became a fashion trend for a time which was temporarily revived in the early 2010s. Another sitcom starring Cosby and Rashad, Cosby, aired on CBS from 1996 to 2000, notable for its differences to The Cosby Show, garnering positive reviews.[6] Since 2014, reruns of The Cosby Show have been pulled from several networks and venues as a result of the Bill Cosby sexual assault cases.

## Premise

[edit]

The show focuses on the Huxtable family, an upper middle class African-American family, living in a brownstone in Brooklyn Heights, New York, at 10 Stigwood Avenue.[7] The father is Cliff Huxtable, an obstetrician and son of a prominent jazz trombonist. The mother is his wife, lawyer Clair Huxtable.[8]

They have four daughters and one son: Sondra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa, and Rudy. Despite its comedic tone, the show sometimes involves serious subjects, like Theo's experiences dealing with dyslexia,[9] inspired by Cosby's dyslexic son, Ennis.[10] and teenage pregnancy when Denise's friend Veronica (Lela Rochon) becomes pregnant.[11]

### Episodes

[edit]

Main article: List of The Cosby Show episodes

Season| Episodes| Originally released| HH rating
rank[12]| Avg. HH
rating[12]| Avg. viewers
(millions)

|
|
|
|
|

First released| Last released
1| 24| September 20, 1984 (1984-09-20)| May 9, 1985 (1985-05-09)| 3| 24.2| —
2| 25| September 26, 1985 (1985-09-26)| May 15, 1986 (1986-05-15)| 1| 33.7| —
3| 25| September 25, 1986 (1986-09-25)| May 7, 1987 (1987-05-07)| 1| 34.9| —
4| 24| September 24, 1987 (1987-09-24)| April 28, 1988 (1988-04-28)| 1| 27.8| —
5| 26| October 6, 1988 (1988-10-06)| May 11, 1989 (1989-05-11)| 1| 25.6| 40.3
6| 26 (+ special)| September 21, 1989 (1989-09-21)| May 3, 1990 (1990-05-03)| 1 (tied with Roseanne)| 23.1| 36.6
7| 26| September 20, 1990 (1990-09-20)| May 2, 1991 (1991-05-02)| 5| 17.1| 26.7
8| 25| September 19, 1991 (1991-09-19)| April 30, 1992 (1992-04-30)| 18| 15.0| 24.2

### Pilot

[edit]

Main article: Pilot (The Cosby Show)

The Cosby Show pilot episode uses the same title sequence as the rest of the first season, and is widely regarded as the first episode. However, it contains a number of differences from the remainder of the series.

In the pilot, the Huxtables have only four children.[13] Following the pilot, the Huxtables have five children, with the addition of their eldest daughter, Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf), who is mentioned in episode four and appears first in episode 11. The character was created when Bill Cosby wanted the show to express the accomplishment of successfully raising a child who had graduated from college.[14]

Bill Cosby originally wanted Vanessa Williams to play the part of Sondra due to her college education and background in theater arts. However, Williams had recently been crowned the first Black Miss America and pageant officials would not permit her to play the role while she was representing the Miss America pageant. Whitney Houston was also considered for the role of Denise Huxtable, but was unable to commit to the full-time television production schedule in the NBC contract, as she intended to become a full-time music recording artist.[15][16]

Most of the story in the pilot presentation is taken from Bill Cosby's 1983 comedy film Bill Cosby: Himself. Cosby's character is called "Clifford" in the early episodes of the first season, but his name was later switched to "Heathcliff".

Additionally, Vanessa refers to Theo as "Teddy" twice in the dining room scene. The interior of the Huxtables' home features an entirely different living room from subsequent episodes, and different color schemes in the dining room and the master bedroom. Throughout the remainder of the series, the dining room is reserved for more formal occasions.

## Background and production

[edit]

### Conception and development

[edit]

The cast of The Cosby Show in 1989

In the early 1980s, Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner, two former executives at ABC, left the network to start their own production company: Carsey-Werner.[17] At ABC, they had overseen sitcoms such as Mork & Mindy, Three's Company, and Welcome Back, Kotter. The two partners decided that to get a sitcom to sell for their fledgling company, they needed a big name behind it. Bill Cosby had performed stand-up comedy with award-winning albums and starred in several genres in TV and film in the 1960s and 70s, but his career had become more static by the early 1980s. According to a Chicago Tribune article from July 1985, despite Carsey and Werner's connection to the network, Lewis Erlicht, president of ABC Entertainment, passed on the show, prompting a pitch to rival network, NBC.[citation needed]

Outside of his work on his cartoon series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, Cosby was doing little in film or television, but Carsey and Werner were fans of Cosby's stand-up comedy and thought it would be the perfect material for a family sitcom.[18]

Cosby originally proposed that the couple should both have blue-collar jobs, with the father a limousine driver,[19] who owned his own car, and the mother an electrician.[20] With advice from his wife Camille Cosby, though, the concept was changed so that the family was well-off financially, with the mother a lawyer and the father a physician.[21][22]

