TwitterFacebookDiscord

Difference between revisions of "The Cosby Show"

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
(References to The Cosby Show in The Simpsons)
 
(7 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 6: Line 6:
 
|country = [[USA]]
 
|country = [[USA]]
 
|channel =  
 
|channel =  
|appearance = "[['Round Springfield]]"
+
|appearance = "[[Three Men and a Comic Book]]"
 
}}
 
}}
  
'''''The Cosby Show''''' was a 1984-1992 American TV sitcom starring [[Bill Cosby]]. It focused on gynaeocologist Dr. Cliff Huxtable and his family. ''The Cosby Show'' was one of the highest rated TV sitcoms of the 1980s and early 1990s. It drew huge audiences and was critically acclaimed. The show also broke racial barriers by appealing to non-African-American viewers as much as African-American audiences. When ''The Simpsons'' aired as a prime time sitcom in 1989, it slowly but surely became a huge ratings hit on its own. In 1992, ''The Simpsons'' was broadcast in the same prime time evening slot as ''The Simpsons'', becoming their direct competitor and eventually dethroning them in ratings.  
+
'''''The Cosby Show''''' is an American sitcom starring [[Bill Cosby]].
  
[[File:Cosby end.png|thumb|left]]
+
== History ==
 +
[[Bart]] and [[Homer]] were watching the final broadcast of ''The Cosby Show'' when a screen appeared displaying [[Cliff Huxtable|Cliff]] and the program's title and its original run dates. Remembering the series, Homer remarked that [[Theodore Huxtable|Little Theo]] had grown up before their eyes. Bart then asked why the show was ending, and Homer explained that Bill Cosby had decided to stop producing it before its quality began to decline. Bart disagreed, saying that if he had a television show, he would keep it running for as long as possible regardless of its quality. Homer responded by expressing his approval of that attitude.<ref>"[[Three Men and a Comic Book]]"</ref>
 +
 
 +
When [[Bleeding Gums Murphy]] was hospitalized at [[Springfield General Hospital]], [[Lisa Simpson]] asked him when he had last worked. Murphy replied that it was in 1986, when he made a guest appearance on ''The Cosby Show''. In a flashback to the appearance, [[Cliff Huxtable]] ([[Bill Cosby]]) introduced Murphy to the Huxtable children—[[Rudy Huxtable|Rudy]], [[Theodore Huxtable|Theodore]], and [[Denise Huxtable|Denise]]—as "Grampa Murphy." Rudy responded that they already had three grandpas, and the children then dismissed him, saying in an indifferent tone that they all already had grandfathers. Cosby replied that Murphy was a great jazz musician, but the children remained uninterested. He then launched into a monologue explaining jazz by comparing it to commercial products such as Jell-O Pudding Pops, [[Kodak]] film, and [[New Coke]], while claiming that children were no longer interested in jazz because of rap music. Throughout the scene, Murphy himself did not speak and was shown silently holding his saxophone while Cosby carried the conversation.<ref>"[['Round Springfield]]"</ref>
 +
 
 +
== Behind the Laughter ==
 +
*''The Cosby Show'' is a real TV show which aired from 1984 to 1992. For a few years, it was a competitor of ''[[The Simpsons]]''.
 +
*In the episode, the Cosby character compares jazz music to Jell-O Pudding Pops, Kodak film and New Coke. In real life, [[Bill Cosby]] was involved in advertising all three products.
 +
*The Cosby character's line about rap music giving children brain damage is a reference to the line "All children have brain damage!" from Cosby's real-life comedy {{W2|Himself|Bill Cosby album|album}} and {{W|Bill Cosby: Himself|film}} ''Bill Cosby: Himself''.
 +
 
 +
[[File:Cosby end.png|thumb|right]]
 
== ''Simpsons'' Farewell ==
 
== ''Simpsons'' Farewell ==
Around May [[1992]], when ''The Cosby Show'' last aired, ''The Simpsons''<nowiki>'</nowiki> producers added a tiny clip at the end of a rerun of "[[Three Men and a Comic Book]]" a few seconds after the credits. In it, Homer and Bart are watching TV when an image of Cosby (captioned with the show's title and original-run airdates) appears. Homer and Bart then have the following conversation:<br>
+
Around May [[1992]], which is when ''The Cosby Show'' last aired, ''The Simpsons''<nowiki>'</nowiki> producers added a tiny clip at the end of a rerun of "[[Three Men and a Comic Book]]" a few seconds after the credits. In it, Homer and Bart are watching TV when an image of Cosby (captioned with the show's title and original-run airdates) appears. Homer and Bart then have the following conversation:<br>
 
:'''Homer:''' Little Theo, you grew up before our eyes.
 
