Cosby Show

The Cosby Show is one of those few trailblazing programs that grace television screens and leave an indelible mark. A situation comedy featuring a well-off African American family residing in a Brooklyn townhouse, The Cosby Show was also ultimately the brainchild and vehicle of comedian-extraordinare, Bill Cosby. Cosby's stage routine during his later years featured tales of his large family of five children, four girls and one boy, and his beloved wife, Camille, and these stories are translated exceptionally well on the small screen with a wonderful ensemble cast headed by Cosby and Phylicia Rashad (nee Allen).

I'm sure faithful viewers all have their favorite episodes, and we can always reminice in this terrific journey through the life of Bill Cosby through the fictional existence of Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable.

For eight glorious seasons, The Cosby Show ruled the airwaves and our hearts, and luckily, we can still enter this great world on syndication all over the world.

As a series, The Cosby Show was groundbreaking, portraying a middle-upper black American family. Definitely not Good Times from the 70s. The writing was memorable, with episodes dealing with the issues that any middle-upper black American family must contend with.

Bill Cosby had been on television throughout the 1960s and 1970s. His success had been adequate, but far from impressive. By 1984, NBC wanted to have a show that would be endeared not only by minority groups, but also by white America. Enter "The Cosby Show", the very definition of a Nielsen Ratings Monster as it devoured competition, along with cohort "Cheers", for the better part of the 1980s and early-1990s. The series is basically the life of Cosby with a few creative twists. Cosby, an obstetrician, lives in New York with his wife Phylicia Rashad (an attorney) and their four children (Lisa Bonet, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe and Keshia Knight-Pulliam). Comedy and drama would always dominate the series, but an early criticism of "The Cosby Show" was that it had no real point to it. Enter eldest child Sabrina Le Beauf who was created the middle of season one. This child was away at college and receiving a first-class education at an Ivy League School. And that is the point of "The Cosby Show"---two parents doing their best to give their five children the life and opportunities that they have taken advantage of. The Le Beauf character was a culmination of everything that Cosby and Rashad did with the four younger children. As the series grew, the cast grew to include performers like Geoffrey Owens, Joseph C. Phillips, Deon Richmond and scene-stealer Raven-Symone. The greatest problem that most had with the show was that critics said it did not show accurate African-American life in this country. To be perfectly honest, this show does not show typical life for the vast majority of this nation's population. There are not many white children in this nation that have a doctor and a lawyer as parents so that criticism lacks substance and social research. Cosby always kept the show somewhat light-hearted and sometimes shied away from some key issues of the time period, but keep in mind that his name was on the program and everything was written as if the characters were sometimes walking on eggshells. Bonet created the controversy for the series during its run, especially in 1987 with her very adult-oriented role in "Angel Heart". That did not deter, but rather engross an even larger audiences tuned in by the late-1980s. Slowly the younger performers grew up and grew out of their roles and the series finally began to show its age by the 1990s. But for a few fleeting moments in the 1980s, was there anyone bigger than Bill Cosby? I think not. 5 stars out of 5.

I grew up with a crush on Clair, Sandra and Denise (who didn't like Denise?) and most of all I grew up watching him on TV, (it was still running live telecasts when I was born). I really loved the ways that Cliff Huxtable dealt with the kids and I am sure that many parents across America ventured to be more like him and deal with their kids as he did (although it would be nice if we could). The best thing about the show was that while it did show a well-off black family, it was not preachy about the plight of blacks and was woven gently into the plots with humor, with humor you can remember it a lot easier than if someone just preached it at you. It was a vehicle that did in fact continue the "movin' on up" legacy that shows like The Jeffersons and Good Times started but most of all making it about family life and how parents and children relate to each other thus, making it timeless.

Some shows are for a time, but this show most of all, will be on as long as time exists.

For the critics of the show, it was a little ideal and a bit unrealistic for the people who say that I say this: THis is TV but TV is based on real life, and if you sit for 30 minutes in any household, it will be boring as all crap, and more importantly a lot of work goes into creating & writing sitcoms, critics should be writers themselves before they criticize a show, because is too easy to criticize but not to rework it to be accessible as you see it Thank you

Despite all the controversy surrounding Bill Cosby, it's undeniable that the Cosby Show is one of the funniest and most important shows to ever come on television. This show redefined what a black family could be on TV and taught important life lessons with each episode.

Just try to ignore the bull surrounding this brilliant show and enjoy it at face value. It's a funny, intelligent show that shouldn't be ignored due to the actions of its star.