From 1984 to 1989, the show was number #1 in America. So why did the producers feel the need to move the show in the Hip Hop Direction by adding the Hip Hop Style opening Credits and Hip Characters like like pam and her Friends?? By doing that the very next season with all the HIP additions caused the show to go from #1 to #5 and from #5 to #18

Will never understand why this show went in the HIP HOP Direction

I think that the Simpsons probably had something to do with it, not the Hip Hop theme.

I think that the Simpsons probably had something to do with it, not the Hip Hop theme.



It was the addition of HIP HOP THEME eps and Bart

It was the addition of HIP HOP THEME eps and Bart


Yeah I don't think so, I think that Cosby was just rolling with the times. I can look back now and think to myself, Our style sucked back in the early 90's :lol:

It was all about the Simpsons back then. I think that Bill knew that the Simpsons would take over so he ended his show gracefully.

I would rather end my show on my own terms, rather than getting cancelled right in the middle.

Yeah I don't think so, I think that Cosby was just rolling with the times. I can look back now and think to myself, Our style sucked back in the early 90's :lol:

It was all about the Simpsons back then. I think that Bill knew that the Simpsons would take over so he ended his show gracefully.

I would rather end my show on my own terms, rather than getting cancelled right in the middle.


Rolling with the Times? Family Matters never turned into a HIP HOP show-lol

Rolling with the Times? Family Matters never turned into a HIP HOP show-lol


Ummmmm, yeah they did, Eddie was all Hip Hop, Later on down the line they had Hip Hop or Rap artist on. When 3J came onto the show it was all about the Hip Hop. When they had Urkels cousin come onto the show it was all about the Hip Hop.

Ummmmm, yeah they did, Eddie was all Hip Hop, Later on down the line they had Hip Hop or Rap artist on. When 3J came onto the show it was all about the Hip Hop. When they had Urkels cousin come onto the show it was all about the Hip Hop.


Try to follow me here, Family Matters never turned the opening credits into a HIP HOP OPENING, it stayed the same. Eddie was just a cool dude who happened to like listening to Rap, and 3j was a very small part of the show.


Unlike PAM and her friends

Try to follow me here, Family Matters never turned the opening credits into a HIP HOP OPENING, it stayed the same. Eddie was just a cool dude who happened to like listening to Rap, and 3j was a very small part of the show.


Unlike PAM and her friends


That's because FM took away their theme song towards the end of their show.

That's because FM took away their theme song towards the end of their show.


FM never felt the need to change the theme of what the show was originally about

FM never felt the need to change the theme of what the show was originally about


Well they did change their Theme song, the first episode was different than the rest of the seasons. And then Towards the end they really changed their theme song because they got rid of it, they didn't have one.

FM never felt the need to change the theme of what the show was originally about

FM DID change something with their music.

And that music my friend was the closing theme tune music, which started in the 1993-94 season of FM.

The closing theme from 1989-93 was a typical, family-feeling closing theme tune, while the one used beginning in Fall 1993 had the hip-hop feel to it.



Now back to the topic at hand:

It wasn't just the hip-hop movement that killed Cosby, it was the fact that this show was showing its age for one, second the additions of Olivia, Pam, Martin and the whole b-s with all those grandfathers partly contributed to this show's sagging ratings in the lower parts of the Top 20 Nielsens.

Coincidentally, "A Different World" also began changing their theme credits to the hip-hop style the season after its parent show The Cosby Show ended.

FM DID change something with their music.

And that music my friend was the closing theme tune music, which started in the 1993-94 season of FM.

The closing theme from 1989-93 was a typical, family-feeling closing theme tune, while the one used beginning in Fall 1993 had the hip-hop feel to it.



Now back to the topic at hand:

It wasn't just the hip-hop movement that killed Cosby, it was the fact that this show was showing its age for one, second the additions of Olivia, Pam, Martin and the whole b-s with all those grandfathers partly contributed to this show's sagging ratings in the lower parts of the Top 20 Nielsens.

Coincidentally, "A Different World" also began changing their theme credits to the hip-hop style the season after its parent show The Cosby Show ended.


I wish I just can find out why one day-lol Why the HIP HOP Opening Theme all of a sudden when other shows were trying to catch you

Ummmmm, yeah they did, Eddie was all Hip Hop, Later on down the line they had Hip Hop or Rap artist on. When 3J came onto the show it was all about the Hip Hop. When they had Urkels cousin come onto the show it was all about the Hip Hop.


