“We’re here to say goodbye to a cherished friend”: The Cosby Show

1. “We’re here to say goodbye to a cherished friend”: The Cosby Show HUM 3085: Television and Popular Culture Spring 2015 Dr. Perdigao January 26-28, 2015

2. TV Math: Growing Pains • The Brady Bunch (1969-1974): 6 • The Partridge Family (1970-1974): 5 • The Waltons (1971-1981): 7 • Eight is Enough (1977-1981): 8 • Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983): 4 (daughters, adopt son, and later adopt 3) • Just the Ten of Us (1988-1990): 8 • Jon & Kate Plus 8 (2007-2011): 8 • 17-19 Kids and Counting (2008- ): 17-19?

7. Contextualizing the Cos • The Cosby Show premiered on September 20, 1984 on NBC • Fourth television series featuring Bill Cosby • Eight year run (1984-1992) • Revolutionary representations of identity, the American family—race, class, gender—and revolutionary developments for the networks, the revitalization of NBC • Averaged 63 million viewers during its peak in the late 1980s • Cosby’s origins—comedy records, featured roles on The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS) and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (NBC) • 1960s series I Spy (NBC) (1965-1968): secret agent, white partner • (Nelson George)

8. Branding • 1970s films with Sidney Poitier: Uptown Saturday Night, Let’s Do It Again, A Piece of the Action • Established style of physical comedy and verbal humor • The Bill Cosby Show (NBC sitcom) (1969-1971) • The New Bill Cosby Show (NBC variety show) (1972-1973) • Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids—Saturday cartoon (1972-1985) • Commercial success—spokesman for cars, computers, Jell-O

9. Developments • Sanford and Son (1972-1977) • Good Times (1974-1979) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6gNo4-1r6k • Impoverished Evans family, struggles—some saw as negative portrayal but others see as “an alternative to earlier assimilationist representations of middle-class African-Americans, to highlight the racism, poverty , and social struggles prevalent in many black communities” (Mittell 322). • “segregated presentation of an all-black world” (323) • The Jeffersons (1975-1985) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L09qnRfZY-k • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCQHQhkIiOg • Diff’rent Strokes (1978-1986) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAwagCwJj-g • Webster (1983-1989)

10. Developments • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nCqRmx3Dnw

13. Framing • The Cosby Show appearing after airing of 1977 miniseries Roots (ABC) • History of family—from Africa to America, effects of racism and slavery (325) • 85 percent of American television households tuned in to part of the eight-night series (325)

14. Networking • With The Cosby Show, NBC revitalized in competition among Big Three • Highest-rated new series on any network since 1978-1979 season and #1 in ratings from 1985-1989; first series with that ranking for that length of time since All in the Family, top five for seven consecutive seasons (1984-1991) • “Must-See TV” as new tradition on Thursday nights • Set up spinoff A Different World and sitcoms Cheers, Friends, Seinfeld as part of “Must-See TV” tradition • Influence on other series aired on Thursday night lineup—Family Ties, Cheers, Night Court • Hammocking: “schedul[ing] a weaker program between two hits” (Mittell 27) • Lead-in: popular program to a new show or a show that is struggling (27) • Crossovers: from spinoff to guest appearances, continued storylines (28)

15. Social Commentary • Problematic politics in reception • Viewed as “reality” or “fantasy” • Ideas about “progress”—no need for affirmative action programs under Reagan administration; society has changed • Problems in society is failure of individuals rather than social policy (Mittell 326) • Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Alvin Pousaaint as consultant to show • Ideas about race in programming • (Nelson George)

16. Social Commentary • The Cosby Show as “last major representational shift of the classic network era. In the multi-channel era, black representations became more segmented and targeted to predominantly African-American audiences via channels like BET.” (Mittell 327) • Later debates, responses in Fox, WB, UPN • In Living Color, Martin, Roc, and Living Single (Fox) • WB and UPN: Moesha, The Parkers, Girlfriends, and The Steve Harvey Show (327) • Lack of diversity during classic network era—stereotyping, assimilation (327) • Lack of representations of Asian Americans and Latin Americans

17. Kids Say the Darndest Things • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFY0HBkUm8o • Theo: “You’re a doctor and Mom’s a lawyer, and you’re both successful in everything and that’s great! But maybe I was born to be a regular person and have a regular life. If you weren’t a doctor, I wouldn’t love you less, because you’re my dad. So rather than feeling disappointed because I’m not like you, maybe you should accept who I am and love me anyway, because I’m your son.” (Pilot, “Theo’s Economic Lesson”; 3:00) • Cliff: “Theo . . . That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life! No wonder you get D’s in everything! You’re afraid to try because you’re afraid your brain is going to explode and it’s going to ooze out of your ears. Now I’m telling you, you are going to try as hard as you can. And you’re going to do it because I said so. I am your father. I brought you into this world, and I’ll take you out!” (Pilot, “Theo’s Economic Lesson”)

18. Cosby-isms: From Sweaters to Retorts • Cliff: “No 14 year-old boy should have a ninety-five dollar shirt, unless he is on stage with his four brothers!” (“The Shirt Story”) • Cliff: “Your mother and I are rich; you have nothing.” (“Vanessa’s Rich”)