i wondered is this show entertaining cause if it is i might buy it also is this show anything like his other 80's sitcom the cosby show ?

It's nothing like his 80's sitcom, and in my opinion it's much better than his 80's sitcom. I suggest you buy the DVD's, it's a great show you will enjoy it.

....was a "low-keyed" comedy {with NO laugh track or live audience}, focusing on a high school gym teacher, "Chet Kincaid" [Cosby], and his relationships with his students, his fellow faculty members, his family, friends, and his personal life....sometimes all coming together at once. A typical episode is "The Sesame Street Rumble" (January 1971), where Chet's TV set conks out just before the "big football game" he's invited several of his friends to watch with him. After desparately trying to locate a repairman (on a Sunday), the only other set he can get his hands on is a friend's, whose little boy (played by one of Bill's sons) wants to watch "SESAME STREET" on it at the same time....

:tv:

i personally like the earlier "The Bill Cosby Show" WAY better - if you get RTV they are currently airing the show every day - either that or see if you can catch it on Netflix or something to check it out.

I don't know. I might be in the minority but I don't care much for it. Maybe because it's so different from TCS. I blind bought the first season DVD and I haven't even watched it all and I bought it a few years ago. It is on RTV but I never watch it. I'm glad I finally got a chance to see it though because I often wondered about it.

I don't know. I might be in the minority but I don't care much for it. Maybe because it's so different from TCS. I blind bought the first season DVD and I haven't even watched it all and I bought it a few years ago. It is on RTV but I never watch it. I'm glad I finally got a chance to see it though because I often wondered about it.


I watched it and didn't like it too much and been waiting for years to see his other shows

Cos..1976

The New Bill Cosby Show...1972

Not better than the Cosby Show but still a good show. My favorite episodes were the one about "the boy who could hit a hook shot from the three point line" and the epsiode where Moms Mabley and Mantan Moreland play Chet Kincaid's(Cosby's character) Aunt and Uncle.

Not better than the Cosby Show but still a good show. My favorite episodes were the one about "the boy who could hit a hook shot from the three point line" and the epsiode where Moms Mabley and Mantan Moreland play Chet Kincaid's(Cosby's character) Aunt and Uncle.



I haven't watched it yet because it comes on the same time as Seinfeld

The audio level on these DVD's is too low, I have to crank up the volume on the TV to hear what the actors are saying. In addition to that, a couple episodes in each season have distortion in the audio track. Also, chapter stops were placed in the wrong spot in a couple episodes. I give Shout Factory an A plus for putting this series on DVD, but only a C minus in terms of execution.

I really enjoy this show. Picked up Season One for a crazy price on amazon ($9.00) but Season Two is like $49. Dunno why the drastic difference in price but Season One is very enjoyable so far. I enjoy not having a stupid laugh track bugging me. I despise laugh tracks. Its a very different type of show kind of a comedy-drama all rolled into one and each episode is quite different. Also, once you hear that theme music (by Quincy Jones) you can't get it out of your head, lol. Killer Jazz theme.

I really enjoy this show. Picked up Season One for a crazy price on amazon ($9.00) but Season Two is like $49. Dunno why the drastic difference in price but Season One is very enjoyable so far. I enjoy not having a stupid laugh track bugging me. I despise laugh tracks. Its a very different type of show kind of a comedy-drama all rolled into one and each episode is quite different. Also, once you hear that theme music (by Quincy Jones) you can't get it out of your head, lol. Killer Jazz theme.


Is season 2 $49 dollars because that season has 49 eps?-lol

....was a "low-keyed" comedy {with NO laugh track or live audience}, focusing on a high school gym teacher, "Chet Kincaid" [Cosby], and his relationships with his students, his fellow faculty members, his family, friends, and his personal life....sometimes all coming together at once. A typical episode is "The Sesame Street Rumble" (January 1971), where Chet's TV set conks out just before the "big football game" he's invited several of his friends to watch with him. After desparately trying to locate a repairman (on a Sunday), the only other set he can get his hands on is a friend's, whose little boy (played by one of Bill's sons) wants to watch "SESAME STREET" on it at the same time....

:tv:

Played by one of Bill's sons? You mean Bill Cosby's? Bill Cosby only had one son, Ennis, who was born in April 1969, not even two years old when the episode was filmed. I still remember Ennis' tragic murder in LA back in January 1997. It was such a shame. This was less than a week after Sheldon Leonard's passing, which I can remember Bill Cosby mentioning on The People's Choice awards days before his son's murder.

"Sesame Street Rumble" was hilarious, the little kid had Chet KLincaid between a rock and a harrd place and he wasn't going to miss his Sesame Street because they was gonna learn about the number 12.

and the theme song is AWESOME!

Ha ha. I don't know why Season Two is so expensive. Heck Season One retail was only $19.99 but amazon still has it for $9. Season Two is sold by another company though through amazon so I guess that's one of the reasons. Either way it is a unique show with a good blend of comedy and sometimes serious aspects as well. Each show is quite different.

I don't know. I might be in the minority but I don't care much for it. Maybe because it's so different from TCS. I blind bought the first season DVD and I haven't even watched it all and I bought it a few years ago. It is on RTV but I never watch it. I'm glad I finally got a chance to see it though because I often wondered about it.

If you watched this show expecting it to be a laugh fest, then you were probably disappointed. It's a funny show, but the humor is more subtle as opposed to the in your face laugh out loud approach. Most episodes are good, a few are not as good, the episodes are well written for the most part. One good episode is the one with the swearing basketball player, it's a funny episode but very dated compared to the way people behave today. Probably the funniest episode in the whole series is the one that begins in a barber shop, there are several laugh out loud moments in that episode. The episode with Don Knotts is pretty funny as well, also the episode with Herb Edelman as a teacher who's trying to quit smoking.

The Bill Cosby Show was also a showcase for young black actresses, several different actresses, mostly unknowns now for the most part, appeared as Chet's love interest/girlfriend. I estimate about 30 different actresses appeared in the episodes as Chet's girlfriend, neither one lasting for more than one episode, I guess Chet was really playing the field. :lol: In one episode, actress Olga James appears as Chet's love interest, she is the same actress who was cast in this series as Chet's brother Brian's wife! Cicely Tyson is one familiar actress who appeared in an episode as love interest for Chet.

