"Cosby" (1996) TV series 1996-2000

Director:

Tim Ryder

Writer:

Howard Meyers (staff writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

16 September 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Hilton Lucas was forced by his employer to retire. His wife has trouble with him always being at home and so does he.

Plot Keywords:

African American | Based On British TV Series | Remake

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 8 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Bill Cosby	...	Hilton Lucas (95 episodes, 1996-2000)
T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh	...	Erica Lucas (94 episodes, 1996-2000)
Doug E. Doug	...	Griffin Vesey / ... (93 episodes, 1996-2000)
Phylicia Rashad	...	Ruth Lucas (91 episodes, 1996-2000)
Madeline Kahn	...	Pauline Fox (60 episodes, 1996-1999)

Series Directed by
Don Scardino		(24 episodes, 1997-2000)
John Whitesell		(17 episodes, 1996-2000)
Tim Ryder		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
John Rogers		(9 episodes, 1996-1999)
Adam Belanoff		(7 episodes, 1996-1998)
Tom Straw		(6 episodes, 1998-2000)
Tyrone Finch		(5 episodes, 1997-2000)
Tom Purcell		(5 episodes, 1997-2000)
Tom Reeder		(5 episodes, 1998-2000)
Vanessa Middleton		(4 episodes, 1996-1997)
Nick LeRose		(4 episodes, 1999-2000)
Bernie Orenstein		(3 episodes, 1996-1997)
Saul Turteltaub		(3 episodes, 1996-1997)
Eric Brand		(3 episodes, 1997-1998)
David Landsberg		(2 episodes, 1996-1997)
David Wyatt		(2 episodes, 1996)
Robert Kurtz		(2 episodes, 1997-1998)
Matt Karis		(2 episodes, 1999)
Howard Meyers		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Bill Cosby	....	executive producer (95 episodes, 1996-2000)
J.J. Paulsen	....	co-executive producer (46 episodes, 1998-2000)
Tom Straw	....	executive producer (46 episodes, 1998-2000)
Adam Belanoff	....	co-executive producer (25 episodes, 1998-1999)
John Rogers	....	producer / co-producer (23 episodes, 1998-1999)
Vanessa Middleton	....	co-executive producer (21 episodes, 1998-1999)
Nick LeRose	....	co-executive producer (21 episodes, 1999-2000)
Tyrone Finch	....	co-producer (19 episodes, 1999-2000)
Tom Purcell	....	co-producer (19 episodes, 1999-2000)
Tom Reeder	....	consulting producer (10 episodes, 1999-2000)
Kriss Turner	....	supervising producer (7 episodes, 1999-2000)
Dennis Klein	....	executive producer (6 episodes, 1996-1997)
Norman Steinberg	....	executive producer (3 episodes, 1997-1998)
Heidi Addison	....	associate producer (unknown episodes)
Marcy Carsey	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Joanne Curley-Kerner	....	producer (unknown episodes)
David Landsberg	....	co-producer (unknown episodes)
Caryn Mandabach	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Frank Mula	....	co-executive producer (unknown episodes)
Pat Nugent	....	associate producer (unknown episodes)
Dara Schnapper	....	post-production producer (unknown episodes)
Peter Tortorici	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Tom Werner	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Bill Cosby		(95 episodes, 1996-2000)

Series Cinematography by
Bill Berner		(94 episodes, 1996-2000)
Alan Walker		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Karl Woitach		(38 episodes, 1998-2000)
Vince Humphrey		(unknown episodes)
Rich Jack		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Janet Foster		(15 episodes, 1999-2000)
Domenic Andreoli		(unknown episodes)
Aisha Coley		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Jonathan Arkin		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Lisa Hazell	....	key hair stylist (12 episodes, 1996)
Tobi Britton	....	makeup department head (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Courtney B. Conte	....	executive in charge of production (unknown episodes)
Ariana Squar	....	production manager (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Matt Busch	....	storyboard artist (1 episode, 1996)
Julie Heuer	....	property master (unknown episodes)
Charles E. McCarry	....	assistant art director (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
George Meyer	....	sound re-recording mixer (70 episodes, 1997-2000)
Omie Craden	....	sound editor / sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Todd Grace	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Tony Santoro	....	gaffer (49 episodes, 1996-1998)
Michael Appel	....	board operator (44 episodes, 1998-2000)
Steven Joyce	....	videotape operator (3 episodes, 1997)
Theodore Ashton	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Neal Carlos	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Tom Conkright	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Stephen A. Jones	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Ritch Kenney	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
J.A. Stuewe Prudden	....	video controller (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Carl W. Adams	....	animation director (2 episodes, 1999)

Series Casting Department
Paul Russell	....	casting associate (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ngina Bowen	....	wardrobe assistant (1 episode, 1997)
Diana J. Collins	....	assistant wardrobe supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Doug Levy	....	post production coordinator (1 episode, 1996)

Series Music Department
Bill Cosby	....	composer: theme music (95 episodes, 1996-2000)
Don Braden	....	music supervisor (unknown episodes)
Benny Golson	....	composer: theme music (unknown episodes)
Scott Schreer	....	music supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Bill Cosby	....	executive consultant (95 episodes, 1996-2000)
Arthur Lewis	....	stage manager (71 episodes, 1996-2000)
Joel Fulton	....	stage manager (68 episodes, 1997-2000)
Tyrone Finch	....	story editor (19 episodes, 1998-1999)
Tom Purcell	....	story editor (19 episodes, 1998-1999)
James Anderson	....	publicist (unknown episodes)
Mike Doto	....	production staff (unknown episodes)
Artemisa Gutierrez	....	publicist (unknown episodes)
Amy F. Ho	....	assistant: Bill Cosby (unknown episodes)
Karl Messerschmidt	....	technical director (unknown episodes)
Elaine Pardo	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Matthew Rignanese	....	set production assistant (unknown episodes)
John Rogers	....	executive story editor (unknown episodes)
Diann Shaw	....	publicist (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Bill Cosby
• Carsey-Werner Company

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1996-2000) (USA) (TV)
• Carsey-Werner Distribution (2004) (USA) (TV)
• Vox (2001-2002) (Germany) (TV)

Other Companies

• ShowBiz Enterprises  draperies

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Kaufman Astoria Studios - 3412 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Bill Cosby

Trivia:

Unlike its predecessor, The Cosby Show, Bill Cosby tends to ad-lib dialogue and actions to get a genuine reaction from his co-stars.

Quotes:

Hilton: What did I tell you about slamming the door?
Griffin: Um, you like it?

Movie Connections:

Remake of "One Foot in the Grave" (1990)

Great series

Cosby made a decent comeback after such failures like The Cosby Mysteries (hey, it worked for Angela Lansbury, Dick Van Dyke and Andy Griffith!) and You Bet Your Life (an adaptation to the classic Groucho Marx game show. Cosby had some funny moments, but overall Cosby is weak with keeping up improvisation for a sustained amount of time)

Madelyn Khan was great on the show, but you could see during her final weeks on the show that she looked ill.

Someone else was supposed to play Cosby's wife in the series, but something didn't work out, so Phylicia Rashad was called on to replace her.

Cosby thankfully didn't go the route of adding younger children to the cast to keep the show going. That was the start of the downfall of the original Cosby Show.