Cosby 529947 215052911 2008-05-26T14:19:57Z CmdrObot 1079367 sp: commericals→commercials {{Unreferenced|date=March 2008}} {{Infobox television | show_name = Cosby | format = [[Sitcom]] | bgcolour = Gold | country = {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]] | first_aired = [[1996-09-16]] | last_aired = [[2000-04-28]] | starring = [[Bill Cosby]]<br>[[T'Keyah Keymáh]]<br>[[Doug E. Doug]]<br>[[Phylicia Rashad]]<br>[[Madeline Kahn]] (1996-1999)<br>[[Jurnee Smollett]] (1998-2000)<br>[[Darien Sills Evans]] (1999-2000) | country = {{USA}} | runtime = 30 minutes (with commercials) | network = [[CBS]] | preceded_by = ''[[I Spy]]'' (1965-1969)<br>''[[The Bill Cosby Show]]'' (1969-1971)<br>''[[Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids]]'' (1972-1984)<br>''[[The Cosby Show]]'' (1984-1992)<br>''[[The Cosby Mysteries]]'' (1993-1995) | followed_by = ''[[Kids Say the Darndest Things]]'' | related = ''[[Frasier]]''<br>''[[Night Court]]''<br>''[[Whoopi]]''<br>''[[Law & Order]]''<br>''[[Will and Grace]]'' | executive_producer = [[Bill Cosby]] | creator = [[Bill Cosby]] | tv_com_id = 530 | developer = [[Bill Cosby]]<br>[[John Markus]] | idmb id = 0115144 | num_seasons = 4 | num_episodes = 95 }} '''''Cosby''''' is an [[Emmy Award|Emmy]] and [[People's Choice Awards|PCA]]&ndash;winning [[situation comedy]] [[television]] series broadcast on [[CBS]] from [[September 16]], [[1996 in television|1996]] to [[April 28]], [[2000 in television|2000]]. The [[television program]] starred [[Emmy Award]] winner [[Bill Cosby]], [[Golden Globe]] winner [[Phylicia Rashād]], who previously worked with Cosby in the [[1984 in television|1984]] [[television program]], ''[[The Cosby Show]]'' and [[Emmy-Award]] winning late [[Madeline Kahn]] portrayed their neighbor, Pauline until her death in [[1999 in television|1999]], the following year, the cast hosted a retrospective centering on her and her character. Cosby played grumpy Hilton Lucas, a man forced into early (and unwanted) retirement. His wife, Ruth, was played by [[Phylicia Rashād]]. Initially, [[Telma Hopkins]] was cast as Ruth Lucas; however, due to lack of chemistry between her and Cosby, the producers hired Rashād instead. [[Douglas Bourne|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]]. The show was based on the concept from the [[BBC]] series ''[[One Foot in the Grave]]'', starring [[Richard Wilson (Scottish actor)|Richard Wilson]] and [[Annette Crosbie]]. [[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. This led to a steep drop in ratings and eventual cancellation. 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. In the final two seasons of the series, [[Jurnee Smollett]] joined the cast as 11-year-old Jurnee, who Hilton adored, and [[Darien Sills-Evans]] portrayed "Darien" as Erica's [[fiancée]], who later became her husband in the final season. ==Ratings== * [[1996]]-[[1997]]: #21 * [[1997]]-[[1998]]: #25 ==Cast== *[[Bill Cosby]]&nbsp;&mdash; Hilton Lucas *[[T'Keyah Keymáh]]&nbsp;&mdash; Erica Lucas *[[Doug E. Doug]]&nbsp;&mdash; Griffin Vesey *[[Phylicia Rashad]]&nbsp;&mdash; Ruth Lucas *[[Madeline Kahn]]&nbsp;&mdash; Pauline Fox (1996-1999) ==External links== * [http://www.billcosby.com/ Official Bill Cosby Site] * {{imdb title|id=0115144|name=Cosby}} * [http://www.jumpedtheshark.com/topic/cosby-general-comments/421 Jump The Shark - Cosby] * [http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=54 Sitcoms Online Message Boards > 1990's Sitcoms > Cosby] [[Category:Black sitcoms]] [[Category:CBS network shows]] [[Category:Television series by Carsey-Werner Productions]] [[Category:1996 television series debuts]] [[Category:1990s American television series]] [[Category:2000s American television series]] [[Category:American programs based on British programs|Cosby]] [[Category:Television shows set in New York]] [[Category:American comedy television series]] [[Category:2000 television series endings]] [[de:Cosby (Fernsehserie)]] [[nl:Cosby]]