Yes they did Solomon. I have to agree with Brie. That began to take place during season three and grew stronger every year. By 1993, it was all up in hip hop. :lol: BTW, "Cosby" was number one from 1985-1990.

I wish I just can find out why one day-lol Why the HIP HOP Opening Theme all of a sudden when other shows were trying to catch you


A Theme song has nothing to do with the TV show/actors. That's stretching it

Yes they did Solomon. I have to agree with Brie. That began to take place during season three and grew stronger every year. By 1993, it was all up in hip hop. :lol: BTW, "Cosby" was number one from 1985-1990.

:lol:

Exactly, Cosby was just moving with the times. A show can't be stuck with a certain grove, it have to change it up.

I always thought that the last seasons took away from the original Huxtables and that's why the ratings fell through. I think they probably felt they had to do the whole hip hop thing to keep up with the times and make it fresh...

:lol:

Exactly, Cosby was just moving with the times. A show can't be stuck with a certain grove, it have to change it up.


You don't have to change anything until you FALL from the number 1 spot

I always thought that the last seasons took away from the original Huxtables and that's why the ratings fell through. I think they probably felt they had to do the whole hip hop thing to keep up with the times and make it fresh...


I really didn't care for the last two season but watched because I was loyal and a fan of the show. The Pam eps I liked a little but could have done without.

You don't have to change anything until you FALL from the number 1 spot


I did fall, The Simpsons made Cosby fall. Hip Hop and all that nonsense has nothing to do with it. I didn't have a problem with the whole hip hop thing or the change with the show.

I did fall, The Simpsons made Cosby fall. Hip Hop and all that nonsense has nothing to do with it. I didn't have a problem with the whole hip hop thing or the change with the show.


It didn't fall until the Simpsons went up against it, starting the 90-91 season the show was NUMBER 1 the previous season. So the show began that season as the TOP SHOW in the country

It didn't fall until the Simpsons went up against it, starting the 90-91 season the show was NUMBER 1 the previous season. So the show began that season as the TOP SHOW in the country


Isn't that what I said LOL

Isn't that what I said LOL


I was saying that nothing didn't need to be done before that season started

I was saying that nothing didn't need to be done before that season started

That's because people were still getting off of the '80 style. Around 92 is when hard Rap and the loud colored clothing started to take effect. I remember that was around the time when 2pac and Dr.Dre and the rest of them started to come up.

I think that Bill Cosby was trying to do the best he could to keep the young people interested.

That's because people were still getting off of the '80 style. Around 92 is when hard Rap and the loud colored clothing started to take effect. I remember that was around the time when 2pac and Dr.Dre and the rest of them started to come up.

I think that Bill Cosby was trying to do the best he could to keep the young people interested.


Is that why Theo changed into KWAME?-lol

Is that why Theo changed into KWAME?-lol


Are you talking about the rapper??

Are you talking about the rapper??



YUP

WTF??? A whole two pages on a theme which happened to be hip-hop? :rofl: Solomon, you really can stretch a topic. :lol: I hated the tropical theme. Where is the discussion on that piece of crap theme music? :lol:

You honestly think a theme song had so much weight as to pull a show down in the ratings? What are you drinking tonight? Champripple? :lol:

YUP


LOL Yeah prob so, Malcolm, Kwame and Will Smith all had that style. Loud ass clothes, shades and Gumby/high top style hair cut LOL

WTF??? A whole two pages on a theme which happened to be hip-hop? :rofl: Solomon, you really can stretch a topic. :lol: I hated the tropical theme. Where is the discussion on that piece of crap theme music? :lol:

You honestly think a theme song had so much weight as to pull a show down in the ratings? What are you drinking tonight? Champripple? :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

THANK YOU!!!!!

