Cosby (TV series)
A grumpy retiree navigates life with his wife and neighbors.
Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad, previously paired on The Cosby Show, reunited for this CBS sitcom that ran from 1996 to 2000. Their neighbor Pauline was played by Madeline Kahn until her 1999 death. The series was an American adaptation of the British show One Foot in the Grave.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Sitcom
- Based on
- One Foot in the Grave, David Renwick
- Developer
- Dennis Klein
- Starring
- Bill Cosby
- Phylicia Rashad
- T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh
- Doug E. Doug
- Madeline Kahn
- Jurnee Smollett
- Darien Sills-Evans
- Director
- John Whitesell (seasons 1–2 & 4)
- Don Scardino (seasons 2–4)
- John Bowab (season 2)
- Arthur Lewis (season 2)
- Theme music
- Bill Cosby; Benny Golson
- Country
- United States
- Location
- Kaufman Astoria Studios; Astoria, New York, U.S.
Facts from the source article.
Premise
Set at the corner of 33rd Avenue and 1539 Blake Street in Astoria, Queens, the series follows Hilton Lucas, a New York City man forced into early retirement from his job as an airline customer service agent. His wife Ruth is played by Phylicia Rashad. Telma Hopkins was originally cast as Ruth but was replaced after reacting poorly to Cosby's ad-libbing. The couple has a daughter, Erica Lucas, initially portrayed by Audra McDonald and later by T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh. Doug E. Doug plays Griffin Vesey, a foster son taken in by the family; he occasionally seeks Erica's affections, but they remain friends. In the fourth season, Darien Sills-Evans portrays Darien Evans, Erica's fiancé and later husband. Jurnee Smollett joined the cast as 11-year-old Jurnee, whom Hilton adores. The show is based on the BBC series One Foot in the Grave, with creator David Renwick listed as a consultant. The original British series featured dark humor, but the tone was lightened for Cosby, though some controversial scenes—such as the accidental incineration of a live tortoise—were recreated. The working title was Not Dead Yet, and the pilot featured Glenn Plummer as Griffin Vessey and Audra McDonald as Erica Lucas. Madeline Kahn and Phylicia Rashad were the only cast members to survive the pilot. The unaired theme by Benny Golson was recorded as a jazz standard, with congas and harmonica later added for an uptempo salsa mix.
Reruns/syndication
Carsey-Werner Distribution handled syndication for the 2000–2001 season, with broadcasts continuing until fall 2004, after which low-cost barter arrangements were used. TBS aired reruns for about two years. Up TV began airing the show in March 2010 but removed some episodes and edited content to meet the network's standards. Bounce TV carried it from January 2015 until July 7, 2015, when it was removed following public records of Bill Cosby's sexual assault cases. Two seasons are available on Hoopla; all four seasons are listed on Amazon Prime but are not currently available for streaming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created Cosby (TV series)?
Cosby was created by Dennis Klein.
How many episodes of Cosby (TV series) are there?
Cosby has 96 episodes across 4 seasons.
When did Cosby (TV series) first air?
Cosby first aired on 16 September 1996.
When did Cosby (TV series) end?
Cosby last aired on 28 April 2000.
More in Television Series by Carsey-Werner Productions
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