‘The Cosby Show’ Cast Gathers for 25th Anniversary Reunion
For the 25th Anniversary of ‘The Cosby Show’, the cast reunited on ‘Today’ for a celebration. Most of the cast was interviewed together for the launch of the collection on DVD, including Bill Cosby (’Cliff’ Huxtable), Phylicia Rashad (Clair Huxtable), Earle Hyman (Cliff’s father), Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Theo Huxtable), Geoffrey Owens (Elvin Tibideaux), Keshia Knight Pulliam (’Rudy’ Huxtable), and Raven Symoné (Olivia Kendall).
‘The Cosby Show’ was first aired on September 20, 1984, continuing on for eight seasons and 197 episodes until April 30, 1992. The show was the biggest television hit in the 1980s, according to ‘TV Guide’, and aired on NBC, nearly reviving the network’s ratings fortunes, after being rejected by ABC. The program was also the third longest series that featured a predominately African-American cast.
During the interview, they were asked what made the appeal of the program endure. Cosby, the main star of the show and well known actor and comedian, said that the show is funny and has love in it, where everything is genuine and real. Warner added that the show is still as funny and meaningful as it was 25 years ago.
However, when the possibility of the show being revived popped up in the interview, Cosby ruled it out and said that reviving the show wasn’t necessary. People watch the re-runs, he added, and that’s it.
Also in the interview, Cosby expressed his disapproval over the falling standards of television writing during the last few years. He said that people should write decent scripts without trying to include heavy profanity about sexual parts. Cosby added that good writing never hurt anyone.