The Cosby Show

1. The Cosby Show William H. Cosby

2. BILL COSBY • Born July 12, 1937 - African-American entertainer Bill Cosby

3. Bill Cosby

4. The Cosby Cast • Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable is more than a little angry. His son’s room is a mess. When Dr. Huxtable points it out, the boy talks back. Wrong. “I am your father,” Dr. Huxtable roars. “I brought you into this world, and I’ll take you out!”

5. Real or Not? • Dr. Huxtable isn’t a real person. He is a character played by Bill Cosby on TV. But to millions of people, the Huxtables are almost as real as their own families. Maybe that’s because Bill bases “The Cosby Show” on real life.

6. Like the Huxtables, he and his wife Camille have four daughters and a son. As Bill puts it, “People sitting at home look at each other and say, “Yeah, I know that person.” Bill has often used real-life stories to entertain people. He was born in Philadelphia in 1938. He was a star football player at Temple University. Then he served in the United States Navy.

7. After that, he began his career in comedy. Working in nightclubs, he told funny stories about his family. He joked about the kids he grew up with. He gave them names like Fat Albert and Weird Harold. Audiences were delighted. Bill’s shows sold out. His records sold millions of copies.

8. In 1965, Bill took a part in a new TV show called “I Spy.” He played Alexander Scott, the trainer of a famous tennis star. The two men traveled everywhere, going from one tennis match to the next. Secretly, they were spies. Each week, they had a different adventure. For Bill, this was new. He wasn’t telling funny stories. He was acting. He did a fine job, too. “I Spy” lasted three years. Each year, Bill won the Emmy Award for best actor.

9. When the show ended, Bill went back to telling jokes. He made records, TV specials, movies, and commercials. He worked in nightclubs and theaters. He also went back to school. He earned a doctor’s degree in education. For a while, he even thought about leaving show business. He was going to become a teacher.

10. That thought was put to rest in 1984. That’s when TV bought Bill’s idea for a family show. Bill says that he did the show for his own children. He wanted them to be able to watch something that wasn’t full of violence. “It was cheaper to do a series,” he jokes, “than throw out my family’s six TV sets

11. Nearly everyone seems to like “The Cosby Show.” Bill thinks that he knows why. It has to do with the Huxtables. “These people show great love and respect for one another,” he explains. “That’s our greatest gift to the people – all the people watching this program.”

12. The main idea of this story is that ____________________. A. the Huxtables are just like real people. B. in the Navy, Bill Cosby was an officer. C. Bill Cosby is smart, funny, and good at acting. D. funny records make a lot of money. Answer the following Questions

13. 2. In Bill’s first TV show, he played the part of a ______________. • A. teacher • B. Spy • C. student • D. father

14. 3. Before Bill started acting, his job was to _____________. A. tell jokes B. help children C. make movies D. paint bridges

15. 4. You can decide from the story that _____________. A. the Huxtables will always be on TV B. Bill spent too much time in school C. “The Cosby show” is never funny D. Bill tried many things before deciding what to do

16. 5. Which of these is an opinion? A. There are more girls than boys in Bill’s real family. B. “The Cosby Show” is the best program on TV. C. Bill Cosby can make people laugh. D. “The Cosby Show” is about a family.

17. 6. Which word means, “liked very much”? A. joked B. joined C. enjoyed D. decided