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 only wish I still had those old albums, I might have check and see if they are available on CD…. 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. 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, Urban Works is releasing the much anticipated DVD release of the “The Cosby Show” in a 4-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 4-disc set includes all 24 episodes of the groundbreaking show’s 1st season, and while that’s great… therein lies a little controversy. Keep in mind this won’t effect the casual consumer, but hardcore fans won’t be too happy. It was reported that the DVD set would utilize the original uncut NBC episodes, but instead it seems that the edited syndicated versions were used. Not sure why this was done, but I hope they go back to the original plan in future season releases.

Other than that bit of a nit pick the episodes look and sound great, and Urban Works did a great job with the packaging. The discs are housed in a foldout digipak that is adorned with all manner of photos from the show. This digipak fits snugly into an outer case and looks great on the shelf.

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 little booklet enclosed with a brief note from Bill Cosby, a history of the series, cast biographies and episode synopses.

“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. This set is a great start, let’s see where they go from here.

Episodes:
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

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
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Urban Works
Release Date: 8/2/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give The Cosby Show: Season 1 a B.