A unique episode in the series is the one where Chet takes a group of youngsters out on a overnight camping trip, but mishaps occur and they never make it to their destination, so they camp out in Chet's apartment. Child actor Gerald Edwards steals the show in this episode, he is very funny.

Bill Cosby did not want a laugh track for this show. NBC tried to make him use one but he opted not to as he wanted the viewers to laugh for themselves without encouragement. The reference for this comment can be found in the DVD commentary by Cosby for season one.

lol, I liked that episode with the basketball star who kept cursing. Whenever he (or one of his teammates) would curse during a game or practice, they would "bleep" out the cuss-word by playing the "beep beep" sound that the Road Runner cartoon makes.

Cosby (Chet Kincaid) was the coach of the team, and he had to find ways to get his players to stop using bad language (leads to technical fouls during the games etc).

He even tried talking to the star player's mother, but she was more foul-mouthed than the player was :lol:

That was a funny episode. I am surprised that the censors allowed that episode back in the day...but it was cool, though. LOL.

That was a funny episode. I am surprised that the censors allowed that episode back in the day...but it was cool, though. LOL.

Yeah, I think the road runner sound helped, and also, even when they showed a close up of the player being bleeped, you could kinda tell they weren't really saying anything that could be interpreted as a real cuss-word.

And when Kincaid wrote the bad words on the blackboard in the process of explaining to the team what the penalty would be if anyone said them, you couldn't really tell what he was writing, and the camera never showed the words themselves...just Kincaid's chalk clacking a lot. It was a portable blackboard and the camera was behind it.

Not sure if anyone comes to this forum anymore, but just in case someone does...

I started watching TBCS and I thought I was moderately liking it but after halfway through the 2nd disc for Season 1, I'm losing steam. Granted, I had a bad day when watching this part and I was very fatigued. I am wondering if the show gets any better further on in the series.

I liked the entire season one. I thought it was interesting. Bill did not want to use a laugh track. If you get through the rest of the series on DVD for season one, he goes into detail as to why he didn't want it in the extras.

Never felt this show at all

I liked the entire season one. I thought it was interesting. Bill did not want to use a laugh track. If you get through the rest of the series on DVD for season one, he goes into detail as to why he didn't want it in the extras.
I'll be patient and keep going. What about Season 2, ThomasE? Have you any thoughts about that season? I have Season 2 by the way, I just haven't watched it yet. It's not even opened yet. But I will open it eventually.

I don't find anything bad about the show, but I'm more or less ambivalent about it at this point, rather than zealous. I like seeing a young Bill Cosby though.


I'm up to Going The Route and completed that one - I happen to love that episode though. Especially when he ran into the milkman twice and the latter gave Chet this look as if who the hell are you, I thought that was actually hilarious. Loved the part he jumps over the bushes and has an altercation (which we don't see) with the dog.

I interpret this show as more of a silly show than a funny show. A funny show would make me laugh whereas a silly show would make me smile a little, but not laugh. A part of me enjoys how dated it looks, in a way.

My strategy in watching this show is not trying too hard to like it, and trying to see it as its own show instead of a standard comedy with contrived laugh tracks. When I watch it that way, it sort of helps me.

I still hope my feelings for the show improve, but oh well.

I was first introduced to The Bill Cosby Show watching syndicated repeats during 1974-75. I've always liked the show, it's funny but usually not laugh out loud funny, "The Barber Shop" is the funniest episode of the series. For the most part, the episodes are well written and tell a good story. A few episodes aren't too good, but the majority are very good.

Hope someone is following this thread yet because I have a question about the difference in packaging between Season 1 and Season 2.

Season 1 is a bulkier package but what I like about it is the fact that the package gives one-sentence summaries of what each show is about.

Season 2 just gives the DVDs. I kind of wish that Season 2 had the one-sentence summaries too. Not that I can't find out what the episodes are about later on, but it is feature that I would have liked to have seen.

Is this true for you guys' DVD packages too?

Hope someone is following this thread yet because I have a question about the difference in packaging between Season 1 and Season 2.

Season 1 is a bulkier package but what I like about it is the fact that the package gives one-sentence summaries of what each show is about.

Season 2 just gives the DVDs. I kind of wish that Season 2 had the one-sentence summaries too. Not that I can't find out what the episodes are about later on, but it is feature that I would have liked to have seen.

Is this true for you guys' DVD packages too?

Season 1 DVD came out in 2006. It was sold at retail, Shout Factory went all out and designed a fancy package including episode summaries. But the DVD set sold poorly, from what I understand Shout Factory lost a bundle of money on it.

It wasn't until 2010 when the season 2 DVD came out. This set was not sold at retail, it was restricted to on line purchases as part of Shout Factory's "Shout Select" program. They went with the cheaper packaging and didn't bother to give episode descriptions, just episode titles. I don't like the differences in the packaging between seasons 1 and 2 either, but at least the 2nd season came out. For a while it looked like it wasn't going to happen.

I am almost done with Season 1 except for Goodbye Cruel World, and then I'm done.

After watching all of Season 1 (almost), I feel lukewarm about it, unfortunately.

It's well-written, with creative, original plots, yet I fail to find it captivating.

I have Season 2, and I will watch those too. I have my doubts about whether or not my sentiments toward this show will change. I am able to look up the episode summaries via Wikipedia, so it's all good in that regard.

This is one of those things where if I did not buy it, I would have been itching to know what this series was all about. Now I know, but I feel like something is missing. And I did NOT go into this expecting it to be like The Cosby Show. I went into this with an open mind, and with littleexpectations in tow.

I may write a review for this on Amazon, and I may give it 3 stars. Not sure if I will end up writing the review but I'm tempted to. It's not like anyone cares to read the view for this product anyway.

I am almost done with Season 1 except for Goodbye Cruel World, and then I'm done.

After watching all of Season 1 (almost), I feel lukewarm about it, unfortunately.