:'''Homer:''' Little Theo, you grew up before our eyes.
 
:'''Bart:''' Hey Dad, how come they're taking ''The Cosby Show'' off the air?
 
:'''Bart:''' Hey Dad, how come they're taking ''The Cosby Show'' off the air?
Line 20: Line 30:
 
:'''Homer:''' Amen, boy. Amen.
 
:'''Homer:''' Amen, boy. Amen.
  
== References to ''The Cosby Show'' in ''The Simpsons'' ==
+
== Appearances ==
{{Table|
+
*{{ep|Three Men and a Comic Book|(rerun)}}
{{TH|Picture}}
+
*{{ep|'Round Springfield|(flashback)}}
{{TH|Season}}
+
*{{ep|I'm Dancing as Fat as I Can}}
{{TH|Episode number}}
 
{{TH|Episode name}}
 
{{TH|Reference}}
 
{{TBT|[[File:Fly like Superman.png|250px]]}}
 
{{TB|[[Season 2|2]]}}
 
{{TB|21}}
 
{{TB|"[[Bart the Daredevil]]"}}
 
{{TB| The character [[Dr. Julius Hibbert]] is directly based on Dr. Cliff Huxtable from ''The Cosby Show''.}}
 
{{TBT||250px]]}}
 
{{TRs|[[Season 2|2]]}}
 
{{TB|29}}
 
{{TB|"[[Bart's Dog Gets an "F"]]"}}
 
{{TB| Dr. Hibbert's family is first seen. Hibbert wears a Cosby-like sweater. Both his wife, [[Bernice Hibbert]], and their children are directly modelled after Dr. Huxtable's family. The interior of their house is also similar. }}
 
{{TBT|[[File:The Cosby Show.png|250px]]}}
 
{{TB|[[Season 6|6]]}}
 
{{TB|125}}
 
{{TB|"[['Round Springfield]]"}}
 
{{TB| In 1986 [[Bleeding Gums Murphy]] was a guest on ''The Cosby Show''. Bill Cosby introduced him to the kids as "Grampa Murphy". The kids said that they already had three grampas, and Cosby countered with "This one's a great jazz musician." The kids then replied (in a bored and indifferent manner), "Oh, they ''all'' are." In response, Cosby went into a monologue where he said that kids weren't into jazz music anymore, because they listened to "the rap music which gives them the brain damage" (the line about rap music giving children brain damage is a reference to the line ''"All children have brain damage!"'' from Cosby's real-life comedy {{W2|Himself|Bill Cosby album|album}} and {{W|Bill Cosby: Himself|film}} ''Bill Cosby: Himself''). He then compared jazz music to commercial products such as {{W|Jell-O}} Pudding Pops, {{W|Kodak}} film and [[New Coke]].Bleeding Gums didn't have any lines in his guest appearance; all he got to do was stand there holding his saxophone while Cosby talked.}}
 
{{TBT|}}
 
{{TB|[[Season 30|30]]}}
 
{{TB|652}}
 
{{TB|"[[I'm Dancing as Fat as I Can]]"}}
 
{{TB| Homer looks what Netflix has to offer on TV. Because he ''"watched an 1980s show featuring a monster..."'', Netflix recommends ''Alf'', ''Roseanne'', ''Moonlighting'' and ''The Cosby Show'', but to Homer they are all "''too scary''".}}
 
{{TBT|}}
 
{{TB|[[Season 31|31]]}}
 
{{TB|671}}
 
{{TB|"[[Todd, Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?]]"}}
 
{{TB|The answer which Bart gives Homer after asking him where to bury survivors if a plane crashed on the border of North and South Dakota bares resemblance to a similar question Rudy and Vanessa Huxtable asked their brother Theo about where to bury survivors if a plane crashed on the Canada-United States border on the 1988 Cosby Show episode ''"Trust Me."''.}}
 