WTF??? A whole two pages on a theme which happened to be hip-hop? :rofl: Solomon, you really can stretch a topic. :lol: I hated the tropical theme. Where is the discussion on that piece of crap theme music? :lol:

You honestly think a theme song had so much weight as to pull a show down in the ratings? What are you drinking tonight? Champripple? :lol:
:brent

WTF??? A whole two pages on a theme which happened to be hip-hop? :rofl: Solomon, you really can stretch a topic. :lol: I hated the tropical theme. Where is the discussion on that piece of crap theme music? :lol:

You honestly think a theme song had so much weight as to pull a show down in the ratings? What are you drinking tonight? Champripple? :lol:


Not just the Theme, the Hip Hop Characters that were added and the different storylines that you didn't see in the previous seasons

Not just the Theme, the Hip Hop Characters that were added and the different storylines that you didn't see in the previous seasons


Who were really all that "Hip Hop" on the show?

Not just the Theme, the Hip Hop Characters that were added and the different storylines that you didn't see in the previous seasons
I will admit, I didn't like the way the show made such a change by bringing in Pam and the others, but that had nothing to do with the theme. Shows, when on the brink of running out of ideas, bring new characters to the show. Nothing new or odd abt that. That has been going on since sitcoms began. All in The Family did just that.

WTF??? A whole two pages on a theme which happened to be hip-hop? :rofl: Solomon, you really can stretch a topic. :lol: I hated the tropical theme. Where is the discussion on that piece of crap theme music? :lol:
You honestly think a theme song had so much weight as to pull a show down in the ratings? What are you drinking tonight? Champripple? :lol:
Do you mean that lame-ass thing from season 5, when they were doing that weird dance? Man, I hate that too!

Do you mean that lame-ass thing from season 5, when they were doing that weird dance? Man, I hate that too!
Yep. :lol:

To me the Cosby Show never became a "hip hop" show....they just brought in some new characters...young characters....and hip hop as it is now...is a big thing in youth culture....I think it´s silly, calling Pam and her friends Hip Hop Characters....they are just young characters.....if so...You have to call Theo a Hip Hop Character...he was doing break-dance, did the education rap with cocroach and on...and I find nothing bad about the urban sounding opening theme either....it was just the time...and they just changed it....I think what hurt the show was, that the house bacame more filled up with people all the time and it wasn´t all about the "base-family" anymore....But I for myself, love the newer episodes just as well....they are not AS funny as the older ones were...but they are good nevertheless...

and it never turned to a hip hop show, just cause of an opening theme and and three characters that were young and that we supposed that have been listening to hip hop

To me the Cosby Show never became a "hip hop" show....they just brought in some new characters...young characters....and hip hop as it is now...is a big thing in youth culture....I think it´s silly, calling Pam and her friends Hip Hop Characters....they are just young characters.....if so...You have to call Theo a Hip Hop Character...he was doing break-dance, did the education rap with cocroach and on...and I find nothing bad about the urban sounding opening theme either....it was just the time...and they just changed it....I think what hurt the show was, that the house bacame more filled up with people all the time and it wasn´t all about the "base-family" anymore....But I for myself, love the newer episodes just as well....they are not AS funny as the older ones were...but they are good nevertheless...

and it never turned to a hip hop show, just cause of an opening theme and and three characters that were young and that we supposed that have been listening to hip hop


I totally agree :)

One has to consider also that the show had been running for five years and that's usually the point that a good sitcom begins to show some wear and tear.

The Simpsons were the new kid in town, so to speak and had a fresh, new edge to them - though that show really didn't hit its stride until the third or fourth season.

They were trying to bring in some fresh blood, but the characters weren't as good as the originals and that usually signals the end. It's like an organ transplant that just doesn't work (like Ted McGinley on Happy Days).

To me the Cosby Show never became a "hip hop" show....they just brought in some new characters...young characters....and hip hop as it is now...is a big thing in youth culture....I think it´s silly, calling Pam and her friends Hip Hop Characters....they are just young characters.....if so...You have to call Theo a Hip Hop Character...he was doing break-dance, did the education rap with cocroach and on...and I find nothing bad about the urban sounding opening theme either....it was just the time...and they just changed it....I think what hurt the show was, that the house bacame more filled up with people all the time and it wasn´t all about the "base-family" anymore....But I for myself, love the newer episodes just as well....they are not AS funny as the older ones were...but they are good nevertheless...

and it never turned to a hip hop show, just cause of an opening theme and and three characters that were young and that we supposed that have been listening to hip hop


Pam and her friends had a HIP HOP vibe to them

Maybe, but they were more than "hip hop". They were individuals, not just stereotypes.

