Cosby

No, this show is not as good as The Cosby Show and its quality has been varying in the past few years. However, four years away from weekly TV screens did not diminish Bill Cosby's ability to make us laugh, or his chemistry with Phylicia Rashad. Both are in fine form. Doug E. Doug is funny in this often, as well, but by far the most invaluable member of the cast was the late, great Madeline Kahn, who has apparently been overlooked for her work here as she was overlooked so many times in her life. Her effortless, hilarious form of ditzy comedy really helped the show a lot, especially in the first season. It was great to see the cast pay tribute to her in a recent episode, which featured many hilarious clips showcasing her. Without her, who knows how the show will end up?

CBS finally stumbled into a younger market several years ago, inspite of itself...before that, prior to '01, CBS bought and played place-holders, especially, played out staples from other networks.

Cosby was one of the best of these. Freely lifted, barely re-tooled, and name-changed from the NBC run, this show was a genial, even less wavemaking showcase than the 80s Cosby run (which made no waves in reality beyond Brady Bunch-style safety).

Stage-bound, and essentially a verbal play between 2.5 avg sets, this was Cos' and whoever, coming in several times a week for coffee, and a filmed reading. It had it's nice comforts...currently, very comfortable and genial about 4am in synd if you channel it up by chance, and need encouragement to sleep.

Bad = Televised airspace placeholder....Good = Cosby, and light-hearted lullaby and drone. Venerable late-night/very early morning fare when you're trying to sleep.

The Cosby Show ended. America wanted it back, they never wanted it to go in the first place. But this brings back a fresh new look at the masters of comedy, the best couple for the job- Phylicia Rashad Bill Cosby. I loved the Cosby Show, it was better, but what a good replacement!!!

I loved this show, and I happen to believe it was BETTER than its' predecessor. Several elements have lead me to this conclusion. The show's dialogue leads you to believe that the show is scripted, but improvised as well. Take a look at some of the conversations between Hilton & Griffin. Especially my favorite on the airline freebies & "Tiny Wine". I also loved the asides Cosby's "Hilton" took to the audience on set & at home. It helped you get your bearings into the upcoming scene. These blend into a believeable atmosphere. The Late Madeline Kahn was great as Pauline in her rambling, eccentric role. I'm just grateful this show is back on in syndication in Houston on UPN 20 for 1 Hour, and on TBS at 11:30E/10:30C

Overall the short four-year run of this series was enjoyable. This is due in large part to an excellent cast, including (of course) Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, and the late Madeline Kahn. The supporting cast, including Doug E. Doug and T'Keyah Crystal Keymah, was also wonderful. The show was clean, hip, and classic Cosby. Some classic moments in the beginning; after Madeline Kahn left the series (and sadly passed away shortly afterward), it was never the same. Darien Sills-Evans is a good enough actor, but he was no substitute for "Pauline." In addition, COSBY unfortunately became CBS's dumping ground for government-sponsored "public service messages" disguised as sitcom plots. In COSBY's last days, the scripts weren't as good anymore either; uneven writing in the end was what did the show in, leaving behind some classic moments from the first few years.