}}
 
 
 
==References to ''The Simpsons'' on ''The Cosby Show''==
 
{{Table|
 
{{TH|TV series}}
 
{{TH|Episode name}}
 
{{TH|Episode number}}
 
{{TH|Picture}}
 
{{TH|Reference}}
 
{{TBT|''[[The Cosby Show]]''}}
 
{{TB|"Same Time Next Year"}}
 
{{TB|152}}
 
{{TB|[[File:Bart's mask in The Cosby Show.png|250px]]}}
 
{{TB|As a reference to Fox's decision to move ''The Simpsons'' to air against ''The Cosby Show'', at the start of the episode Olivia enters Cliff's bedroom wearing a Bart Simpson mask.}}
 
}}
 
 
 
  
{{Cultural references}}
+
== References ==
 +
{{Reflist}}
  
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosby Show, The}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosby Show, The}}
[[Category:Cultural references]]
 
[[Category:TV references]]
 
[[Category:Real-world TV shows]]
 
 
[[Category:TV shows]]
 
[[Category:TV shows]]
  
 
[[sv:Cosby]]
 
[[sv:Cosby]]

Latest revision as of 01:58, June 3, 2026

The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show.png
TV Show Information
Genre: Sitcom
Starring: Bill Cosby
Country of origin: USA
First appearance: "Three Men and a Comic Book"


The Cosby Show is an American sitcom starring Bill Cosby.

History[edit]

Bart and Homer were watching the final broadcast of The Cosby Show when a screen appeared displaying Cliff and the program's title and its original run dates. Remembering the series, Homer remarked that Little Theo had grown up before their eyes. Bart then asked why the show was ending, and Homer explained that Bill Cosby had decided to stop producing it before its quality began to decline. Bart disagreed, saying that if he had a television show, he would keep it running for as long as possible regardless of its quality. Homer responded by expressing his approval of that attitude.[1]

When Bleeding Gums Murphy was hospitalized at Springfield General Hospital, Lisa Simpson asked him when he had last worked. Murphy replied that it was in 1986, when he made a guest appearance on The Cosby Show. In a flashback to the appearance, Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) introduced Murphy to the Huxtable children—Rudy, Theodore, and Denise—as "Grampa Murphy." Rudy responded that they already had three grandpas, and the children then dismissed him, saying in an indifferent tone that they all already had grandfathers. Cosby replied that Murphy was a great jazz musician, but the children remained uninterested. He then launched into a monologue explaining jazz by comparing it to commercial products such as Jell-O Pudding Pops, Kodak film, and New Coke, while claiming that children were no longer interested in jazz because of rap music. Throughout the scene, Murphy himself did not speak and was shown silently holding his saxophone while Cosby carried the conversation.[2]

Behind the Laughter[edit]

  • The Cosby Show is a real TV show which aired from 1984 to 1992. For a few years, it was a competitor of The Simpsons.
  • In the episode, the Cosby character compares jazz music to Jell-O Pudding Pops, Kodak film and New Coke. In real life, Bill Cosby was involved in advertising all three products.
  • The Cosby character's line about rap music giving children brain damage is a reference to the line "All children have brain damage!" from Cosby's real-life comedy album and film Bill Cosby: Himself.
Cosby end.png

Simpsons Farewell[edit]

Around May 1992, which is when The Cosby Show last aired, The Simpsons' producers added a tiny clip at the end of a rerun of "Three Men and a Comic Book" a few seconds after the credits. In it, Homer and Bart are watching TV when an image of Cosby (captioned with the show's title and original-run airdates) appears. Homer and Bart then have the following conversation:

Homer: Little Theo, you grew up before our eyes.
Bart: Hey Dad, how come they're taking The Cosby Show off the air?
Homer: Because Mr. Cosby wanted to stop before the quality suffered.
Bart: Quality, shmuality! If I had a TV show I'd run that sucker down to the ground!
Homer: Amen, boy. Amen.

Appearances[edit]

References[edit]