Cosby wanted the program to be educational, reflecting his own background in education. He also insisted that the program be taped in New York City instead of Los Angeles, where most television programs were taped.[23] The Huxtable home exterior was filmed at 10 St. Luke's Place near 7th Avenue in Manhattan's Greenwich Village (although in the show, the residence was the fictional "10 Stigwood Avenue").[24]

### Production notes

[edit]

The brownstone used in The Cosby Show

Early episodes were videotaped at NBC's Brooklyn studios (subsequently JC Studios).[25] The network later sold that building, and production moved to the Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens.[26] Even though the show was set to take place in Brooklyn, the exterior façade was actually of a brownstone townhouse located in Manhattan's Greenwich Village at 10 Leroy Street/ 10 St. Luke's Place.[27] The pilot was filmed in May 1984, with season one's production commencing that July, and the first taping on August 1 (Goodbye Mr. Goldfish).[28][29]

During its original NBC run, it was one of five successful sitcoms on the network that featured predominantly African-American casts. The others were 227 (1985–90), Amen (1986–91), Cosby Show spin-off A Different World (1987–93) and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–96).[citation needed]

Although the cast and characters were predominantly African-American,[30] the program was unusual in that issues of race were rarely mentioned when compared to other situation comedies of the time with predominantly African-American casts, such as The Jeffersons.[31] However, The Cosby Show had African-American themes, such as the Civil rights movement, and it frequently promoted African-American culture and culture of Africa represented by artists and musicians such as Jacob Lawrence, Miles Davis, James Brown, B. B. King, Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis Jr., Lena Horne, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Miriam Makeba.[32]

The spin-off, A Different World, dealt with racial issues more often.[33] The Cosby Show's series finale, taped March 6, 1992,[34] aired during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, with Cosby quoted in media at the time pleading for peace.[35][36]

During the third season, Rashad was pregnant with her daughter Condola. Rather than write this pregnancy in, the producers simply greatly reduced Rashad's scenes or filmed in such a way that her pregnancy was not noticeable.[37]

Another main cast member pregnancy, that of Bonet, almost caused the actress to be fired, especially coming in the wake of appearing in the film Angel Heart, which contained explicit sexual scenes with actor Mickey Rourke. Cosby strongly disapproved of Bonet's role, but allowed her to continue on World until returning to Cosby after her pregnancy. Tensions remained, however, and Bonet was eventually fired in April 1991.[38]

### Theme song and opening sequence

[edit]

The show's theme music, "Kiss Me", was composed by Stu Gardner and Bill Cosby.[39] Seven versions of this theme were used during the run of the series. For season four, the theme song music was performed by musician Bobby McFerrin.[40][41]

Due to legal complications regarding the background mural, the opening for season seven was filmed on August 17, 1990, at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York City, New York was replaced with the one from the previous season.[42][43][44] The original season seven opening, with slight modifications, returned to use in the beginning of season eight.

## Cast and characters

[edit]

Main article: List of The Cosby Show characters

Actor  | Character  | Seasons

|
|

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
Bill Cosby | Cliff Huxtable | Main
Phylicia Rashad[a] | Clair Huxtable | Main
Lisa Bonet | Denise Huxtable Kendall | Main | Recurring | Main |
Malcolm-Jamal Warner | Theodore Huxtable | Main
Tempestt Bledsoe | Vanessa Huxtable | Main
Keshia Knight Pulliam | Rudy Huxtable | Main
Sabrina Le Beauf | Sondra Huxtable Tibideaux | Recurring | Main
Geoffrey Owens | Elvin Tibideaux |  | Recurring | Main
Joseph C. Phillips[b] | Lt. Martin Kendall |  | Main | Recurring
Raven-Symoné | Olivia Kendall |  | Main
Erika Alexander | Pamela "Pam" Tucker |  | Main

1. ^ Rashad was credited as "Phylicia Ayers-Allen" during season one and the first fourteen episodes of season two.
2. ^ Prior to joining the cast as a regular, Phillips appears as Daryl, a potential boyfriend for Sondra in season two (episode: "Cliff in Love").

## Reception and legacy

[edit]

The show's portrayal of a successful, stable black family was praised by some for breaking racial stereotypes and showing another part of the African-American experience.[45][46] However, it was criticized by others, including Henry Louis Gates Jr., for allowing white audiences to think that racism and poverty were problems of the past. Phylicia Rashad claimed that when she met Nelson Mandela, he told her that he "is eternally grateful for the show and its influence on Apartheid and us Black people. [The inmates in prison] watched the show while in prison."[47] As a result of the Bill Cosby sexual assault cases, Malcolm-Jamal Warner has stated that the show's legacy is "tarnished".[48]

The Cosby Show had generated $2.5 billion in television revenue, including $1 billion from television advertisement,[49] and $1.5 billion from syndication.[50]

### Broadcast history and ratings

[edit]

The Cosby Show aired on Thursdays at 8:00 pm for all eight seasons.[51] In its first season, the show was the beginning of a Thursday NBC schedule that was followed by Family Ties, Cheers, Night Court, and Hill Street Blues.[52]

The Cosby Show is one of three television programs (All in the Family and American Idol being the others) that were number one in the Nielsen ratings for five consecutive seasons.[53][54][55]