Maybe, but they were more than "hip hop". They were individuals, not just stereotypes.


I think they all were stereotypes

Aaron wasn't though-Pam's second boyfriend

Pam and her friends had a HIP HOP vibe to them
Well, people started getting into the hip-hop style, what was wrong with Bill trying to establish that on the show? Hip-hop became a new genre of music and Bill probably wanted to bring that to the show in some way. Not all kids acted or behaved liked the Huxtable kids. If you stick with showing all teen characters (or young adults) behaving the same way, wearing the same clothes, the same style and talk, that is boring not to mention unbelievable.

Well, people started getting into the hip-hop style, what was wrong with Bill trying to establish that on the show? Hip-hop became a new genre of music and Bill probably wanted to bring that to the show in some way. Not all kids acted or behaved liked the Huxtable kids. If you stick with showing all teen characters (or young adults) behaving the same way, wearing the same clothes, the same style and talk, that is boring not to mention unbelievable.


Couldn't have been that boring, the show was #1 for 5 years-lol

Cosby tried to be hip like the Simpsons but it just wasn't their thing. The show was starting to run out of gas anyhow. Family sitcoms usually only have a life of 7 or 8 years. Once the kids grow up it's pretty much over. Rudy wasn't as cute in the later years as she was when she was 5 so they brought Olivia in. That's a JTS moment right there.

Couldn't have been that boring, the show was #1 for 5 years-lol
Yeah but with the whole Lisa Bonet issue, bringing in Martin and of course, the dreaded Olivia, it had become the Brady Bunch. :lol: When the Denise character was gone and Theo was now older, the show was lacking. The show began to lose it at that point when Olivia was brought on board. It was made worse with Pam. I didn't care for the whole Pam character, but the show going downhill had NOTHING to do with the character having a "hip-hop vibe" or whatever you call it.

Yeah but with the whole Lisa Bonet issue, bringing in Martin and of course, the dreaded Olivia, it had become the Brady Bunch. :lol: When the Denise character was gone and Theo was now older, the show was lacking. The show began to lose it at that point when Olivia was brought on board. It was made worse with Pam. I didn't care for the whole Pam character, but the show going downhill had NOTHING to do with the character having a "hip-hop vibe" or whatever you call it.


The show stopped appealing to a MASS AUDIENCE once Pam and her Friends came on board.


Nothing to do with Oliva

The show stopped appealing to a MASS AUDIENCE once Pam and her Friends came on board.


Nothing to do with Oliva
I did say the show was made worse with Pam and her friends.

Olivia was annoying as hell. Some liked her. I loathed seeing a child behave like an adult. This was the beginning of the end of Cosby. That's just my opinion.

The show stopped appealing to a MASS AUDIENCE once Pam and her Friends came on board.


Nothing to do with Oliva


I Liked Pam Charmaine and Lance, It's Grandpa Huxtable who I could have gone without.

Grandpa Huxtable who I could have gone without.
Me too sister, me too. :lol: :lol: Grandpa Huxtable was one annoying character.

Pam and her friends had a HIP HOP vibe to them


not really....they were just dressed like kids were dressed back then...other than the huxtables kids....and they talked like kids talked back then...I never thought of them of being hip hop, of course, we assume they listened to hip hop...but what is wrong with it? they are no hip hop characters...as I said before...if they are hip hop characters...then Theo is one, too...and Cockroach is one too....I think, the time was just up...they could have done whatever they wanted to do, and it wouldn´t have helped the show no more.

as i said before...I enjoyed the new seasons too...actually two eps start in 30minutes...and the Pam eps have just started...I always liked her

Me too sister, me too. :lol: :lol: Grandpa Huxtable was one annoying character.

Did anyone here ever see the Simpsons parody of The Cosby Show?

Jazz musician "Bleeding Gums" Murphy relates a story of how he once appeared as the Grandfather on The Cosby Show. In the flashback, "Cosby" introduces Murphy to the kids as their Grandfather who's a jazz musician.

The "Rudy" character responds by saying, "But we already have two grandfathers."

"Cosby" says "Ahh, these kids with the hippin' and the hoppin' and the bippin' and the boppin!' They don't get the jazz!"

