COSBY SHOW, THE: A LOOK BACK (TV)
Summary
A special retrospective about “The Cosby Show,” a comedy series starring humorist Bill Cosby as Cliff Huxtable, a successful obstetrician with a lawyer wife and five exasperating children.
Highlights include: commentary about Cosby’s creative process and propensity for unscripted improvisations while working on the show; the difficulty of the entire cast in maintaining their composure during particularly humorous scenes; the “universal” appeal of the show and its basic themes relating around family relationships and parental responsibility; the genuine friendship between the cast while shooting the show; the portrayals of family dynamics via the Huxtables; the seeming unwillingness of the Huxtable children to permanently leave the household; some notable bloopers and outtakes from the show; guest stars on the show, including “honorary Huxtables” and musical stars appearing on the show; the level of intelligence and maturity (or lack thereof) afforded to adult characters on the show; how the show addressed the generational gap; an unscripted scene during a particularly important episode; the lasting legacy of the show after its conclusion and its relation to perceptions of African-American families and life; and the emotional conclusion of the show. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: May 19, 2002 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:28:39
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:83952
- GENRE: Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Comedy; TV - Specials
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV, 2002
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Nancy Stern … Executive Producer, Director, Writer
- Bill Cosby … Executive Producer, Writer
- Marcy Casey … Executive Producer
- Tom Werner … Executive Producer
- Caryn Mandabach … Executive Producer
- Mary-Jane April … Co-Executive Producer
- Courtney B. Conte … Co-Executive Producer
- Anne Marie Powell … Coordinating Producer
- David Leepson … Senior Segment Producer
- Meredith Paige … Segment Producer
- Christopher Mole … Segment Producer
- Luisa Dantas … Associate Producer
- Dylan Boucherle … Associate Producer
- NJJ Music … Music by
- Scott Schreer … Music by
- Phil Garrod … Music by
- Reed Hayes … Music by
- Bill Cosby … Host
- Phylicia Rashad … Guest, Interviewee
- Jay Sandrich … Interviewee
- Sabrina LeBeauf … Interviewee
- Malcolm-Jamal Warner … Interviewee
- John Markus … Interviewee
- Keshia Knight Pulliam … Interviewee
- Tempestt Bledsoe … Interviewee
- Tom Werner … Interviewee
- Geoffrey Owens … Interviewee
- Raven Symoné … Interviewee
- Sean "P. Diddy" Combs … Interviewee
- Deon Richmond … Interviewee
- Peter Costa … Interviewee
- Adam Sandler … Interviewee
- Quincy Jones … Interviewee
- Clarice Taylor … Interviewee
- Earle Hyman … Interviewee
- Oprah Winfrey … Interviewee
- Caryn Mandabach … Interviewee
- Alvin F. Poussaint … Interviewee
- Lisa Bonet