Viewership and ratings per season of The Cosby Show Season  | Time slot (ET)  | Episodes  | First aired  | Last aired  | TV season  | Rank  | Avg. HH
rating

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Date  | HH
rating | Viewers
(millions)  | Date  | HH
rating  | Viewers
(millions)
1 | Thursday 8:00 pm  | 24  | September 20, 1984  | 21.6[56] | —  | May 9, 1985  | 24.1[57] | —  | 1984–85 | 3[12] | 24.2[12]
2 | 25  | September 26, 1985  | 31.6[58] | —  | May 15, 1986  | 31.8[59] | —  | 1985–86 | 1[12] | 33.7[12]
3 | 25  | September 25, 1986  | 33.5[60] | —  | May 7, 1987  | 26.4[61] | —  | 1986–87 | 1[12] | 34.9[12]
4 | 24  | September 24, 1987  | 31.5[62] | —  | April 28, 1988  | 23.2[63] | —  | 1987–88 | 1[12] | 27.8[12]
5 | 26  | October 6, 1988  | 24.2[64] | 37.6[64] | May 11, 1989  | 20.4[65] | 31.5[65] | 1988–89 | 1[12] | 25.6[12]
6 | 26  | September 21, 1989  | 26.1[66] | 39.3[66] | May 3, 1990  | 18.5[67] | 28.3[67] | 1989–90 | 1[12][a] | 23.1[12]
7 | 26  | September 20, 1990  | 19.8[68] | 30.5[68] | May 2, 1991  | 15.2[69] | 22.1[69] | 1990–91 | 5[12] | 17.1[12]
8 | 25  | September 19, 1991  | 18.6[70] | 28.1[70] | April 30, 1992  | 28.0[71] | 44.4[71] | 1991–92 | 18[12] | 15.0[12]

## Syndication

[edit]

The Carsey-Werner Company handles domestic distribution, while Paramount Global's unit CBS Media Ventures handles international distribution of the series, and has done so since 1997. In the United States, The Cosby Show began its television syndication run in September 1988 in broadcast syndication, shortly before the show's fifth-season premiere, and was at the time distributed by Viacom; many stations that carried the series were Big Three television networks affiliates. As time went on, this moved to lower-profile timeslots, independent station and minor network affiliates.[citation needed]

Fort Worth, Texas–based independent station KTVT carried the series until 1995, when it ceased operating as a regional cable superstation and became an affiliate of CBS. TBS, then a national cable superstation, carried the series for nearly a decade beginning in 1999. Fellow superstation WGN America began carrying the series shortly thereafter, and continued to until September 2010. Viacom's Nick at Nite began airing reruns of the series in March 2002, and its sister network TV Land began airing reruns in 2004, making The Cosby Show one of the few series that were shown on both Nick at Nite and TV Land at the same time. The series was also available to stream on Hulu.[72]

The French version just called Cosby Show aired on M6 in 1988.

In the Italian version of the show, the family name is not Huxtable but Robinson. The whole show is named I Robinson (The Robinsons) airing on Canale 5 from 1986 until 1993.

### 2010s removal from syndication

[edit]

Reruns of The Cosby Show have been pulled from several networks and venues as a result of the Bill Cosby sexual assault cases. In November 2014, TV Land pulled the series from its lineup.[73][74] "Episodes have been pulled immediately for the foreseeable future ... TV Land even removed references to The Cosby Show from its website on Wednesday afternoon as the scandal accelerated." In December 2014, the Magic Johnson–owned network Aspire removed the show from its lineup.[75]

BET's Centric (another Viacom unit), along with Bounce TV, ceased airing reruns of The Cosby Show. At the same time, barter syndicator The Program Exchange ceased distributing the show.[76] Bounce TV resumed airing the series in December 2016[77] but pulled the show on April 26, 2018 — the day Cosby was convicted of sexual assault.[78][79] TV One began airing reruns of the show in May 2017.[80] It is the only American network to offer the series. The series is available on Amazon Prime Video and Philo.[citation needed]

## Spin-off

[edit]

Main article: A Different World

The Cosby Show's producers created a spin-off series called A Different World that was built around the "Denise" character (portrayed by actress Lisa Bonet), the second of the Huxtables' four daughters.[81] Initially, the new program dealt with Denise's life at Hillman College,[82] the fictional historically black college from which her father, mother, and paternal grandfather had graduated.[citation needed]

Denise was written out of A Different World after its inaugural season, due to Bonet's pregnancy, and the following season was revamped, with the addition of director Debbie Allen (Phylicia Rashad's sister) and new characters.[83] Denise later became a recurring character on The Cosby Show for seasons four and five, and a regular again in seasons six and seven.[citation needed]

## Awards and honors

[edit]

### Awards won

[edit]

Emmy Award[84]

* Outstanding Comedy Series (1985)
* Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series (1985) – Michael J. Leeson and Ed. Weinberger for the pilot episode
* Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series (1985) – Jay Sandrich for "The Younger Woman"
* Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series (1986) – Jay Sandrich for "Denise's Friend"
* Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series (1986) – Roscoe Lee Browne for "The Card Game"
* Outstanding Editing for a Series – Multi-Camera Production (1986) – Henry Chan for "Full House"

