The Cosby Show: Season One (1984-1985)

It’s hard to believe that it’s already over 20 years since we first met the Huxtables, way back when The Cosby Show premiered on September 20, 1984. The brainchild of Bill Cosby, the historic program revolved around the comic misadventures of a comfortable African-American family living in Brooklyn. Bill and Phylicia Rashad starred as Dr. Cliff and attorney Clair Huxtable, a happily-married couple with five kids, absent Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf) who is away at Princeton, high school-aged Denise (Lisa Bonet), Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) and Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe), and adorable baby Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam).

The series enjoyed a phenomenally successful, eight-year run in the course of become one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. With a universal popularity cutting across all demographics, the show’s popularity probably emanated from its groundbreaking presentation of Black people as normal, instead of the minstrel stereotypes previously paraded on our TV screens in embarrassing coon shows like the offensive Good Times which celebrated the plight of the poor. (“Temporary lay-offs! Good times! Easy credit rip-offs! Good times! Strugglin’ and survivin’! Good times! Ain’t we lucky we got ‘em! Good times!) This 4-disc DVD includes all 24 episodes of multiple Emmy-winning Season One, including such unforgettable installments as “The Shirt Story� and “Jitterbug Break.� The humor still holds up very well, and its message about the black family stands out as a cut above the competition, especially
in this age of the jive sitcom.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 9 hours, 35 minutes
Distributor: Ventura Distribution