It's well-written, with creative, original plots, yet I fail to find it captivating.

I have Season 2, and I will watch those too. I have my doubts about whether or not my sentiments toward this show will change. I am able to look up the episode summaries via Wikipedia, so it's all good in that regard.

This is one of those things where if I did not buy it, I would have been itching to know what this series was all about. Now I know, but I feel like something is missing. And I did NOT go into this expecting it to be like The Cosby Show. I went into this with an open mind, and with littleexpectations in tow.

I may write a review for this on Amazon, and I may give it 3 stars. Not sure if I will end up writing the review but I'm tempted to. It's not like anyone cares to read the view for this product anyway.

I think that your comments and those of retroTVfan4ever pretty much sum up the Bill Cosby Show.

I watched the show in its original prime time run, and liked it (we liked the theme song and the closing theme as well).

And when I watched the basketball player episode when the DVDs came out (Netflix) I still thought that episode was great.

My memory is that the BCS was only on briefly in syndication after its original network run, and then pretty much disappeared entirely. I didn't really have a clear memory of the show (probably because of having so few LOL moments). It was a chuckle show, but not uproariously funny. Just well written and well acted.

I, too, would have always wondered about the show had it not been released on DVD. I would have wondered if it was as "good" as my memory told me it was.

While it was good, it's not something that I would want to watch over and over. I did not purchase the DVDs, and I'm fine with that decision.

If I were to recommend one episode to watch for a person that wasn't familiar with the show, I would point them to the basketball player episode, and would add that imho, it's almost the only LOL episode of the show's run (although there were probably a couple of others but not many). The rest of it involves gentle, sometimes subtle humor, and may not be worth watching more than once.

I'm glad we were able to sample the show through netflix.

I have Season 2, and I will watch those too. I have my doubts about whether or not my sentiments toward this show will change. I am able to look up the episode summaries via Wikipedia, so it's all good in that regard.

When you watch season 2, post what you think of The Barber Shop episode.

The dialog exchange between Chet and JJ the barber after Cartons drops the baseball thru Chet's windshield is absolutely hilarious.

The earlier scene in the barber shop is great as well, the barber gives Chet a bad haircut, then he burns Chet's face with a hot towel as he prepares to give him a shave, then the scene cuts and there is Chet with pieces of tissue on his face because of the cuts the barber gave him while shaving. :lol: During this scene, Chet, the barber, and Cartons are arguing about various stuff, the talk eventually changes to baseball. The actor who plays the role of Cartons is really funny. Antonio Fargas is JJ the barber, he's funny too.

The episode could have been resolved better, it ends a little flat, but otherwise it's a hilarious episode.

When you watch season 2, post what you think of The Barber Shop episode.

The dialog exchange between Chet and JJ the barber after Cartons drops the baseball thru Chet's windshield is absolutely hilarious.

The earlier scene in the barber shop is great as well, the barber gives Chet a bad haircut, then he burns Chet's face with a hot towel as he prepares to give him a shave, then the scene cuts and there is Chet with pieces of tissue on his face because of the cuts the barber gave him while shaving. :lol: During this scene, Chet, the barber, and Cartons are arguing about various stuff, the talk eventually changes to baseball. The actor who plays the role of Cartons is really funny. Antonio Fargas is JJ the barber, he's funny too.

The episode could have been resolved better, it ends a little flat, but otherwise it's a hilarious episode.
I'll keep an eye out for that episode. I remember you saying that was a funny episode. I hope I like it. I tend to want to watch the episodes in chronological order when I'm trying it out, so I don't know how long that will be...that may be literally weeks :( this thread isn't too populated though LOL. it's nice to be able to discuss this show though, whether the opinions are positive or negative.

There is an episode with Don Knotts in it and I am interested in that one because I liked him on Three's Company.

I finally managed to write a review on Amazon for Season 1. I gave it 3 stars. LOL.

For what it's worth though, there was one part in Season 1 that I thought was hilarious, but that's me. It was in Going The Route, where Chet runs into the milkman the 2nd time around, after Chet had to retrieve the newspapers that he had thrown to the wrong houses. The way the milkman looked at Chet that 2nd time made me burst out laughing, to be honest.

I'll keep an eye out for that episode. I remember you saying that was a funny episode. I hope I like it. I tend to want to watch the episodes in chronological order when I'm trying it out, so I don't know how long that will be...that may be literally weeks :( this thread isn't too populated though LOL. it's nice to be able to discuss this show though, whether the opinions are positive or negative.

There is an episode with Don Knotts in it and I am interested in that one because I liked him on Three's Company.

I finally managed to write a review on Amazon for Season 1. I gave it 3 stars. LOL.

For what it's worth though, there was one part in Season 1 that I thought was hilarious, but that's me. It was in Going The Route, where Chet runs into the milkman the 2nd time around, after Chet had to retrieve the newspapers that he had thrown to the wrong houses. The way the milkman looked at Chet that 2nd time made me burst out laughing, to be honest.

The episode with Don Knotts is funny too, he is a repo man and his boss assigns him to repossess Chet's TV set.

Another good one from the 2nd season is the episode where Chet helps one of his fellow teachers from the high school to quit smoking.

I describe The Bill Cosby Show as a warm and friendly sitcom, all the actors are likeable, there isn't really anyone on the show who isn't likeable. You will probably start to like the show better as you get more familiar with it.

Saw your review on Amazon. The episodes do tend to have a leisurely pace, somewhat slow moving, but they are designed to tell a good story with gentle doses of humor. Some episodes are funnier than others, especially The Barber Shop ep which I already told you about.

As long as you stay subscribed to the thread, it will be OK. I saw that your first response was in 2012 so maybe you've been subscribed to this thread for a couple years now.

It's just that it may take literally weeks to finish all these Season 2 episodes.

I watched the first episode of Season 2 last night and I thought it was great. I am just trying not to get too excited though. I'm not trying to be pessimistic or anything - I'm just saying. A couple things about it slightly disappointed me, but the episode overall was good. I just didn't like that I never got to see the Masked Burglar home video that Chet made when he showed the projector in class, and I actually thought that Chet was a jerk in this episode, but that may be how coaches are "supposed" to be. I thought to myself, Chet can be meaner than Clair Huxtable...