Golden Globe Awards

* Best TV Series – Comedy (1985)
* Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series – Comedy – Bill Cosby (1985, 1986) 2 wins

NAACP Image Awards

* Outstanding Comedy Series (1988)
* Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series – Phylicia Rashad (1988, 1989) 2 wins
* Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series – Bill Cosby (1989, 1993) 2 wins

Peabody Award (1986)

People's Choice Awards[citation needed]

* Favorite New TV Comedy Program (1985)
* Favorite Male Performer in a New TV Program – Bill Cosby (1985)
* Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Program – Phylicia Rashad (1985)
* Favorite TV Comedy Program (1985–89) 5 wins
* Favorite Male TV Performer – Bill Cosby (1986–92) 7 wins
* Favorite All-Around Male Entertainer – Bill Cosby (1986–88, 1990–91) 5 wins
* Favorite Young TV Performer – Keshia Knight Pulliam (1988)
* All-Time Favorite TV Program (1989)
* Favorite Female TV Performer – Phylicia Rashad (1989)
* Favorite All-Around Male Star – Bill Cosby (1989)
* Favorite TV Comedy Series (1990, 1992) 2 wins

### Nominations

[edit]

Emmy Awards[84]

* Outstanding Technical Direction/Electronic Camerawork/video control for a series – 1985
* Outstanding Live and Tape Sound Mixing and Sound Effects for a series – (1985) 2 nominations
* Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series – (1985–86)
* Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series – Phylicia Rashad (1985–86) 2 nominations
* Outstanding Comedy Series (1986–87) 2 nominations
* Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Lisa Bonet (1986)
* Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Keshia Knight Pulliam (1986)
* Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Malcolm-Jamal Warner (1986)
* Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special – (1986–87)
* Outstanding Editing for a Series (multi camera production) – (1987)
* Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Jay Sandrich (1987)
* Outstanding Comedy Series – (1987)
* Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series – Eileen Heckart (1988)
* Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – Sammy Davis Jr. (1989)

Golden Globe Awards

* Best TV Series – Comedy – (1986–1987) – Two nominations
* Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series – Comedy – Bill Cosby (1987)

### Other honors

[edit]

* 1993: TV Guide named The Cosby Show the All-Time Best Family Show in its issue celebrating 40 years of television.[85]
* 1997: TV Guide ranked the episode "Happy Anniversary" #54 on their list of the TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time[86]
* 1999: Entertainment Weekly placed show's debut at #24 in its list of the "100 Greatest Moments in Television"[87]
* 2002: TV Guide placed The Cosby Show at #28 in its list of the TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time[88]
* 2004: TV Guide ranked Cliff Huxtable number 1 on its 50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time list[89]
* 2004: Bravo ranked Cliff Huxtable #44 on its list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters[90]
* 2007: Time magazine placed the show on its unranked list of "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME"[91]
* 2007: USA Today's web site ranked the show as #8 in its list of the "top 25 TV moments of the past quarter century"[92]
* 2008: Entertainment Weekly selected Cliff Huxtable as the Dad for "The Perfect TV Family"[93]
* 2013: TV Guide ranked The Cosby Show #26 on its list of the 60 Best Series.[94]
* 2013: The Writers Guild of America ranked The Cosby Show #29 on their list of the 101 Best Written TV Series.[95]
* 2023: Variety ranked The Cosby Show #90 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.[96]

## Albums

[edit]

Two albums were produced that included various theme and background music from the show. The albums were presented by longtime Cosby collaborator Stu Gardner. They were:

* A House Full of Love: Music from The Cosby Show (1986)
* Total Happiness (Music from the Bill Cosby Show, Vol. II) (1987)

## In popular culture

[edit]

* During the series' run, the character of Cliff Huxtable frequently wore an array of knit sweaters that were often brightly colored and featured abstract, asymmetrical patterns or themes. The sweaters were erroneously thought to be designed by the Australian clothing company Coogi, but were actually designed by Dutchman Koos Van Den Akker.[97][98][99]
* They were dubbed "Cosby sweaters", a term that is used to describe sweaters that are generally deemed garish and unappealing.[100][101] In May 2008, Cosby's daughter Evin auctioned a batch of the sweaters that her father had kept on eBay. The proceeds of the sales went to the Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation, a non-profit charity named for Ennis Cosby. Ennis, Cosby's only son, was murdered in January 1997.[102]
* The character of Dr. Hibbert, who is featured on the long-running animated sitcom The Simpsons, is modeled after Dr. Cliff Huxtable. The Simpsons writing staff decided to make Dr. Hibbert a parody of Cliff Huxtable after the Fox network moved The Simpsons to Thursday nights airing opposite the top-rated The Cosby Show.[103]
* In the Teen Titans Go! episode "Oil Drums", Starfire says "I would like to watch The Crosby Pudding Half-Hour Show of Sweaters. Theo, get your glorp-nops off the kitchen table. Rudy!"[citation needed]

## Home media

[edit]

All eight seasons of The Cosby Show have been released on DVD in Region 1. Seasons one and two were released by UrbanWorks which was subsequently acquired by First Look Studios, who then released the remaining six seasons. Seasons One and Two contain special features, including the ninety minute retrospective documentary entitled The Cosby Show: A Look Back, which aired on NBC in May 2002.

