Scripted series · NBC
The Cosby Show
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Bill Cosby
Heathcliff Huxtable
197 eps
Phylicia Rashād
Clair Huxtable
197 eps
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Theo Huxtable
197 eps
Tempestt Bledsoe
Vanessa Huxtable
197 eps
Lisa Bonet
Denise Huxtable
132 eps
Keshia Knight Pulliam
Rudy Huxtable
197 eps
Sabrina Le Beauf
Sondra Huxtable
177 eps
Geoffrey Owens
Elvin Tibideaux
129 eps
Raven-Symoné
Olivia Kendall
75 eps
Erika Alexander
Pam Tucker
49 eps
Joseph C. Phillips
Martin Kendall
53 eps
Merlin Santana
Stanley
7 eps
Peter Costa
Peter Chiara
13 eps
Deon Richmond
Kenny
32 eps
Carl Anthony Payne II
Cockroach
12 eps
Wallace Shawn
Jeffrey Engels
5 eps
Karen Malina White
Charmaine Brown
13 eps
Sullivan Walker
Dr. James Harmon
4 eps
Earle Hyman
Russell Huxtable
41 eps
Adam Sandler
Smitty
4 eps
Elaine Stritch
Mrs. McGee
3 eps
Joe Williams
Al Hanks
3 eps
Allen Payne
Lance Rodman
10 eps
Eugene Byrd
Eugene
4 eps
Ethel Ayler
Carrie Hanks
6 eps
Troy Winbush
Denny
11 eps
Gabrielle Carmouche
Deirdre Arpelle
3 eps
Clarice Taylor
Anna Huxtable
20 eps
Lisa Rieffel
Susan Hennings
3 eps
Seth Gilliam
Aaron Dexter
3 eps
Michelle Thomas
Justine Phillips
8 eps
Reno Wilson
Howard
10 eps
Carmen Finestra
Andy Witherspoon III
3 eps
Dondré Whitfield
Robert
6 eps
Mushond Lee
Slide
3 eps
Gary LeRoi Gray
Nelson Tibideaux
7 eps
William Thomas, Jr.
Dabnis Brickey
5 eps
Maurice Lauchner
Herman
4 eps
Pam Potillo
Janet
9 eps
Elizabeth Narvaez
Kara
6 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Cosby Show actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Cosby Show reads strongest on Humour, Character Depth and Bingeability.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
The story
What it's about
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on the Huxtable family, an upper middle-class African-American family living in Brooklyn, New York.
The run
Seasons
8 seasons · 197 episodes.
- Poster unavailableSpecials
Season 0 · Complete
Specials
200211 episodes
Season 1 · Complete
Season 1
198424 episodes
8.4IMDbBest episode · S01E01 Pilot / Theo's Economic Lesson
Season 2 · Complete
Season 2
198525 episodes
7.9IMDbBest episode · S02E03 Happy Anniversary
Season 3 · Complete
Season 3
198625 episodes
8.0IMDb
Season 4 · Complete
Season 4
198723 episodes
Season 5 · Complete
Season 5
198825 episodes
Season 6 · Complete
Season 6
198926 episodes
Season 7 · Complete
Season 7
199025 episodes
Season 8 · Complete
Season 8
199124 episodes
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
- Photo unavailable
Michael J. Leeson
Creator
Bill Cosby
Showrunner
- Photo unavailable
Ed. Weinberger
Creator
- Photo unavailable
Tom Werner
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Marcy Carsey
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Thad Mumford
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Gary Kott
Writer
- Photo unavailable
John Markus
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Stuart Silverman
Writer
Janet Leahy
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Lore Kimbrough
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Lisa Albert
Writer
Adriana Trigiani
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Winifred Hervey
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Matt Williams
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Elliot Shoenman
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Ehrich Van Lowe
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Jerry Ross
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Carmen Finestra
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Mark St. Germain
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Elaine Arata
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Oliver Hailey
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Earl PomerantzProducer
- Gary KottProducer
- John MarkusProducer
- Caryn MandabachProducer
- Matt WilliamsProducer
- Elliot ShoenmanProducer
Writing
- Thad MumfordWriter
- Gary KottWriter
- John MarkusWriter
- Stuart SilvermanWriter
- Janet LeahyWriter
- Lore KimbroughWriter
Direction
- Chuck VinsonDirector
- Malcolm-Jamal WarnerDirector
- Jay SandrichDirector
- Neema BarnetteDirector
- Oz ScottDirector
- Alan SmitheeDirector
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon VideoBuy
- PhiloStreaming
If you liked this
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
2013
Need something lighter afterwards? Start here.
Seinfeld
1989
A palate cleanser with real writing behind the jokes.
The Office
2005
Need something lighter afterwards? Start here.
Friends
1994
A palate cleanser with real writing behind the jokes.
Night Court
1984
Need something lighter afterwards? Start here.
Rugrats
1991
A palate cleanser with real writing behind the jokes.
Never stop watching
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