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When I was a
kid, I thought that Bill Cosby was one of
the coolest comedians in the world. Thanks
to my parents, I watched “I Spy”
religiously, loving the rapport between
Cosby and his co-star Robert Culp. I also
had a collection of comedy albums (remember
those?) Cosby released, and to this day
I think they had some if the funniest routines
I have ever heard. (Of course I grew up
enjoying comics like Bob Newhart and Shelley
Berman) If you’ve never heard, “The
Dentist”, you don’t know what
funny is. I’m so glad I still have
those old albums.
Throughout his illustrious career Cosby
made his mark on stage, in films and on
TV and his name is still synonymous with
Jello Pudding. But it was in 1984 that he
created what was to be one of his biggest
and most well received projects… “The
Cosby Show.” Originally, the idea
was brought to ABC (since there were already
contracts in place), but the network didn’t
believe that a television sitcom revolving
around an upscale African American family
would be either believable or in any way
a hit.
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So the show was brought to NBC, who at the time
was suffering from all around low ratings. The
series aired, and was almost immediately embraced
by the television audiences, saving NBC for years
to come.
“The Cosby Show” went on to win multiple
Emmys throughout its highly successful eight year
run, airing its last episode in 1992. This was
a sad day for television sit-coms, because it
was one of the last that could be viewed by the
entire family. Since that time, the television
sitcom has been mired by shows that depend on
the lowest possible depths to get laughs. Sitcom
families may still love each other, but all they
do is bicker, fight, or try to out shock one another,
all in the name of humor. Don’t get me wrong,
there are still some really funny sitcoms out
there, but none I can think of that I would let
my kids watch.
In the world of “The Cosby Show”,
Bill Cosby starred as Cliff Huxtable, a successful
obstetrician with a wife and five kids. They live
in a really nice house, in a great neighborhood
and you never doubt for a second that they love
each other. His wife, Clair (Phlicia Rashad) juggles
her career as a lawyer with being a Mom. As for
the kids, let’s run down the list shall
we? There’s Sondra (Sabrina LaBeouf), who
has kids of her own, Denise (Lisa Bonet), Theo
(Malcolm-Jamal Warner), Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe)
and little Rudy (Keshia Knight-Pulliam).
The series was blessed from the start, not only
to have a great team of writers, but to have such
a multi-talented cast. Each and every on of them
has gone on to work on other projects, but probably
the most successful has been Warner. He has worked
continuously in various projects for kids, as
well as more adult fare such as Showtime’s
“Jeremiah” (which was cancelled way
too soon!).
The only actor from the series that I never felt
too strongly about was Lisa Bonet. She wanted
so strongly to break out of the mold that “The
Cosby Show” put her in, that the handful
of projects she’s been involved in have
involved nude scenes and the like. Hers has been
very sad career.
This month, First Look Studios is releasing the
much anticipated DVD release of the 20th Anniversary
Commemorative Edition of “The Cosby Show”
in a 26-disc set. Ever since it started becoming
popular to release TV shows on DVD, this has been
one of the most requested, which isn’t surprising
considering the show was one of the most successful
TV sitcoms ever. It was always in the Top 20.
The 26-disc set includes all 8 seasons of the
groundbreaking show, and while that’s great…
therein lies a little question of controversy.
It was reported that the original 1st season DVD
set would utilize the original uncut NBC episodes,
but instead released the edited syndicated versions.
Not sure why this was done, but that release came
from a different Studio (Urban Works) so I’m
hoping they fixed it in this new Complete Series
release. Keep in mind this won’t affect
the casual consumer, but hardcore fans won’t
be too happy. When I watched the first season,
I couldn’t tell if they were cut or not.
I’ll have to defer to one of my “Cosby
Show” expert friends. I’ll follow-up
this review with an update as I find out.
Other than that possible bit of a nit pick the
episodes look and sound great, and First Look
did a great job with the packaging. The discs
are housed in a separate foldout digipaks that
are adorned with all manner of photos from the
show. All of these digipaks fit snugly into a
sturdy black outer case (along with a small hardcover
commemorative book) that looks great on the shelf.
It’s not too big so as to take up a lot
of room.
The set also includes an extra feature entitled
“The Cosby Show: A Look Back”, which
was originally shown on TV back in 2002. It is
a 90 minute retrospective of the series, complete
with audition footage, bloopers and interviews.
You’ll also find a blooper reel, and interview
with director Jay Sandrich, and a photo gallery.
In addition to the commemorative book, there is
also a letter from Bill Cosby and a tribute photo
(in the form of a cool caricature of Bill) housed
in a small folder.
“The Cosby Show” was a terrific family
show for all eight years that it graced TV screens,
and it absolutely deserves top-notch DVD treatment.
Episodes
Season 1:
Pilot Presentation
Goodbye Mr. Fish
Bad Dreams
Knight to Night
Is That My Boy?
Breaking with Tradition
One More Time
A Shirt Story
Play it Again, Vanessa
How Ugly Is He?