It contains interviews with cast members, bloopers, deleted scenes and audition footage. In December 2010, First Look Studios filed bankruptcy, and all its assets were subsequently acquired by Millennium Entertainment, who also took over distribution of The Cosby Show DVD releases. As of 2013, these releases have been discontinued, and are now out of print.

In 2013, Mill Creek Entertainment acquired the rights to the series. They subsequently re-released all eight seasons on DVD.[104][105][106][107] On September 1, 2015, Mill Creek released a sixteen disc complete series set entitled The Cosby Show – The Complete Series.[108]

In Region 4, Magna Pacific has released all eight seasons on DVD in Australia and New Zealand. The first two seasons have similar artwork to the North American copies, although season two is red rather than blue. Each Australian cover also features the tagline "In a house full of love, there is always room for more".

Universal Studios Home Entertainment  has released Seasons 1 to 4 in Region 2 (United Kingdom).

DVD title | Ep # | Release dates

|
|

Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4
Season 1 | 24 | August 2, 2005
January 21, 2014 (re release) | May 19, 2008 | October 4, 2006
Season 2 | 25 | March 7, 2006
January 21, 2014 (re release) | August 25, 2008 | February 7, 2007
Season 3 | 25 | June 5, 2007
April 15, 2014 (re release) | October 13, 2008 | April 4, 2007
Season 4 | 24 | June 5, 2007
April 15, 2014 (re release) | February 9, 2009 | November 7, 2007
Season 5 | 26 | November 6, 2007
January 6, 2015 (re release) |  | March 5, 2008
Season 6 | 26 | November 6, 2007
January 6, 2015 (re release) |  | July 9, 2008
Season 7 | 26 | April 8, 2008
June 16, 2015 (re release) |  | January 13, 2010
Season 8 | 25 | April 8, 2008
June 16, 2015 (re release) |  | January 13, 2010
25th Anniversary
Commemorative Edition | 201 | November 11, 2008
September 1, 2015 (re release) |  |
Collector's Edition | 201 |  |  | August 6, 2014

Note: The Millennium Entertainment release of season one contains the edited versions of the episodes aired in syndication. However, all subsequent DVD releases (including the complete series set) contain the original, uncut broadcast versions. In 2011, Millennium quietly released season one uncut in Region 1, which featured the special features from The Complete Series set.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Tied with Roseanne.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The Cosby Show: Cast & Details". TV Guide. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
2. ^ "TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows". April 26, 2002. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
3. ^ "TV Guide's '50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time' |". TVWeek. January 3, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
4. ^ Schwarzbaum, Lisa (May 1, 1992). "The Cosby Show's Last Laugh". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2007. "The show that changed forever the way black families are portrayed on television, the show that paved the way for a rainbow of black sensibilities on TV from In Living Color to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is getting razzed these days by The Simpsons."
5. ^ Heads, TV Talking (December 13, 2016). "What 29 TV Shows Have Been #1 in the Annual Nielsen Rankings?". TV Talking Heads. Archived from the original on March 17, 2017.
6. ^ Heads, TV Talking (September 19, 2014). "The Cosby Show's hidden power". BBC.
7. ^ Meyers, Kate (May 3, 1996). "Cosby's Last 'Show'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
8. ^ Gates, Henry Louis Jr.; Higginbotham, Evelyn Brooks (March 23, 2004). African American Lives. Oxford University Press. p. 195\. ISBN 978-0-19-988286-1. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
9. ^ Manzo, Ula C.; Manzo, Anthony V. (January 1, 1993). Literary Disorders: Holistic Diagnosis and Remediation. LiteracyLeaders. p. 27\. ISBN 978-0-03-072633-0. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
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## External links

[edit]

* Official Bill Cosby Site
* The Cosby Show at CarseyWerner.net
* Carsey-Werner - The Cosby Show
* The Cosby Show at IMDb
* The Cosby Show at epguides.com
* The Cosby Show at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television

* v
* t
* e

The Cosby Show

Characters|

* Cliff Huxtable
* Clair Huxtable
* Sondra Huxtable
* Denise Huxtable
* Theodore Huxtable
* Rudy Huxtable

Episodes|

* "Pilot"
* "Goodbye Mr. Fish"

Related|

* A Different World
* episodes
* characters
* Dwayne Cleofis Wayne
* Whitley Gilbert-Wayne

* v
* t
* e

Bill Cosby

* Filmography
* Discography
* In advertising
* List of awards
* List of honorary degrees

Comedy albums|

* Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow...Right! (1963)
* I Started Out as a Child (1964)
* Why Is There Air? (1965)
* Wonderfulness (1966)
* Revenge (1967)
* To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With (1968)
* 200 M.P.H. (1968)
* It's True! It's True! (1969)
* 8:15 12:15 (1969)
* Sports (1969)
* Live: Madison Square Garden Center (1970)
* When I Was a Kid (1971)
* For Adults Only (1971)
* Inside the Mind of Bill Cosby (1972)
* Fat Albert (1973)
* My Father Confused Me... What Must I Do? What Must I Do? (1977)
* Bill's Best Friend (1978)
* Bill Cosby: Himself (1982)
* Those of You with or Without Children, You'll Understand (1986)
* Oh, Baby! (1991)