Maybe not an exact quote, but that's the gist of it.;)

not really....they were just dressed like kids were dressed back then...other than the huxtables kids....and they talked like kids talked back then...I never thought of them of being hip hop, of course, we assume they listened to hip hop...but what is wrong with it? they are no hip hop characters...as I said before...if they are hip hop characters...then Theo is one, too...and Cockroach is one too....I think, the time was just up...they could have done whatever they wanted to do, and it wouldn´t have helped the show no more.

as i said before...I enjoyed the new seasons too...actually two eps start in 30minutes...and the Pam eps have just started...I always liked her

:clap: :clap: I SOOOOOO AGREE!!!!!

Did anyone here ever see the Simpsons parody of The Cosby Show?

Jazz musician "Bleeding Gums" Murphy relates a story of how he once appeared as the Grandfather on The Cosby Show. In the flashback, "Cosby" introduces Murphy to the kids as their Grandfather who's a jazz musician.

The "Rudy" character responds by saying, "But we already have two grandfathers."

"Cosby" says "Ahh, these kids with the hippin' and the hoppin' and the bippin' and the boppin!' They don't get the jazz!"

Maybe not an exact quote, but that's the gist of it.;)
I somewhat remember the episode. Reading it here, it is funny. :lol:

I'm sorry I'm adding to this discussion so much later than it's been posted. I'm fairly new to this message board site. There's a lot of dissent here, and I actually think that hater has brought up some good points. Now, I don't think that as it's been stated, "moving in the hip hop direction" directly caused the ratings to fall, but what caused the ratings to fall were the underlying problems that signaled them to go in this direction. What caused the ratings to fall was that the show, as has been said, was aging and the kids were getting older. Now, in my opinion, I don't believe the show had to diminish in quality. Olivia was brought on because Rudy was getting older, and only Vanessa and Rudy were left in the house. They never really gave Rudy a chance to hold her own as a teenager. Pam was brought on because then Vanessa went away to college. What bothered me about that is we lost Vanessa a year early. She went to college after only 3 years of high school, it was said, she went to summer school to attend college early. I'm guessing this is because she went to college in real life. Pam was brought on as a replacement for Vanessa and obviously, because Rudy was the only Huxtable child still at home. If you watch the show in the later portion of the series, a lot of focus is on Olivia and Cliff's relationship, not even the rest of the family and how Olivia fit into that, and then of course there's the Pam related episodes. I think the problem is that they didn't give the aging Huxtable children a chance. I hate the whole Vanessa getting married story arch. Just because she was fairly intelligent, doesn't necessarily indicate, she'd want to get married as a sophomore in college to a 29 year old man, 11 years her senior. By the way, did anyone ever catch that, if Vanessa started attending college a year early, and as she stated when first bringing up Dabnus that she had met him a year earlier, and that this was the first episode of the last season, that would have meant that she was most likely only 17 when they first started dating, him being 28. Just thought that was interesting for The Cosby Show.

Anyways, getting back to the original point here, I don't know the specific facts about the ratings, but I think you could see signs of the show weakening in the 7th season, but only the 8th season wasn't as good, and if you watch it, it still is good, it's just they weren't bringing it I guess you could say. What made The Cosby Show what it was were the pure episodes that were just about the immediate Huxtable family and children which didn't exist AT ALL later in the series. Second to that would be the episodes which would focus on specif Huxtable children. Now, you can do a lot with the extended family, and mesh it all together, but that's not what they did. What they did was saw Rudy getting older, brought in Olivia to replace. Saw Vanessa leaving for college and Rudy being the only child left in the house, brought on Pam. So, finally, after saying that, whenever I see the introduction used for season 8, the final season, as it's been coined here the hip hop theme, I cringe and I associate it with The Cosby Show not being as good. And with that of course, I do include Pam and her friends, and I know exactly what hater means when he calls them hip hop, and I say that with no stereotype in mind. Let's face it the Cosby kids were not atypical kids and this was not an atypical show. It was a great show premised on an affluent, classy family. Think about the episodes that were focused on Pam and her friends at the community center, or when they first came to the Huxtable house. That was a stark contrast to the Huxtables. And I liked Pam, but really I don't want to watch her on the show. I just want to watch the pure Cosby show. Now I have also wondered why Bill Cosby would choose to go in that direction for the opening introduction. The Cosby Show is best known as classic. The theme is trendy and fad-related, a complete contradiction for what the show stands for. I think why Bill Cosby did do this was because the ratings were dropping, not directly, but to bring in more viewers, and keep it fresh, all of which was already mentioned by others. I, as a pure watcher of the show, wish he hadn't done that. Personally, to me, the wall used as a backdrop behind them in the introduction almost looks like grafitti and doesn't mesh well with my concept of the show. I saw in the credit the wall is a mural created by children, but to me it looks like grafitti. But all that being say, I think if you really watch the show (I personally just had a Cosby marathon and watched all the seasons in a row on DVD) it doesn't get as bad as you think, and only in the last season. At the end there, there's some shows about nothing. My biggest dissappointment was they brought Denise back on, changed her character, and did all of this stuff with her, only for her not to appear in the last season, and Martin actually I'm pretty sure only appears in 1 episode the entire last season. So in conclusion, I'm with hater on this one. And, I can't believe I wrote an essay on this, I kind of want to submit it to school for a grade or something. :-) g'day