I agree, the first episode of the 2nd season is pretty good. I like the mexican kid who plays the role of Alberto. He's really funny, especially when he has problems operating the movie projector in the classroom.

Chet: "Alberto, speed it up!"
Alberto: "It's going as fast as it can, Mr. Kincaid"
Chet: "Alberto!"
Alberto: "I'm doing the best I can, Mr. Kincaid"
Chet: "Alberto!!"
Alberto: "Mr. Kincaid, it's coming apart!!" :lol: :lol:

Alberto is also in the episode "A Dirty Business", he's funny in that ep too.

Another good episode from season 2 is "March Of The Antelopes". Chet is in charge of a group of kids and is supposed to take them on an overnight camping trip. But things go wrong and they end up staying over at Chet's apartment. The young black kid who plays the role of Rudy steals the show in this episode, I believe his name is Gerald Edwards, he's hilarious and has several funny lines. The scene inside the laundromat is classic. :lol:

Well it's been awhile since I've posted so I'm here to tell you I'm done with watching Season 2.

I don't dislike this show, but I may not be as big of a fan of it as some people on here may be or those reviewers on Amazon who gave it 5 stars. I don't regret buying the DVDs, because I still believe that the show was inherently good.

I believe that there are elements of increased spunk and spontaneity throughout Season 2, but not pervasively throughout the season.

I was going to give up watching this show after Season 1, being somewhat disenchanted with the show. I guess I was expecting it to be funnier but to me it isn't a funny show, but a show that has lighthearted silliness to it. But I am glad that I didn't give up because Season 2 was worth checking out.

I think Cosby is coming more out of his shell in Season 2 though. He is becoming more relaxed in acting silly here. I also like the ones with the guest stars of Don Knotts, Antonio Fargas, and Dick Van Dyke. Sometimes a good guest star can make a difference. Another episode, The Long Road Back, reminds me of The Killer Instinct in the sense that Chet is taken in a fancy car to an affluent estate by some stranger, to be greeted in a big house by that stranger after he (Chet) stands in some sort of foyer wondering what the heck is going on.

A few things bothered me though. Not that I don't like Kathy McGee as Chet's mother but the fact that they changed Chet's mother from Lillian Randolph to Kathy McGee bothered me because I thought Lillian Randolph was funnier as Chet's mother. She was perfect in Home Remedy.

Another thing that bothered me was the ending to the final episode. It appears as though there is like a one-minute segment before each episode ends, and during that one-minute segment, the character of Chet isn't even there. That feels like such a dud - to have the last minute or so of the final episode to be Chet-less. It felt like an odd feeling to be ending the series.

Another thing is the notion of a few disturbing scenes. One scene was in Season 1 though - Goodbye Cruel World - I'm not sure that the topic of suicide was the greatest idea, even in a lighthearted sense - I mean, if that Hispanic waitress had not flirted with the guest star's character, does that mean that he would have killed himself? Another scene was where the guy who was trying to quit smoking was starting to strangle Chet, but we all know that it wasn't going to happen, but I'm not sure I cared for that scene either. Another one I didn't like was where Miraculous Martin submerged himself in a barrel of water, while his legs and arms were chained. Sure, MM was a magician and we knew that he was going to come out unscathed, but it was disturbing for me to see Chet close the lid and lock the barrel.

I wonder how this series would have fared if another season or two was allowed. The writing of the show was consistent throughout in quality, though, but then again, I thought the Cosby show was good for the first couple seasons before that started deteriorating too. But that's a moot point because we'll never know.

Chet is far more assertive and tough of a person than Cliff Huxtable though. Chet has more backbone and does not handle the same nonsense that Cliff would. He disciplines his students far more than Cliff disciplines his own kids, even. If you take the pilot episode of the Cosby Show where Cliff tells Theo "that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life," well, that's how Chet is throughout the series when he thinks that his students are not performing up to his potential. Some may think this is a good change from the spineless Cliff Huxtable, others may see him as a jerk. I see it as both. LOL.

Glad you were able to watch all the episodes, what did you think of "The Barber Shop" episode?

You're correct, elements of "The Killer Instinct" episode were borrowed for the episode "The Long Road Back".

The final episode of the series- "The Saturday Game", I think the final scene just happened to not include Chet, it's just the way the episode was written, I don't think Chet was excluded on purpose. The series was cancelled after all the 2nd season episodes were filmed, so the last scene of the last episode being minus Chet was just the intended ending for that particular episode.

One scene I really like is in the episode "A Girl Named Punkin". I like the scene when Chet tells Punkin the bedtime story, it's such a sweet scene and very well done, brings a tear to my eye every time.

I agree- "Goodbye Cruel World" is an odd episode, not one of my favorites, it's not a bad episode but strange subject matter for this type of TV show. There are some funny moments, but overall it's just a weird episode. Fitting for Wally Cox though, he was always weird. :lol:

I like most of the episodes in the series, maybe about 6 or so I don't like as well. "The Poet" and "Teacher Of The Year" are in my opinion two of the lesser season 2 episodes. Worst of all however, is the two parter "The Deluge", I think that is the low point/nadir of the whole series. Some scenes in that episode make me cringe, especially when the pregnant woman is performing her "breathing exercises", it is embarrasing to watch. The episode has some lighthearted funny moments, and there's a tender scene when the woman explains to Chet what having a baby is all about, but overall the episode is a stinker. But the series as a whole, for the most part, makes for very enjoyable viewing.

Glad you were able to watch all the episodes, what did you think of "The Barber Shop" episode?

You're correct, elements of "The Killer Instinct" episode were borrowed for the episode "The Long Road Back".

The final episode of the series- "The Saturday Game", I think the final scene just happened to not include Chet, it's just the way the episode was written, I don't think Chet was excluded on purpose. The series was cancelled after all the 2nd season episodes were filmed, so the last scene of the last episode being minus Chet was just the intended ending for that particular episode.

