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The Cosby Show 

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The goings-on in the life of a successful African-American family.

Creator:

Michael Leeson
Reviews
Popularity
773 ( 91)

Episodes

Seasons


Years



8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1  
1992   1991   1990   1989   1988   1987   … See all »
Won 3 Golden Globes. Another 52 wins & 58 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Bill Cosby ...  Dr. Heathcliff 'Cliff' Huxtable 197 episodes, 1984-1992
Phylicia Rashad ...  Clair Huxtable 193 episodes, 1984-1992
Keshia Knight Pulliam ...  Rudy Huxtable 177 episodes, 1984-1992
Malcolm-Jamal Warner ...  Theo Huxtable 176 episodes, 1984-1992
Tempestt Bledsoe ...  Vanessa Huxtable 158 episodes, 1984-1992
Lisa Bonet ...  Denise Huxtable / ... 120 episodes, 1984-1991
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Storyline

"The Cosby Show" centers on the lives of the Huxtables: obstetrician Cliff and his lawyer wife Claire, their daughters Sondra, Denise, Vanessa and Rudy, and son Theo. Based on the standup comedy of Bill Cosby, the show focused on his observations of family life. Although based on comedy, the series also addresses some more serious topics, such as learning disabilities and teen pregnancy. Written by Jwelch5742

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

In a house filled with love . . . there's always room for more.

Genres:

Comedy | Family | Romance

Certificate:

TV-G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 September 1984 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Cosby Show See more »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

(201 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Lisa Bonet appeared only sporadically during the third season, as Denise was away at college. In season four, Bonet was spun off into her own series, A Different World (1987), portraying Denise's life at the fictional Hillman College. Bonet left the show due to pregnancy, and it continued successfully without her. She went back to Cosby on-and-off in season 5, and was fired due to creative differences in season 7. See more »

Goofs

Cliff Huxtable is an OB/GYN in New York City who is successful enough to have his practice in the basement of his home. Yet, he has no office staff, a single examine room, and apparently no waiting area. See more »

Quotes

[repeated line]
Cliff: Look at me when you lie.
See more »

Crazy Credits

The season after Lisa Bonet left the series, Bill Cosby can be seen holding a photo of Bonet during the opening credits. See more »

Alternate Versions

The season 1 DVD set was made up of edited, syndication-length episodes missing about 2 minutes per episode from their original broadcast. It was only because of the consumer outcry that season 2 and beyond were released unedited. The "Complete Series" set includes all 8 seasons, including the first one, in the original uncut network versions. See more »

Connections

Featured in America's Teenagers Growing Up on Television (1998) See more »

Soundtracks

Kiss Me
Composed by Stu Gardner and Bill Cosby
Performed by Lester Bowie
(seasons 7 and 8)
See more »

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User Reviews

The Central Anchoring Face
29 May 2010 | by tedgSee all my reviews

I rarely go to DVDs of old TeeVee shows. The edge that could have made many of then work when new has long dulled. Nostalgia is a bad way to motivate a life. But this was a reminder of a day, shortly after the US almost lost itself forever. The great national tragedy was slavery — not that it happened, because nations do many dishonorable things. But because we clung to it so tightly, reinventing it in subtle ways.

In my memory, three things changed that. There was the civil rights movement of course and its nobility in peaceful stands for justice. There was the profound decision by Coca-Cola to fashion ads that portrayed a nation of many colors. Many people overlook the significance of this and its powerful effect, cinematic equality.

And then there was Cosby. Here was a man with practices affability. No joke was demeaning. All jokes had to do with family, kinship, a world with no disharmony and only small everyday events. He did not invent domestic humor. TeeVee had it cooking long before he arrived. But he did it better than anyone then and since. His warmth made it. And he had a black face.

That face is the device on which all episodes of the show rely. A setup, a comment and then Bill's face reacting. A simple formula. Simple jokes; powerful face. I wouldn't want to overemphasize his intent or impact. He happened to be a good man at the right time, but no less obsessed and commercial than Opra, who inherited and demeaned the role.

Revisiting these shows is revisiting history, a noble history of a noble time before the US found another way to marginalize: let kids do it by themselves.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.


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