The Cosby Show: A Look Back

Last night, NBC aired "The Cosby Show Reunion: A Look Back". Like many Americans who fondly recalled this show, my wife and I made sure to watch it. What we saw was done with class, but had it's highs and lows.

Basically, it's was just a "clip show" of the funniest and most touching moments from the 8 year run of the Cosby Show. They showed bloopers (primarily actors flubbing their lines), and "interviews" with the principle stars. Now, it was very cool to see how the little kids had grown up (both Keshia Knight Pulliam and Raven Symone are beautiful!), and the supporting characters like the guys who played "Bud" and "Peter"... but halfway through it got a little tiring to hear them wax poetic about how important the show was (in opening doors for African Americans in television), or how funny it was to work with the Cos. It is obvious that what they were saying was true, but after a while, everybody was just saying variations on the same basic comment, and it got a little tiring to listen to.

We also realized that The Cosby Show works better as a full cohesive 30 minute episode, not as little snippets here and there. Lots of the times, the clips were taken out of context, so we didn't know what the characters were comment on or reacting to...

There was also an awful lot of time collectively taken up by the camera focusing on a white brick wall with small black and white framed stills from the show while a star spoke about something. Rather odd.

And the most glaring question, where was LISA BONET????? Every other Cosby family member, including the actor and actress whom played Cliff's parents (they have aged rather well, I must say...) were present, but no Bonet!!!! Maybe she had a falling out with the creators of the show? Maybe she's busy filming a movie? Who the heck knows... The void was felt, because they were very few clips surrounding her character of "Denise", and virtually no comments about her or her character from the rest of the cast.

One nice moment came at the end when Cosby presents Phylicia Rashad with a bouquet of flowers to thank her for her involvement on the show (and for being his "catcher" as he put it.) Seems Rashad was never nominated for an award in her portrayal of Clair, and she gets visibly choked up when she is given the flowers. I'm sentimental, I like stuff like that. :^)

But for the most part, my wife and I realized that "The Cosby Show" is best watched, in thirty minute doses, on Nick-At-Nite. (Do you realize that if NAN replaced "All In The Family" with "Night Court", that we'd be able to enjoy that classic 80's NBC Thursday night line up again? But that's something else entirely...

I was looking forward to this Cosby Show reunion, and I was happy with the show overall. However, the title of this show was misleading.

I would think in a "reunion" show, the cast would be "reunited." Instead, there was a live audience portion with Bill Cosby and later Phylicia Rashad, and then all the kids and other cast members were taped individually. So there was no interaction except for Bill and Phylicia, but they were on "Cosby," so we've seen them together recently. This was a major letdown.

Nonetheless, it was very interesting to hear different cast members' opinions on who was really in charge, and what they thought of their characters, and so on. And also to see the kids grown up-- I'm glad all the kids on the show seem to have ended up well-adjusted and look back on the show very fondly. I think that has very much to do with Bill Cosby himself.

There were also many outtakes and bloopers, and a few audition tapes that were a lot of fun to see.

Overall I give this a 7/10, but I'd like to still see everyone get together for a real reunion, perhaps acting together in a special episode.