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persnickity27
Reviews
The Cosby Show (1984)
One of the best shows from the eighties, but not of all time.
Being a child of the eighties, I grew up on The Cosby Show, and grew up with the Cosby kids (I'm around Tempest Bledsoe's age). Although I enjoyed the show very much, and still watch the reruns, I don't think it's one of the best shows of all time, as many people claim.
As a Black American, I appreciated the Cosby Show for showing another side of "black life". The Huxtables were intelligent, well off financially, and down-to-earth at the same time. That being said, I found that throughout the series, the Huxtables were totally isolated from the reality of the majority of Americans, let alone Black Americans.
For example, the episode in which Claire finds a joint in Theo's textbook. Theo says he didn't put it there, and Cliff and Claire take him at his word. He really didn't do it, but that's not the point. They find a joint on their teenage son, and they just drop the issue. The implication is that because Theo is a "good" kid, from a "good" family, he is somehow immune from the drug culture that permeated the teen scene of the time.
Then there's the episode in which Vanessa and her friends had to go all the way to Baltimore, to get conned, and taken. THEY'RE FROM NEW YORK CITY, FOR PETE'S SAKE!!! Have they no street smarts at all?
I know that Cliff was a doctor, and Claire was a lawyer, but I think the Huxtables were living off Bill Cosby's income, rather than their own. They had a PHAT New York brownstone, two cars, five kids (four going to prestigious universities during the show's run), and yet the only issue they ever had with money is when the kids wanted an extra buck in their allowance! Cliff even offered to pay for Sondra's law school education and his SON-IN-LAW'S medical school education, AT THE SAME TIME!!! We're talking about $100,000 a piece! Give me a break! Cliff also implied that he would pay for Pam (Claire's distant cousin) to go to college. Where was Dr. Huxtable when I needed him?
Over all, throughout it's long run, the Cosby Show was pretty good. The early years were the best, when Rudy was cute, Theo was cool, and Denise was...well...Denise! But after awhile, Rudy wasn't so cute anymore, Theo was Mr. Responsible, and Denise was...well...Denise! Cliff and Claire were consistently funny with each other in their banter and their relationships with the kids, but the magic began to fade as the kids grew up. After a lag, the show did improve with the addition of Olivia (just as adorable as Rudy used to be), Pam and her "urban" friends. Finally we get to see youth that didn't grow up in a vacuum.
Although the show probably lasted too long, it deserves much of the credit for reviving the sitcom genre (and taking NBC to the top). And I loved how the dorbell became a character throughout the last season. Barring the show being out of touch with reality, and Cosby's blatant exercise of political correctness, I'd give the show 6 out of 10 stars.
Eunice (1982)
I knew I wasn't making this up!
I have been trying to prove for YEARS that there was a live teleplay called Eunice, based on the Momma's Family characters from the Carol Burnett show. I've searched imdb many times before to no avail. Although I was only 10 or 11 when it was aired, being rather sophisticated for my age, I remember the special as being rather bittersweet. And with the genius ensemble of Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, Harvey Korman, and Betty White, no less than comic magic can be expected. As the user before me, I hope this gem will soon be available on video.