Cosby

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Cosby
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Bill Cosby
Developed by	Bill Cosby John Markus
Starring	Bill Cosby Phylicia Rashād T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh Doug E. Doug Madeline Kahn (1996-1999) Jurnee Smollett (1998-2000) Darien Sills Evans (1999-2000)
Theme music composer	Bill Cosby Benny Golson
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	95
Production
Executive producer(s)	Bill Cosby Dennis Klein Norman Steinberg Tom Straw
Producer(s)	Marcy Carsey Joanne Curley-Kerner Caryn Mandabach John Rogers Peter Tortorici Tom Werner
Running time	22 mins. (approx)
Broadcast
Original channel	CBS
Audio format	Stereo
Original run	September 16, 1996 – April 28, 2000
Chronology
Related shows	One Foot in the Grave

Cosby is a situation comedy television series broadcast on CBS from September 16, 1996 to April 28, 2000. The television program starred Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashād (who previously worked with Cosby in the 1984-1992 sitcom The Cosby Show). Madeline Kahn portrayed their neighbor, Pauline, until her death in 1999.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Cast 3 Ratings 4 Awards and nominations 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Cosby portrays grumpy Hilton Lucas, a man forced into early (and unwanted) retirement. His wife Ruth is played by Phylicia Rashād. Initially, Telma Hopkins was cast as Ruth Lucas; however, she was recast after she didn't react well to Cosby's tendency to ad lib.^[1][2] The couple had one daughter, Erica Lucas, portrayed by T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh. Doug E. Doug, who played Griffin Vesey, a friend of the Lucas family who tried occasionally to win Erica's affections, but they decided just to remain friends when in the fourth and final season, Darien Sills-Evans portrayed Darien Evans, Erica's fiancé/husband. Jurnee Smollett also joined the cast as 11-year-old Jurnee, who Hilton adored.

The show was based on the concept from the BBC series One Foot in the Grave, starring Richard Wilson and Annette Crosbie.^[3] David Renwick, the creator and writer of One Foot in the Grave, was listed as an executive producer of Cosby. One Foot in the Grave was noted as containing very dark humor for a mainstream sitcom, and was therefore a surprising choice for adaptation to American TV. Predictably, the tone was significantly lightened, although certain controversial scenes, such as a scene in which the lead character incinerates a live tortoise, were recreated (albeit with a turtle in this case).

Cosby premiered to huge ratings (more than 24 million viewers), but averaged significantly less during the course of the season (16 million). As the series progressed, ratings shrank and CBS, fresh with new hit comedies in Everybody Loves Raymond and The King of Queens, decided to move the series to Fridays from Mondays. The move led to a drop in ratings and, frustrated by declining ratings and the move, Cosby and CBS executive Leslie Moonves reportedly decided to mutually end the series.^[4] The last episode, "The Song Remains the Same," aired on April 28, 2000, and was the 95th episode to be produced and broadcast, drawing just over 7 million viewers.

[edit] Cast

• Bill Cosby — Hilton Lucas
• Phylicia Rashad — Ruth Lucas
• T'Keyah Keymáh — Erica Lucas
• Doug E. Doug — Griffin Vesey
• Madeline Kahn — Pauline Fox (1996–1999)

[edit] Ratings

• 1996–1997: #21
• 1997–1998: #25

[edit] Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Result	Category	Recipient
1997	BMI Film & TV Awards	Won	BMI TV Music Award	Bill Cosby and Benny Golson
1998			BMI TV Music Award	Bill Cosby and Benny Golson
1997	Emmy Award	Nominated	Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Series	Theodore Ashton, Neal Carlos, Tom Conkright, Stephen A. Jones, Ritch Kenney, Karl Messerschmidt, and J.A. Stuewe Prudden (For pilot episode)
1998		Won	Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series	Alan Walker (For pilot episode)
1997	NAACP Image Awards	Won	Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series	Phylicia Rashād
			Outstanding Comedy Series	-
1998		Nominated	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh
			Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Doug E. Doug
			Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Phylicia Rashād
			Outstanding Comedy Series	-
1999			Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh
			Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Doug E. Doug
		Won	Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress	Jurnee Smollett
			Outstanding Comedy Series	-
2000		Nominated	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Doug E. Doug
		Won	Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress	Jurnee Smollett
1997	People's Choice Awards	Won	Favorite Television New Comedy Series	-
1999	Satellite Awards	Nominated	Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical	Phylicia Rashād
1999	TV Guide Awards	Nominated	Favorite Actor in a Comedy	Bill Cosby
2000			Favorite Actress in a Comedy	Phylicia Rashād
			Favorite Actor in a Comedy	Bill Cosby

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Bill Cosby Site
• Cosby at the Internet Movie Database
• Cosby at TV.com
• Cosby at Jump the Shark