One scene I really like is in the episode "A Girl Named Punkin". I like the scene when Chet tells Punkin the bedtime story, it's such a sweet scene and very well done, brings a tear to my eye every time.

I agree- "Goodbye Cruel World" is an odd episode, not one of my favorites, it's not a bad episode but strange subject matter for this type of TV show. There are some funny moments, but overall it's just a weird episode. Fitting for Wally Cox though, he was always weird. :lol:

I like most of the episodes in the series, maybe about 6 or so I don't like as well. "The Poet" and "Teacher Of The Year" are in my opinion two of the lesser season 2 episodes. Worst of all however, is the two parter "The Deluge", I think that is the low point/nadir of the whole series. Some scenes in that episode make me cringe, especially when the pregnant woman is performing her "breathing exercises", it is embarrasing to watch. The episode has some lighthearted funny moments, and there's a tender scene when the woman explains to Chet what having a baby is all about, but overall the episode is a stinker. But the series as a whole, for the most part, makes for very enjoyable viewing.
Oops I am sorry I didn't specify anything about The Barber Shop. Actually, I thought that may have been the best episode of the series. The writing and the energy associated with that episode were great. You're right that this was a really good episode to watch out for. I don't know if "funny" is the word to describe it but it was witty, with spunk.

You may have a point about The Saturday Game - perhaps the show was deemed canceled after this one and not during the filming of the second series. It made me feel sad to see the series end like that. It's like...wait, we're not done yet! But we were :(

I'm ambivalent on the Punkin episode. It didn't do much for me. But I thought it was endearing at least - especially after he lost his temper with the girl and then went back in to apologize or something. That was really nice. And I liked how she finally said Thank You to Chet.

This applies to Season 1 but I also thought an endearing moment was in The Christmas Ballad. The guy who Chet wanted to play Santa was very obstinate. He reluctantly agreed to only play Santa if he just said Merry Christmas to each kid and gave them a gift. For the first few kids, he was cold to them, and the kids could feel that vibe but when a little girl came and said something to him (I forgot what it was), the actor who played Santa (well, the character) tore up because I think the girl reminded him of the daughter he lost. So that was actually a very tender moment.

I remember liking The Poet, but not so much Teacher of the Year because the ending was inconclusive.

I do like this show overall but some of the episodes did not have conclusive endings and we were left wondering what happened next, but we never found out.

I was disappointed that the guy in Dirty Business did not agree to play for Chet's team but oh well. It doesn't mean I didn't like the episode, but every now and then I wish that a character would have done something different.

The Deluge didn't bother me. I actually thought it was one of those endearing episodes. I could have done without the breathing exercises but for me, that was one of the least cringeworthy going-in-labor moments I've seen. Usually such moments would make me shudder.

The Power of a Tree and Green-Eyed Monster were blah to me, and I didn't think much of them. Going back to Season 1, The Blind Date bothered me. I thought it was a sad episode, because Chet really wanted to marry her but she did not want to.

I kind of wish the last disc went out with a bang but as you said, the cancellation of the series may not have been planned at that time or else the final episode or two may have been different.

I believe (as I may have said) that the best episodes of the series are Swann's Way, Miraculous Martin, and The Barber Shop, but that's me.

Overall, a good show, but I'm not sure how much I like it as the others do. I like it but I don't love it, yet. However, my perspective is skewed because I think I was trying to rush watching all the episodes. I don't agree that it's a show that we can watch over and over (that could be debateable for some) but I think that every now and then I can go back and watch an episode or two and it will literally look different this time because I think I will be more relaxed about it and not watching it to find out what it's all about.

^Now that you have seen all the episodes, when you decide to watch them again, you can view them with some degree of familiarity.

From the 1st season, a few of my favorite episodes are: A Word From Our Sponsor, The Return Of Big Bad Bubba Bronson, How You Play The Game, Rules Is Rules, The Gumball Incident, Lullaby And Goodnight, Driven To Distraction, This Mouth Is Rated X, Brotherly Love, Going The Route, Lovers Quarrel, and The Worst Crook That Ever Lived.

In the 2nd season, I like the episode The Green Eyed Monster, the young black kid who appears in this episode as a high school student, the kid who Chet is trying to help, he's really funny in the episode. I like how Chet gives the kid advice on relationships, but when it comes to his own relationship, looks like Chet needs some advice himself. :lol: Power Of The Trees is a decent episode, I like it fairly well.

Some other 2nd season favorites of mine are: The Barber Shop (of course:lol: ), Tobacco Road, Swann's Way, March Of The Antelopes, Anytime You're Ready CK, The Lincoln Letter, To Each According To Appetite, Is There A Doctor In The Hospital, and The Sesame Street Rumble. As I mentioned before, there are about 6 episodes or so from the series I don't like as well, I enjoy the majority of the episodes.

Nice talking to you about The Bill Cosby Show, there aren't many Sitcoms Online users who post often about this show, nice chatting with you and sharing opinions.

^Now that you have seen all the episodes, when you decide to watch them again, you can view them with some degree of familiarity.

From the 1st season, a few of my favorite episodes are: A Word From Our Sponsor, The Return Of Big Bad Bubba Bronson, How You Play The Game, Rules Is Rules, The Gumball Incident, Lullaby And Goodnight, Driven To Distraction, This Mouth Is Rated X, Brotherly Love, Going The Route, Lovers Quarrel, and The Worst Crook That Ever Lived.

In the 2nd season, I like the episode The Green Eyed Monster, the young black kid who appears in this episode as a high school student, the kid who Chet is trying to help, he's really funny in the episode. I like how Chet gives the kid advice on relationships, but when it comes to his own relationship, looks like Chet needs some advice himself. :lol: Power Of The Trees is a decent episode, I like it fairly well.

Some other 2nd season favorites of mine are: The Barber Shop (of course:lol: ), Tobacco Road, Swann's Way, March Of The Antelopes, Anytime You're Ready CK, The Lincoln Letter, To Each According To Appetite, Is There A Doctor In The Hospital, and The Sesame Street Rumble. As I mentioned before, there are about 6 episodes or so from the series I don't like as well, I enjoy the majority of the episodes.