I'm sorry I'm adding to this discussion so much later than it's been posted. I'm fairly new to this message board site. There's a lot of dissent here, and I actually think that hater has brought up some good points. Now, I don't think that as it's been stated, "moving in the hip hop direction" directly caused the ratings to fall, but what caused the ratings to fall were the underlying problems that signaled them to go in this direction. What caused the ratings to fall was that the show, as has been said, was aging and the kids were getting older. Now, in my opinion, I don't believe the show had to diminish in quality. Olivia was brought on because Rudy was getting older, and only Vanessa and Rudy were left in the house. They never really gave Rudy a chance to hold her own as a teenager. Pam was brought on because then Vanessa went away to college. What bothered me about that is we lost Vanessa a year early. She went to college after only 3 years of high school, it was said, she went to summer school to attend college early. I'm guessing this is because she went to college in real life. Pam was brought on as a replacement for Vanessa and obviously, because Rudy was the only Huxtable child still at home. If you watch the show in the later portion of the series, a lot of focus is on Olivia and Cliff's relationship, not even the rest of the family and how Olivia fit into that, and then of course there's the Pam related episodes. I think the problem is that they didn't give the aging Huxtable children a chance. I hate the whole Vanessa getting married story arch. Just because she was fairly intelligent, doesn't necessarily indicate, she'd want to get married as a sophomore in college to a 29 year old man, 11 years her senior. By the way, did anyone ever catch that, if Vanessa started attending college a year early, and as she stated when first bringing up Dabnus that she had met him a year earlier, and that this was the first episode of the last season, that would have meant that she was most likely only 17 when they first started dating, him being 28. Just thought that was interesting for The Cosby Show.

Anyways, getting back to the original point here, I don't know the specific facts about the ratings, but I think you could see signs of the show weakening in the 7th season, but only the 8th season wasn't as good, and if you watch it, it still is good, it's just they weren't bringing it I guess you could say. What made The Cosby Show what it was were the pure episodes that were just about the immediate Huxtable family and children which didn't exist AT ALL later in the series. Second to that would be the episodes which would focus on specif Huxtable children. Now, you can do a lot with the extended family, and mesh it all together, but that's not what they did. What they did was saw Rudy getting older, brought in Olivia to replace. Saw Vanessa leaving for college and Rudy being the only child left in the house, brought on Pam. So, finally, after saying that, whenever I see the introduction used for season 8, the final season, as it's been coined here the hip hop theme, I cringe and I associate it with The Cosby Show not being as good. And with that of course, I do include Pam and her friends, and I know exactly what hater means when he calls them hip hop, and I say that with no stereotype in mind. Let's face it the Cosby kids were not atypical kids and this was not an atypical show. It was a great show premised on an affluent, classy family. Think about the episodes that were focused on Pam and her friends at the community center, or when they first came to the Huxtable house. That was a stark contrast to the Huxtables. And I liked Pam, but really I don't want to watch her on the show. I just want to watch the pure Cosby show. Now I have also wondered why Bill Cosby would choose to go in that direction for the opening introduction. The Cosby Show is best known as classic. The theme is trendy and fad-related, a complete contradiction for what the show stands for. I think why Bill Cosby did do this was because the ratings were dropping, not directly, but to bring in more viewers, and keep it fresh, all of which was already mentioned by others. I, as a pure watcher of the show, wish he hadn't done that. Personally, to me, the wall used as a backdrop behind them in the introduction almost looks like grafitti and doesn't mesh well with my concept of the show. I saw in the credit the wall is a mural created by children, but to me it looks like grafitti. But all that being say, I think if you really watch the show (I personally just had a Cosby marathon and watched all the seasons in a row on DVD) it doesn't get as bad as you think, and only in the last season. At the end there, there's some shows about nothing. My biggest dissappointment was they brought Denise back on, changed her character, and did all of this stuff with her, only for her not to appear in the last season, and Martin actually I'm pretty sure only appears in 1 episode the entire last season. So in conclusion, I'm with hater on this one. And, I can't believe I wrote an essay on this, I kind of want to submit it to school for a grade or something. :-) g'day