Music albums|

* Silver Throat: Bill Cosby Sings (1967)
* Bill Cosby Sings Hooray for the Salvation Army Band! (1968)
* Badfoot Brown & the Bunions Bradford Funeral & Marching Band (1971)
* Bill Cosby Talks to Kids About Drugs (1971)
* Bill Cosby Presents Badfoot Brown & the Bunions Bradford Funeral Marching Band (1972)
* At Last Bill Cosby Really Sings (1974)
* Bill Cosby Is Not Himself These Days (1976)
* Disco Bill (1977)
* State of Emergency (2009)

Compilations|

* The Best of Bill Cosby (1969)
* More of the Best of Bill Cosby (1970)
* Bill (1973)
* Down Under (1975)

Singles|

* "Little Ole Man (Uptight, Everything's Alright)" (1967)

Television|

* The Bill Cosby Show (1969–71)
* The New Bill Cosby Show (1972–73)
* Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972–85)
* Cos (1976)
* Picture Pages (1978–84)
* The Cosby Show (1984–92)
* A Different World (1987–93)
* The Cosby Mysteries (1994–95)
* Cosby (1996–2000)
* Little Bill (1999–2004)
* Fatherhood (2004–05)

Stand-up comedy
films and specials|

* Himself (1983)
* Bill Cosby 77 (unreleased)

Family|

* Camille Cosby
* Ennis Cosby
* Erika Cosby

Sexual assault cases|

* Andrea Constand lawsuit
* Trial of Bill Cosby
* We Need to Talk About Cosby (2022)

Related articles|

* Fatherhood (1986)
* Pound Cake speech (2004)
* Tetragrammaton Records
* Collection of African-American art

Awards for The Cosby Show

* v
* t
* e

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series

1950s|

* The Red Skelton Show (1952)
* I Love Lucy (1953)
* I Love Lucy (1954)
* Make Room for Daddy (1955)
* The Phil Silvers Show (1956)
* No Award (1957)
* The Phil Silvers Show (1958)
* The Jack Benny Program (season 9) (1959)

1960s|

* No Award (1960)
* The Jack Benny Program (season 11) (1961)
* The Bob Newhart Show (1962)
* The Dick Van Dyke Show (1963)
* The Dick Van Dyke Show (1964)
* The Dick Van Dyke Show (1965)
* The Dick Van Dyke Show (1966)
* The Monkees (1967)
* Get Smart (1968)
* Get Smart (1969)

1970s|

* My World and Welcome to It (1970)
* All in the Family (1971)
* All in the Family (1972)
* All in the Family (1973)
* M*A*S*H (season 2) (1974)
* The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1975)
* The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1976)
* The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1977)
* All in the Family (1978)
* Taxi (1979)

1980s|

* Taxi (1980)
* Taxi (1981)
* Barney Miller (season 8) (1982)
* Cheers (season 1) (1983)
* Cheers (season 2) (1984)
* The Cosby Show (season 1) (1985)
* The Golden Girls (season 1) (1986)
* The Golden Girls (season 2) (1987)
* The Wonder Years (season 1) (1988)
* Cheers (season 7) (1989)

1990s|

* Murphy Brown (1990)
* Cheers (season 9) (1991)
* Murphy Brown (1992)
* Seinfeld (season 4) (1993)
* Frasier (season 1) (1994)
* Frasier (season 2) (1995)
* Frasier (season 3) (1996)
* Frasier (season 4) (1997)
* Frasier (season 5) (1998)
* Ally McBeal (season 2) (1999)

2000s|

* Will & Grace (season 2) (2000)
* Sex and the City (season 3) (2001)
* Friends (season 8) (2002)
* Everybody Loves Raymond (season 7) (2003)
* Arrested Development (season 1) (2004)
* Everybody Loves Raymond (season 9) (2005)
* The Office (season 2) (2006)
* 30 Rock (season 1) (2007)
* 30 Rock (season 2) (2008)
* 30 Rock (season 3) (2009)

2010s|

* Modern Family (season 1) (2010)
* Modern Family (season 2) (2011)
* Modern Family (season 3) (2012)
* Modern Family (season 4) (2013)
* Modern Family (season 5) (2014)
* Veep (season 4) (2015)
* Veep (season 5) (2016)
* Veep (season 6) (2017)
* The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (season 1) (2018)
* Fleabag (season 2) (2019)

2020s|

* Schitt's Creek (season 6) (2020)
* Ted Lasso (season 1) (2021)
* Ted Lasso (season 2) (2022)
* The Bear (season 1) (2023)
* Hacks (season 3) (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

1960s|

* The Governor & J.J. (1969)

1970s|

* The Carol Burnett Show (1970)
* All in the Family (season 1/season 2) (1971)
* All in the Family (season 2/season 3) (1972)
* All in the Family (season 3/season 4) (1973)
* Rhoda (season 1) (1974)
* Barney Miller (season 1/season 2) (1975)
* Barney Miller (season 2/season 3) (1976)
* All in the Family (season 7/season 8) (1977)
* Taxi (season 1) (1978)
* Alice / Taxi (season 1/season 2) (1979)