Nice talking to you about The Bill Cosby Show, there aren't many Sitcoms Online users who post often about this show, nice chatting with you and sharing opinions.
I've been happy to talk about this too. I don't think there's anywhere else that I'll be able to talk about this. Are you remaining subscribed to this thread? Sometimes a thought comes into my mind about this show and at times I'm tempted to write it here but I later forget what the thought was, or sometimes I think that I'll be the only one around here. lol.

I've been happy to talk about this too. I don't think there's anywhere else that I'll be able to talk about this. Are you remaining subscribed to this thread? Sometimes a thought comes into my mind about this show and at times I'm tempted to write it here but I later forget what the thought was, or sometimes I think that I'll be the only one around here. lol.

Yes I'll be here, whenever you have something to say about The Bill Cosby Show, post your comment and I'll reply. Take care, talk to you later. :)

I don't have a whole lot to say about specifics at the moment, but one thing I can say is that as far as I am concerned, it is beneficial to watch this show twice so that one's understanding of the plots and characters can be solidified. I am not forcing myself to watch every episode once again, but I have discovered a newfound level of appreciation and enjoyment for this show the second time around. One poster did comment that it isn't the type of show you would want to watch over and over, but I still think that one's perspective about the show cannot be ascertained with one viewing only. The second time around is helping me like the show considerably more than the first time I watched it. Maybe I should waited to review the product on Amazon, but it was hard for me to. lol. I might have added a star to it.

anyway - to retroTVfan...have you seen I Spy with Bill Cosby and Robert Culp? if so, what do you think of it?

I don't have a whole lot to say about specifics at the moment, but one thing I can say is that as far as I am concerned, it is beneficial to watch this show twice so that one's understanding of the plots and characters can be solidified. I am not forcing myself to watch every episode once again, but I have discovered a newfound level of appreciation and enjoyment for this show the second time around. One poster did comment that it isn't the type of show you would want to watch over and over, but I still think that one's perspective about the show cannot be ascertained with one viewing only. The second time around is helping me like the show considerably more than the first time I watched it. Maybe I should waited to review the product on Amazon, but it was hard for me to. lol. I might have added a star to it.

anyway - to retroTVfan...have you seen I Spy with Bill Cosby and Robert Culp? if so, what do you think of it?

The Bill Cosby Show is the type of show you will enjoy better as you get more familiar with it. I'm glad you're becoming a fan of the show. Shout Factory did a fairly decent job with the DVD's, a couple 1st season episodes and a couple 2nd season episodes have a defective audio track, but aside from that the quality is good.

I have seen I Spy, but to be honest I'm generally not a fan of spy/cop shows. When I Spy first went on the air in 1965, Bill Cosby was mostly known as a stand up comic and for his comedy record albums. So it was surprising to see him star in a dramatic TV show. Bill Cosby and Robert Culp did work well together in the show, as they traveled the globe and got involved in various foreign intrigue. I Spy was hip and trendy for it's time, spy shows were popular in the mid 60's, but I've just never got into it. I like The Man From U.N.C.L.E., though.

The Bill Cosby Show is the type of show you will enjoy better as you get more familiar with it. I'm glad you're becoming a fan of the show. Shout Factory did a fairly decent job with the DVD's, a couple 1st season episodes and a couple 2nd season episodes have a defective audio track, but aside from that the quality is good.

I have seen I Spy, but to be honest I'm generally not a fan of spy/cop shows. When I Spy first went on the air in 1965, Bill Cosby was mostly known as a stand up comic and for his comedy record albums. So it was surprising to see him star in a dramatic TV show. Bill Cosby and Robert Culp did work well together in the show, as they traveled the globe and got involved in various foreign intrigue. I Spy was hip and trendy for it's time, spy shows were popular in the mid 60's, but I've just never got into it. I like The Man From U.N.C.L.E., though.
I don't know much about spy/cop shows. Is there something specific about those types of shows that you don't like? It would help give me something to think about, that's all. Are the plots easy enough to understand, like the Bill Cosby show generally is?

It doesn't bother me to see Cosby in a different type of role than what we're accustomed to. In fact, I might even enjoy that, but I'm not going to jump the gun just yet and get the series or anything. Shout Factory does plan to release the complete series in June, though.

Which episodes had the audio problems? I did notice it in Lovers Quarrel, that I had to put the volume higher in this one, but overall, the audio was good for me, at least.

I noticed in the Season 2 DVDs that they did have the menu for the episodes, but when you clicked on an episode, the actual show immediately began - as opposed to Season 1, where you would click on an episode, and then another submenu came in which the episode was divided into 4 parts, and we could choose whatever part we wanted. There are such divisions in the Season 2 episodes if we use a certain key on our remotes, though.

I don't know much about spy/cop shows. Is there something specific about those types of shows that you don't like? It would help give me something to think about, that's all. Are the plots easy enough to understand, like the Bill Cosby show generally is?

It doesn't bother me to see Cosby in a different type of role than what we're accustomed to. In fact, I might even enjoy that, but I'm not going to jump the gun just yet and get the series or anything. Shout Factory does plan to release the complete series in June, though.

Which episodes had the audio problems? I did notice it in Lovers Quarrel, that I had to put the volume higher in this one, but overall, the audio was good for me, at least.

I noticed in the Season 2 DVDs that they did have the menu for the episodes, but when you clicked on an episode, the actual show immediately began - as opposed to Season 1, where you would click on an episode, and then another submenu came in which the episode was divided into 4 parts, and we could choose whatever part we wanted. There are such divisions in the Season 2 episodes if we use a certain key on our remotes, though.

Shout Factory didn't put a full effort into the 2nd season DVD of The Bill Cosby Show, that's for sure. Different packaging, no episode descriptions, and as you mentioned, the 2nd season DVD doesn't have the submenus like the 1st season has.