I could only tolerate Pam when she was around Charmaine

There were a number of contributing factors to the sagging ratings. The main reason was The Simpsons. The Cosby Show stayed #1 for so long because there was no competition. Networks were afraid to pit anything worthwhile against The Cosby Show because it dominated the ratings for so long, but by 1990 the show was showing its age and was vulnerable.

It didn't help matters that there were so many characters on the show by the 7th season and the original nuclear family was now a shadow of its former self. To add, family sitcoms have a limited self life. One of the main shticks of the Cosby Show in the beginning was the interaction between Cliff and his kids. Rudy was the only one left and she wasn't cute anymore.

There were a number of contributing factors to the sagging ratings. The main reason was The Simpsons. The Cosby Show stayed #1 for so long because there was no competition. Networks were afraid to pit anything worthwhile against The Cosby Show because it dominated the ratings for so long, but by 1990 the show was showing its age and was vulnerable.

It didn't help matters that there were so many characters on the show by the 7th season and the original nuclear family was now a shadow of its former self. To add, family sitcoms have a limited self life. One of the main shticks of the Cosby Show in the beginning was the interaction between Cliff and his kids. Rudy was the only one left and she wasn't cute anymore.


I don't think the Simpsons had anything to do with it, it was the new characters and situations

I don't think the Simpsons had anything to do with it, it was the new characters and situations
The Simpsons was new and fresh as well as groundbreaking at the time. Not to mention it was put in the same time slot of course it had something to do with it. Plus TCS was already 7 years old, even the best of sitcoms have a limited shelf life.

Did anyone here ever see the Simpsons parody of The Cosby Show?

Jazz musician "Bleeding Gums" Murphy relates a story of how he once appeared as the Grandfather on The Cosby Show. In the flashback, "Cosby" introduces Murphy to the kids as their Grandfather who's a jazz musician.

The "Rudy" character responds by saying, "But we already have two grandfathers."

"Cosby" says "Ahh, these kids with the hippin' and the hoppin' and the bippin' and the boppin!' They don't get the jazz!"

Maybe not an exact quote, but that's the gist of it.;)

Cliff: Hey kids, meet Grandpa Murphy!

Rudy: But we have three Grandpas already!

Cliff: This one's a great jazz musician!

Rudy: Aw they all are!

Cliff: Ohh! Ohh! You see the kids, they listen to the rap music which gives them the brain damage. With their hippin' and the hoppin' and the bippin' and the boppin'. So they don't know what the jazz is all about! You see, jazz is like Jell-O pudding pop. No, actually it's more like Kodak film. No, actually jazz is like the new Coke. It'll be around forever! Heh heh heh!

Hilarious! :lol: I have it on my Zune.

In all honesty, I don't see how The Simpsons has that much effect. I did hear on the news back in 1990 that Simpsons did beat Cosby one Thursday night in the ratngs. Maybe people started watching the Simpsons and ratings lowered for TCS buy Cosby finished in 5th place and The Simpsons finished in 30th.

In all honesty, I don't see how The Simpsons has that much effect. I did hear on the news back in 1990 that Simpsons did beat Cosby one Thursday night in the ratngs. Maybe people started watching the Simpsons and ratings lowered for TCS buy Cosby finished in 5th place and The Simpsons finished in 30th.

I know, it was Roseanne, not the Simpsons

What's even more worse was during that season, its spin-off series A Different World began its own 2-year streak of outperforming its parent show TCS as well.