The Cosby Mysteries

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The Cosby Mysteries
The Cosby Mysteries.png
Intertitle
Format Comedy-drama, Mystery
Created by David Black
William Link
Starring Bill Cosby
Robert Stanton
James Naughton
Rita Moreno
Composer(s) Craig Handy, David Weiss
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 20 (18 + pilot)
Production
Running time 60 minutes per episode
Broadcast
Original channel NBC
Original run January 31, 1994 – April 12, 1995

The Cosby Mysteries is an American television mystery series that starred Bill Cosby. It is the first television series to star Cosby since The Cosby Show (which ended in the spring of 1992) and lasted only one season (1994–1995).[1] Actor/Rapper Mos Def appeared in several episodes (credited as Dante Bezé).[2]

Contents

Premise [edit]

Cosby played Guy Hanks, a New York City Police Department criminalist who retired from the force after winning $44 million in the lottery. However, his peaceful retirement was frequently interrupted since he was called in as a consultant on tough cases by his old partner, Adam Sully (James Naughton), along with medical examiner, John Chapman (Robert Stanton) . As Hanks used his wits and his forensics knowledge to solve crimes, he dealt with his holistic housekeeper Angie (Rita Moreno) and his girlfriend Barbara Lorenz (Lynn Whitfield).[3]

The show was created by David Black and William Link. Link's previous series included Columbo and Murder, She Wrote. Link developed the series at Cosby's request, as Cosby wanted to do an intelligent, character-driven mystery series that did not rely on graphic violence.

The show began in January 1994 as a two-hour movie, and regular episodes began airing on NBC in September. Critics expressed hope that The Cosby Mysteries would fare better than the two shows he produced after The Cosby Show,[4] Here and Now and the game-show remake, You Bet Your Life. However, it only lasted 18 episodes, and was never successful.

The Cosby Mysteries has been re-run in the UK, on digital channel ITV1, and in the US, on A&E and TVOne.

In popular culture [edit]

  • A Saturday Night Live episode hosted by Patrick Stewart on the February 5, 1994 did a parody sketch of the Cosby series. Adam Sandler played Cosby as a buffoonish character who rambles on incoherently with dialog full of made-up nonsense words.[5]
  • In February 2010, as a promotion for the show Glee, character Rachel Berry used Twitter to show her lament and surprise at the show's cancellation, exclaiming "Wait, "The Cosby Mysteries" was cancelled?!?!".

References [edit]

  1. ^ "The '95 TV Season: Who's Gone? Who's New? Who's Back?". Ebony 50 (12): 94. 1995. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved 2010-01-06. 
  2. ^ "The Cosby Mysteries (1994) (TV)". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-06. 
  3. ^ Johnson, Robert E. (1994). "Bill Cosby Begins TV Season With New Mystery Series Co-Starring Lynn Whitfield". JET 86 (21): 60–63. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved 2010-01-06. 
  4. ^ Randolph, Laura B. (1994). "Activist-Actor Celebrates 30 Years of Wedded Bliss, Continues Fight Against Black Stereotypes on TV". Ebony 49 (7): 104. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved 2010-01-06. 
  5. ^ "FuzzyMemories.TV - Saturday Night Live - "The Cosby Mysteries" (1994)". February 5, 1994. Retrieved 29 February 2012. 

External links [edit]

Bill Cosby
Comedy albums
Music albums
Compilations
Singles
Television
 
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