These are the DVD episodes I have noticed that have distortion in the audio track:

1st season:
Lullaby And Goodnight
Best Hook Shot In The World
Lovers Quarrel

2nd season:
March Of The Antelopes
To Each According To Appetite

In regards again to I Spy, I've never really been a fan of spy/cop shows, it's not so much that the plots are difficult to understand, they can be sometimes, but it's mostly that this type of show usually doesn't interest me. As mentioned before, I do like Man From U.N.C.L.E., I also like Cannon and The Mod Squad. Mannix is OK too, but I don't have DVD's of that. I have the 1st season of Streets Of San Francisco on DVD. I also have on DVD all 10 episodes of David Cassidy Man Undercover, uncut episodes recorded from TV, I obtained these in trade with another collector. So there are some cop shows I do like, I guess it depends on the show. I definitely DO NOT like Hawaii Five-O, I don't like the original version and the current version is a thousand times worse.

A few years ago, I actually thought about buying the 3 seasons of I Spy on DVD, the Image Entertainment releases, they were being sold for really cheap, about 15 dollars a season, I could have had the whole series for about 50 bucks. If I was really a fan of the show, I would have picked those up for that great price. I believe the Image Entertainment DVD's are out of print now.

retroTVfan4ever,

I don't know if you are in this thread anymore but after finally viewing both seasons' episodes twice now, I can officially say now that this show is GREAT! I've changed my mind about it in that I like it more than The Cosby Show now. I've definitely changed my mind completely on this, and it really is unfortunate how it only lasted 2 seasons.

retroTVfan4ever,

I don't know if you are in this thread anymore but after finally viewing both seasons' episodes twice now, I can officially say now that this show is GREAT! I've changed my mind about it in that I like it more than The Cosby Show now. I've definitely changed my mind completely on this, and it really is unfortunate how it only lasted 2 seasons.

Yes I'm still here, I'm glad you've become a big fan of The Bill Cosby Show. The series displays Cosby at his best, there's absolutely no doubt about it. And for the most part, the episodes are scripted well, well written. The show is simply very pleasing to watch. Bill Cosby had an iron clad contract with NBC to run the show for 2 seasons. I believe there were basically two reasons for the shows cancellation. First, NBC was miffed at Cosby for his refusal to allow a laugh track in the episodes. The other reason is, the show dropped out of the top 30 in the ratings for the 2nd season. I agree with Cosby that the show is better without the laugh track.

Some trivia history of this Sunday night timeslot when The Bill Cosby Show originally aired: Hey Landlord aired for one season in 1966-67. Then, The Mothers In Law aired for two seasons, 1967-69. Then, The Bill Cosby Show aired for two seasons, 1969-71. Then, The Jimmy Stewart Show aired for a season, 1971-72. Then, The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie began airing in 1972-73.

Sorry but I have one final question lol but it's embarrassing to ask.

I know you don't like I Spy and that's totally OK but in the event I want to check it out, I'm wondering - the series is Unrated but what is the amount of violence and/or sexual content of this? I hate sounding like an uptight person because I can deal with some of it to a degree but I don't like raunchy amounts of either component LOL.

Anyway in a previous post I said I didn't like The Green Eyed Monster episode but upon a second viewing of it I ask myself how did I not like that one? That was a funny episode. I don't get how Chet managed to bring that kid to dinner with him because I don't remember Chet planning to do so and I thought it was hilarious when that kid tried to pronounce the French foods on the menu.

I Spy was produced by Sheldon Leonard, he also produced Andy Griffith Show, Dick Van Dyke Show, and Gomer Pyle USMC. I don't think the sex/violence is amped up any higher compared to other 60's cop/spy shows. It's a well made show, worth checking out if you can find the DVD's at a good price, Bill Cosby and Robert Culp perform well together. I'm just generally not a fan of drama, cop/spy shows, I prefer sitcoms.

Speaking of I Spy - I am not sure if you still follow this thread, but I happened to try out I Spy and it's been many weeks since I've had it, but I can't seem to make it past the 5th episode because I can't get into it. I got it at a low price ($35, with the help of Amazon Rewards card), so at least I got it for far lower than average. But I'm struggling to get into it, as I said. I found a site that gives a decent detailed summary of each episode, but to me, the episodes have events in them that contradict each other and make the episodes confusing for me, and I can't enjoy them under those circumstances. There's like 80-something episodes and if I have only watched 5 episodes within the past month or two, it's going to be a long, long time before I reach the end.

I find it frustrating. For example, in one of the episodes, this Chinese guy claims that he truly doesn't have any money and that his son-in-laws are after his money because they think he's rich, but then leaves to another island and Kelly and Scott find him all wealthy, etc.

Then the episode where the French guy thinks he captured stolen plans...OK why did that one guy gave Kelly and Scott the assignment to retrieve stolen plans if the plans were fake? What was the point of this? And where were the real plans?

And the Blue Drag society one was unnerving. I didn't get the end. First, Serengi fakes his death, then finds out that the society wants to kill him? I thought that society was in on him faking his death, and the next thing I know, his wife shoots him dead...I'm thinking...huh?

these are just a few examples of what I'm facing. It drives me nuts. I know this isn't the right forum for this, but I thought that you may understand my frustration.

[QUOTE=Alan Brady's Hair]Amazon reviews can usually be edited.

I always liked this show when I was a kid. Some people have said it might be an early version of a "dramedy." A similar show from that era was "My World and Welcome To It," with William Windom.

It's a very quiet show, but it could be like Seinfeld in that it could devote a great deal of attention to a small matter. I remember one episode where Chet Kincaid spent the whole show working his way through the school bureaucracy, to obtain a needle to blow up his basketballs.[/QUOTE


It was a dramedy

Could be. My earliest memory of "dramedy" being used to describe a show was for Days and Nights of Molly Dodd and for Hooperman around 1987, but of course the mixing of serious and comic material goes back to the earliest storytelling.