1980s|

* Taxi (season 2/season 3) (1980)
* M*A*S*H (season 9/season 10) (1981)
* Fame (1982)
* Fame (1983)
* The Cosby Show (season 1) (1984)
* The Golden Girls (season 1) (1985)
* The Golden Girls (season 1/season 2) (1986)
* The Golden Girls (season 2/season 3) (1987)
* The Wonder Years (season 1/season 2) (1988)
* Murphy Brown (1989)

1990s|

* Cheers (season 8/season 9) (1990)
* Brooklyn Bridge (1991)
* Roseanne (season 4/season 5) (1992)
* Seinfeld (season 4/season 5) (1993)
* Frasier (season 1/season 2) / Mad About You (1994)
* Cybill (1995)
* 3rd Rock from the Sun (season 1/season 2) (1996)
* Ally McBeal (season 1) (1997)
* Ally McBeal (season 1/season 2) (1998)
* Sex and the City (season 2) (1999)

2000s|

* Sex and the City (season 3) (2000)
* Sex and the City (season 4) (2001)
* Curb Your Enthusiasm (2002)
* The Office (UK) (2003)
* Desperate Housewives (season 1) (2004)
* Desperate Housewives (season 1/season 2) (2005)
* Ugly Betty (season 1) (2006)
* Extras (2007)
* 30 Rock (season 2/season 3) (2008)
* Glee (season 1) (2009)

2010s|

* Glee (season 1/season 2) (2010)
* Modern Family (season 2/season 3) (2011)
* Girls (season 1) (2012)
* Brooklyn Nine-Nine (season 1) (2013)
* Transparent (season 1) (2014)
* Mozart in the Jungle (season 1) (2015)
* Atlanta (season 1) (2016)
* The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (season 1) (2017)
* The Kominsky Method (season 1) (2018)
* Fleabag (season 2) (2019)

2020s|

* Schitt's Creek (season 6) (2020)
* Hacks (season 1) (2021)
* Abbott Elementary (season 1/season 2) (2022)
* The Bear (season 2) (2023)
* Hacks (season 3) (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Kids' Choice Award for Favorite TV Show

* ALF (1988)
* The Cosby Show (1989–1990)
* The Simpsons (1991)
* Beverly Hills, 90210 (1992)
* Home Improvement (1994–1997)
* Kenan & Kel (1998)
* All That (1999–2000, 2004)
* Malcolm in the Middle (2001)
* Lizzie McGuire (2002–2003)
* American Idol (2005, 2007)
* Drake & Josh (2006, 2008)
* iCarly (2009–2011)
* Victorious (2012–2013)
* Sam & Cat (2014)
* Austin & Ally / Modern Family (2015)
* The Thundermans / The Muppets (2016)
* Henry Danger (2017, 2020–2021)
* Fuller House (2017, 2019)
* Stranger Things (2018, 2020–2021)
* Riverdale (2019)
* Alexa & Katie (2021)
* High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2022)
* iCarly (2021) (2022)
* The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder (2023)
* Wednesday (2023)
* Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2024)
* Young Sheldon (2024)

* v
* t
* e

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Comedy Series

1980s|

* The Cosby Show (1987)
* Muppet Babies (1988)
* Muppet Babies (1989)

1990s|

* A Different World (1990)
* In Living Color (1991)
* The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1992)
* Martin (1993)
* Martin (1994)
* Living Single (1995)
* Cosby (1996)
* Living Single (1997)
* Cosby (1998)
* The Steve Harvey Show (1999)

2000s|

* The Steve Harvey Show (2000)
* The Steve Harvey Show (2001)
* The Bernie Mac Show (2002)
* The Bernie Mac Show (2003)
* The Bernie Mac Show (2004)
* Everybody Hates Chris (2005)
* Ugly Betty (2006)
* Tyler Perry's House of Payne (2007)
* Tyler Perry's House of Payne (2008)
* Tyler Perry's House of Payne (2009)

2010s|

* Tyler Perry's House of Payne (2010)
* Tyler Perry's House of Payne (2011)
* The Game (2012)
* Real Husbands of Hollywood (2013)
* Black-ish (2014)
* Black-ish (2015)
* Black-ish (2016)
* Black-ish (2017)
* Betty in NY / Black-ish (2018)
* Family Reunion / Black-ish (2019)

2020s|

* Family Reunion / Insecure (2020)
* Insecure (2021)
* Abbott Elementary (2022)
* Abbott Elementary (2023)
* Abbott Elementary (2024)

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People's Choice Awards for Favorite New TV Comedy

