European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse The Huxtable family when the Cosby show opened in 1984 clockwise from top left Tempestt Bledsoe Malcolm Jamal Warner Lisa Bont Phylicia Rashad Koshia Knight Pulliam Bill Cosby.1992 clockwise from top left Sabrina lab calf Tempestt Bledsoe Bill Cosby Phylicia Rashad Malcolm Jamal Warner Joseph c. Phillips Lisa Bont Rayon Symont Koshia Knight Pulliam Erika Alexander Geoffrey Cosby show draws special night for a last laugh by Rick do brow los Angeles times Arren Littlefield the president of Abc entertainment still recalls the a initial concept pitch of the Cosby show. The premise says Littlefield who was then working in comedy development for the network was that a a there a a War going on Here Between parents and children and we parents have no intention of losing. Not exactly the kind of concept that figured to revolutionize television. But with the landmark series a the most profitable in to history winding up its eight year run in the states on thursday with a special one hour episode the Star and prime mover of the show Bill Cosby looked Back on his efforts the other Day and said in an interview a from its outset i wanted to give the House Back to the and that was fairly Radical by the conventions of to sitcoms in which parents especially fathers had often been portrayed As objects of ridicule. Explaining Why he thinks the Cosby show had astonishing Appeal to both Black and White audiences and to every age group a penetrating so thoroughly that it attracted 53 percent of the National audience Tor the entire 1986-87 season the comedian said a you re talking about a Man who is a doctor Cosby and his wife Phylicia Rashad is a lawyer and they have to handle the children. What people could identify with is the tact that they re trying to keep their House in order and these kids Are doing some dumb things a anti How to Deal with it. That s where you make the identification because the philosophy is i done to care How much Money you make a you re going to have to Deal with your children. When All is said and done the Cosby show a which transformed lowly Abc into a show business colossus regenerated network television and brought to comedy Back from the dead a really had two thematic priorities above All parenting and the value of education presented with gentle humor. For Cosby and Rashad their roles As Cliff and Clair Huxtable were defined by their depiction As parents even More than by their relationship As a clearly Loving husband and wife. These priorities come together in thursdays finale in which the Huxtable Csc son Tho Malcolm Jamal Warne graduates from College in new York where the series was set and shot. It is an episode that brings the series full Circle because the Story line for the very first episode of the show on sept. 20, 1984, was a a Tho brings Home a poor report card and claims you done to need Good grades to get a in a classic scene using monopoly Money. Cliff demonstrated the fault with his songs logic. In the script for the last show Clair tells Tho As he prepares for his graduation a it goes Back 21 years to when you were born. He Cliff promised you an education. And he hoped that you Wonsul have the same love for learning that he the finale is getting the red Carpel treatment from Abc which will tack on a three minute tribute to the program. In addition in a Nice bit of Cross promotion and perspective on the series the stations that air reruns of the Cosby show plan to present the programs first episode on the same Day that the network presents the last according to Viacom entertainment which distributes the repeat broadcasts. Only Fox to is acting As spoiler for the cosy Farewell. With the May ratings sweeps in Progress there is Little room for sentiment in to and Fox will counter program cosy with two repeat episodes of the Simpsons which has lately been giving the once unbeatable Abc series a rough time in head on Competition with its hard edged contemporary cartoon family that is the Antithesis of the warm traditional Hunt abcs. Until the Sam sons came along the Mam Pioh Lacni facing the cosy show was the occasional criticism that it did not Deal strongly enough with racial and social issues involving Blacks and was not representative of Black families a As if while families in sitcoms were representative of All White families. In 1985, after the programs first season the late Alex Haley whose roots miniseries raised National consciousness about Black history and racism wrote admiringly about the cosy show in the ladies Home journal noting that the comedy so Appeal and its laughs depend less on one liners and intricate plots than on the affectionate ribbing Between family yet in 1986, in an article that also found much to Admire about the series Mary Helen Washington an associate professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Boston raised the criticism in to guide Quot How is it that the show is progressive enough to Deal with sexism but never mentions racism a asked if he thought his show would have been As popular if it had been More overtly aggressive on racial and political issues Cosby says a no. Because i done to know How to do that without getting angry at racial bigotry. That a not funny to As an entertainment program it has hardly been Lair to expect the cosy show to solve the ills of society despite its positive messages and contributions. And Cosby makes Clear that he does not see racial issues on to or elsewhere through Rose coloured glasses despite the monumental Success of Lus series. Quot for instance Quot he says a i watched the Stull about Arthur Ashe the former Tennis Star who disclosed he has aids. And on esp they were praising Arthur and they said he did a lot of things for his race and he a a Man who spoke up for Black causes. They Nevi called him an american. So you re still dealing with the mystique that Black people african americans Are not americans. Its a problem. A and so bringing Cliff and Clair and the tamils out i wanted to show people the reality that there Are african american families with people who so graduated from College they be married both arc professional. And i wanted to leave allot that Angi i and controversy outside of that door. 1 wanted to show people getting along posit is. April 26, 1992 sunday a