Bonjour Sandra
Father’s Day
Rudy’s Sick
Independence Day
Physician of the Year
Jitterbug Break
Theo and the Joint
Vanessa’s New Class
Clair’s Case
Back to the Track, Jack
The Younger Woman
The Slumber Party
Mr. Quiet
Cliff’s Birthday
Season 2:
First Day of School
The Juicer
Happy Anniversary
Cliff in Love
Theo and the Older Woman
Halloween
Rudy Suits Up
Denise Drives
Clair's Sister
Clair's Toe
Denise's Friend
Mrs. Westlake
The Auction
Vanessa's Bad Grade
Theo and Cockroach
The Dentist
Play It Again, Russell
A Touch of Wonder
Full House
Close to Home
An Early Spring
Theo's Holiday
The Card Game
Off to the Races
Denise's Decision
Season 3:
Bring 'em Back Alive
Food for Thought
Golden Anniversary
Man Talk
Mother, May I?
The March
Theo's Flight
Vanessa's Rich
Denise Gets a D
A Girl and Her Dog
War Stories
Cliff in Charge
Monster Man Huxtable
Rudy Spends the Night
Say Hello to a Good Buy
Denise Gets an Opinion
Calling Doctor Huxtable
You Only Hurt the One You Love
The Shower
Cliff's 50th Birthday
I Know That You Know
Andalusian Flu
Bald and Beautiful
Planning Parenthood
Hillman
Season 4:
Call of the Wild
Theogate
It's Not Easy Being Green
Cliff's Mistake
Shakespeare
That's Not What I Said
Autumn Gifts
Looking Back (1)
Looking Back (2)
Where's Rudy?
Dance Mania
The Locker Room
The Show Must Go On
Bookworm
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
The Visit
The Drum Major
Waterworks
Once Upon a Time
Petanque
Trust Me
Home for the Weekend
The Prom
Gone Fishin'
Season 5:
Together Again and Again
The Physical
Rudy's All-Nighter
Move It (a.k.a. The Baby Game)
Out of Brooklyn
The Birth (1)
The Birth (2)
Cyranoise de Bergington
How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?
If the Dress Fits, Wear It
Is There a Hamster in the House?
Truth or Consequences
Cliff Babysits
Mrs. Huxtable Goes to Kindergarten
The Lost Weekend
No Way, Baby
Can I Say Something, Please?
The Dead End Kids Meet Dr. Lotus
The Boys of Winter
It Comes and It Goes
Theo's Women
Birthday Blues
A Room With No View
What He Did for Love
Day of the Locusts
57 Varieties
Season 6:
Denise: The Saga Continues
Surf's Up
I'm 'In' With the 'In' Crowd
Denise Kendall: Navy Wife
Theo's Gift
Denise Kendall: Babysitter
Shall We Dance?
The Day the Spores Landed
Cliff's Wet Adventure
Grampy and Nu-Nu Visit the Huxtables
Cliff la Dolce
Getting to Know You
Elvin Pays for Dinner
Cliff's Nightmare
Denise Kendall: Singles Counselor
The Birthday Party
Not Everybody Loves the Blues
Rudy's Walk on the Wild Side
Mr. Sandman
Isn't It Romantic?
Theo's Dirty Laundry
What's It All About?
Off to See the Wretched
The Moves
Live and Learn
The Storyteller
Season 7:
Same Time Next Year
Bird in the Hand
The Last Barbecue
Period of Adjustment
It's All in the Game
Getting the Story
Just Thinking About It (1)
Just Thinking About It (2)
The Infantry Has Landed (and They've Fallen Off
the Roof)
You Can Go Home Again
It's a Boy
Clair's Liberation
It's Your Move
Theo's Final Final
Attack of the Killer B's
Total Control
Adventures in Babysitting
27 and Still Cooking
The Return of the Clairettes
No More Mr. Nice Guy
Home Remedies
Nightmare on Stigwood Avenue
There's Still No Joy in Mudville
Cliff and Jake
Theo and the Kids (1)
Theo and the Kids (2)
Season 8:
With This Ring?
There's No Place Like This Home
Particles in Motion
Pam Applies to College
Warning: A Double-Lit Candle Can Cause a Meltdown
It's Apparent to Everyone
The Iceman Bricketh
Olivia's Field Trip
For Men Only
Olivia Comes Out of the Closet
Two Is a Crowd
Clair's Place
Theo's Future
The Price Is Wrong
Bring Me the Lip Gloss of Deirdre Arpelle
Eat, Drink and Be Wary
The Getaway
Cliff Gets Jilted
Cliff and Theo Come Clean
Clair's Reunion
Rudy's Retreat
You Can't Stop the Music
Some Gifts Aren't Deductible
And So We Commence (1)
And So We Commence (2)
Starring: Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Sabrina
LeBeauf, Lisa Bonet, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt
Bledsoe, Keshia Knight-Pulliam
Extras: The Cosby Show: A 90 Minute Look Back
Special, Blooper Reel, Interview with Director
Jay Sandrich, Commemorative Book, Photo and Letter
from Bill Cosby
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: First Look
Release Date: 11/11/2008
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give The Cosby Show: 25th Anniversary
Commemorative Set an A.
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