* The Love Boat / Three's Company (1978)
* Mork & Mindy (1979)
* Too Close for Comfort (1981)
* Private Benjamin (1982)
* Cheers (1983)
* Webster (1984)
* The Cosby Show (1985)
* The Golden Girls (1986)
* ALF (1987)
* A Different World / My Two Dads (1988)
* Roseanne (1989)
* Doogie Howser, M.D. (1990)
* In Living Color / The Simpsons (1991)
* Home Improvement (1992)
* Mad About You (1993)
* Frasier / Grace Under Fire (1994)
* Ellen / Friends (1995)
* Caroline in the City (1996)
* Cosby (1997)
* Veronica's Closet / Dharma & Greg (1998)
* Jesse / Will & Grace (1999)
* Stark Raving Mad (2000)
* Ed (2001)
* My Wife and Kids (2002)
* 8 Simple Rules (2003)
* Two and a Half Men (2004)
* Joey (2005)
* My Name Is Earl (2006)
* The Class (2007)
* Samantha Who? (2008)
* Gary Unmarried (2009)
* Glee (2010)
* $#*! My Dad Says (2011)
* 2 Broke Girls (2012)
* The New Normal (2013)
* Super Fun Night (2014)
* Jane the Virgin (2015)
* Scream Queens (2016)
* Man with a Plan (2017)

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TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy

* The Cosby Show (season 1) (1985)
* The Cosby Show (season 2) (1986)
* It's Garry Shandling's Show (season 1) (1987)
* Frank’s Place (season 1) / The Wonder Years (season 1) (1988)
* Murphy Brown (season 1) (1989)
* The Simpsons (season 1) (1990)
* Murphy Brown (season 3) (1991)
* Seinfeld (season 3) (1992)
* Seinfeld (season 4) (1993)
* Frasier (season 1) (1994)
* Frasier (season 2) (1995)
* Frasier (season 3) (1996)
* The Larry Sanders Show (season 5) (1997)
* The Larry Sanders Show (season 6) (1998)
* Sports Night (season 1) (1999)
* Malcolm in the Middle (season 1) (2000)
* Malcolm in the Middle (season 2) (2001)
* The Bernie Mac Show (season 1) (2002)
* The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (season 7/season 8) (2003)
* Arrested Development (season 1) (2004)
* Arrested Development (season 2) (2005)
* The Office (season 2) (2006)
* The Office (season 3) (2007)
* 30 Rock (season 2) (2008)
* The Big Bang Theory (season 2) (2009)
* Modern Family (season 1) (2010)
* Modern Family (season 2) (2011)
* Louie (season 2) (2012)
* The Big Bang Theory (season 6) / Parks and Recreation (season 5) (2013)
* Louie (season 4) / Veep (season 3) (2014)
* Inside Amy Schumer (season 3) (2015)
* Black-ish (season 2) (2016)
* Atlanta (season 1) (2017)
* The Good Place (season 2) (2018)
* Fleabag (season 2) (2019)
* Schitt's Creek (season 6) (2020)
* Ted Lasso (season 1) (2021)
* Abbott Elementary (season 1) (2022)
* The Bear (season 1) (2023)
* Hacks (season 3) (2024)

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Nielsen Media Research top-rated United States network television show

1950s|

* 50–51: Texaco Star Theater
* 51–52: Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
* 52–53, 53–54, 54–55: I Love Lucy
* 55–56: The $64,000 Question
* 56–57: I Love Lucy
* 57–58, 58–59, 59–60: Gunsmoke

1960s|

* 60–61: Gunsmoke
* 61–62: Wagon Train
* 62–63, 63–64: The Beverly Hillbillies (S1, S2)
* 64–65, 65–66, 66–67: Bonanza
* 67–68: The Andy Griffith Show (S8)
* 68–69, 69–70: Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

1970s|

* 70–71: Marcus Welby, M.D.
* 71–72, 72–73, 73–74, 74–75, 75–76: All in the Family (S2, S3, S4, S5, S6)
* 76–77: Happy Days (S4)
* 77–78, 78–79: Laverne & Shirley (S3, S4)
* 79–80: 60 Minutes

1980s|

* 80–81, 81–82: Dallas (S4, S5)
* 82–83: 60 Minutes
* 83–84: Dallas (S7)
* 84–85: Dynasty
* 85–86, 86–87, 87–88, 88–89: The Cosby Show (S2, S3, S4, S5)
* 89–90: Roseanne (S2)/The Cosby Show (S6)

1990s|

* 90–91: Cheers (S9)
* 91–92, 92–93, 93–94: 60 Minutes
* 94–95: Seinfeld  (S6)
* 95–96, 96–97: ER (S2, S3)
* 97–98: Seinfeld (S9)
* 98–99: ER (S5)
* 99–2000: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

2000s|

* 00–01: Survivor (S2-AO)
* 01–02: Friends (S8)
* 02–03, 03–04, 04–05,: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (S3, S4, S5)
* 05–06, 06–07, 07–08, 08–09, 09–10: American Idol (S5, S6, S7, S8, S9)

2010s|

* 10–11: American Idol (S10)
* 11–12: NBC Sunday Night Football
* 12–13: NCIS (S10)
* 13–14, 14–15, 15–16, 16–17: NBC Sunday Night Football
* 17–18: The Big Bang Theory (S11)
* 18–19, 19–20: NBC Sunday Night Football

2020s|

* 20–21, 21–22, 22–23, 23–24: NBC Sunday Night Football

Portals:

* 1980s
* 1990s
* comedy
* Television
* United States

Authority control databases: National |

* Czech Republic

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*[No.]: Number
*[HH]: Household
*[Avg.]: Average
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