The Cosby Show

The Cosby Show premiered on September 20, 1984. At the time of its debut, it was one of very few shows that portrayed blacks on television and the only to portray them living in the upper middle class. This alone was enough to separate the show from others during its time, and break the mode of certain stereotypes. Over the course of the series, it was able to break even more barriers and gain even greater success. The show set TV ratings success taking the number one spot in viewing for five years in a row. It paved the way for other new and innovative black sitcoms as well. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Family Matters were able to come in later years and continue to break some of the stereotypical modes. The series was based off of some of the standup acts of Bill Cosby. The show’s success, paved the way for other show’s to also be created from a comedian’s standup act. Roseanne, The Drew Carey Show, and Seinfeld are examples of later success stories. The series was not completely free of controversy, however, as some felt that the show didn’t delve into the issues of race enough during its eight year run. When looked at as a whole, however, the show has become a huge success and is a household name.

Stephanie Tevis
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