I don;t even hearing a laugh track when I watched it so I always thought it was a dramedy

Speaking of I Spy - I am not sure if you still follow this thread, but I happened to try out I Spy and it's been many weeks since I've had it, but I can't seem to make it past the 5th episode because I can't get into it. I got it at a low price ($35, with the help of Amazon Rewards card), so at least I got it for far lower than average. But I'm struggling to get into it, as I said. I found a site that gives a decent detailed summary of each episode, but to me, the episodes have events in them that contradict each other and make the episodes confusing for me, and I can't enjoy them under those circumstances. There's like 80-something episodes and if I have only watched 5 episodes within the past month or two, it's going to be a long, long time before I reach the end.

I find it frustrating. For example, in one of the episodes, this Chinese guy claims that he truly doesn't have any money and that his son-in-laws are after his money because they think he's rich, but then leaves to another island and Kelly and Scott find him all wealthy, etc.

Then the episode where the French guy thinks he captured stolen plans...OK why did that one guy gave Kelly and Scott the assignment to retrieve stolen plans if the plans were fake? What was the point of this? And where were the real plans?

And the Blue Drag society one was unnerving. I didn't get the end. First, Serengi fakes his death, then finds out that the society wants to kill him? I thought that society was in on him faking his death, and the next thing I know, his wife shoots him dead...I'm thinking...huh?

these are just a few examples of what I'm facing. It drives me nuts. I know this isn't the right forum for this, but I thought that you may understand my frustration.

I pretty much agree with you. I Spy is a well made show, the acting is professional, but the writing tends to be disjointed, plots and stories can be confusing to follow. I find this to be a problem with many cop shows, not just I Spy, that's why I'm not a big fan of the genre. Cop shows tend to be confusing. Try watching the episodes again, maybe there is something you missed the first time around, and the events will make more sense. But overall, I recommend The Bill Cosby Show over I Spy. I don't post here often these days, not much to say lately, but I do read the boards on occasion.

I pretty much agree with you. I Spy is a well made show, the acting is professional, but the writing tends to be disjointed, plots and stories can be confusing to follow. I find this to be a problem with many cop shows, not just I Spy, that's why I'm not a big fan of the genre. Cop shows tend to be confusing. Try watching the episodes again, maybe there is something you missed the first time around, and the events will make more sense. But overall, I recommend The Bill Cosby Show over I Spy. I don't post here often these days, not much to say lately, but I do read the boards on occasion.
Although I have been subscribed to this thread, there must have been a glitch, because although I receive email notifications for responses to this thread, I didn't somehow receive such notifications the last time, making me believe that this thread was never bumped. That's why I never came back for a long time.

Anyway, I think I've only watched 3 episodes of I Spy since the last time I was in this thread. It really pains me to say this, but I don't know how long I can continue watching this show or if I can watch it at all anymore. I did not want to stop watching it because even though I paid only $35 for all 3 Seasons, I would feel like I wasted my money even more if I didn't persevere in finishing the series. But 82 episodes IS quite a lot of episodes when you're annoyed with a show. The problems I have are the same as I described in my last post.

The thing is, I really do enjoy Cosby and Culp playing off each other. If there is only thing that could remotely help me finish watching this stuff, it is Cosby. If Cosby were not in this show, I may not have thought of finishing this show in the future. Also, the scenery is good, and there is an "energy" to this show that I like, but the plots fall short of appealing to me.

I'm tempted to go back and watch some "The Bill Cosby Show" episodes again, instead of continuing with this, but I'm apprehensive of the possibility that if I do that, I won't go back to I Spy again. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I Spy has proven to be a frustrating show for me after the near completion of the 2nd disc thus far. The silver lining in this is that I sometimes can understand a little better the 2nd time around watching an episode. I also read an Amazon review somewhere (I wish I could find which one it was) that the first 8 episodes or so are not that interesting, but that it gets better. I don't know...I'll see.

It's possible that I Spy improves a little as the series goes along, perhaps it took the writers a few episodes to get in the groove of things. See what you think after watching a few more episodes.

I'm currently enjoying watching DVD's of Mary Hartman Mary Hartman the complete series. I hadn't seen the series since it originally aired, it's fun to see the show again.

It's possible that I Spy improves a little as the series goes along, perhaps it took the writers a few episodes to get in the groove of things. See what you think after watching a few more episodes.

I'm currently enjoying watching DVD's of Mary Hartman Mary Hartman the complete series. I hadn't seen the series since it originally aired, it's fun to see the show again.
In retrospect, I think I may have overreacted a bit in my last post.

Yes, I Spy can be frustrating due to confusions in the plots sometimes, but it is getting a little better from the 7th episode on. I'm about to watch the 12th one, and I'm trying to take it easy this time. So from 7 onwards, the show seems to be more engaging. A couple of the episodes were also more straightforward than previous ones. By episode 7, I think that the writers are injecting more humor between Cosby and Culp, and that is helping. There is a newfound energy that seems to be emerging. That's not to say that the show won't have its moments, but I'll try to be patient. I have a better feeling now about this show. I may not ever like it as much as TBCS, but it's too soon to tell.

I do like how it is filmed in different countries. They started out in Hong Kong, now they're in Japan. I like how they're filming different scenery. They're going to film in more countries as the series progresses.

Thankfully, I have a website that gives a detailed plot of each episode. That also "kinda sorta" helps out. It's not a magic panacea, but it sure beats nothing at all.

Perhaps the biggest downside is how long it may take me to finish the series. I am only on Disc 3 of Season 1. I have a long, long way to go and I just don't know how I'm going to finish this, among all the other distractions of life. It may take months.

Once this is done, I may go back to The Bill Cosby Show. I miss that show so much. But one thing at a time.

I Spy is a drama, The Bill Cosby Show is a comedy. So it's difficult to compare the two since they are different types of shows. If having to pick one over the other, I'd go with The Bill Cosby Show as I think that show overall has better script writing. I Spy has it's moments, just fewer and farther between. I also don't really like Cosby's visual appearance in the I Spy episodes, he looks cooler and more hip in The Bill Cosby Show.

It's good that both seasons of The Bill Cosby Show have already had a DVD release. With all the negative publicity lately regarding Mr. Cosby, it's possible the series wouldn't get released on DVD now.

As much as I like Bill Cosby as a standup comedian, I have not liked any of his series, including I Spy, the Bill Cosby Show, or Cosby.