Why did “The Bill cosby Show” only run two seasons? Were the ratings not good?

The ratings were better in the 1st season compared to the 2nd season, but I believe Cosby had an iron clad contract with NBC that guaranteed the series would run at least two seasons. I think a reason for the cancellation was that NBC wanted the series to have a laugh track, Cosby didn't want a laugh track, Cosby won and the episodes didn't have a laugh track. So then, NBC basically said, OK we'll give the series it's two season run but then we'll pull the plug on it. And that's what they did. It's too bad because this was a good show, I think it's the best TV show Cosby made. Better than I Spy and better than The Cosby Show that came along later in the 1980's.

If The Bill Cosby Show hadn't been cancelled after season 2, I think it had one more season of life in it, there could have been a season 3 but that likely would have been it. The Jimmy Stewart Show took the time slot of The Bill Cosby Show for the 1971-72 season, then in 1972-73 NBC started going with those mystery movies, Banacek, MacMillan & Wife, Cool Million, The Snoop Sisters, McCloud, shows like that.

The ratings were better in the 1st season compared to the 2nd season, but I believe Cosby had an iron clad contract with NBC that guaranteed the series would run at least two seasons. I think a reason for the cancellation was that NBC wanted the series to have a laugh track, Cosby didn't want a laugh track, Cosby won and the episodes didn't have a laugh track. So then, NBC basically said, OK we'll give the series it's two season run but then we'll pull the plug on it. And that's what they did. It's too bad because this was a good show, I think it's the best TV show Cosby made. Better than I Spy and better than The Cosby Show that came along later in the 1980's.

If The Bill Cosby Show hadn't been cancelled after season 2, I think it had one more season of life in it, there could have been a season 3 but that likely would have been it. The Jimmy Stewart Show took the time slot of The Bill Cosby Show for the 1971-72 season, then in 1972-73 NBC started going with those mystery movies, Banacek, MacMillan & Wife, Cool Million, The Snoop Sisters, McCloud, shows like that.

I agree 100% that this was Bill Cosby’s best show. I’m glad I have it on DVD too. I find laugh tracks annoying and wish more shows didn’t have them.

Wonder why NBC couldn't of just accepted the show the way it was?

Certainly wasn't hurting the show.

I agree that this was Bill Cosbys best show; shame no one ever shows it anymore. Last time I remember seeing it was back in the 70s when WPIX in New York showed it on weekday afternoons (just a couple years after it ended its run on NBC).
No-I take that back. I remember seeing it on some cable station a few years ago and that was the first time I had seen it in YEEEARS! I watched it and it was just as good and funny as I remembered.

Seems petty to cancel a series for not having a laugh track.
Nowadays, many sitcoms don’t have them.

Seems petty to cancel a series for not having a laugh track.
Nowadays, many sitcoms don’t have them.

Cosby had a contract with NBC which guaranteed the series would run a minimum of two seasons. The suits at NBC weren't happy about losing the laugh track battle although the ratings had gone down some in the 2nd season so that could have been another reason for cancellation. Would have been nice if the series had been green lighted to continue for one more go around and given a 3rd season, but not meant to be.

Regarding the laugh track issue, I think the episodes are just fine without it, musical cues are inserted in the episodes in places where there otherwise would be a laugh track. Laugh tracks can sometimes be distracting anyway and they clutter up the audio.

I agree that this was Bill Cosbys best show; shame no one ever shows it anymore. Last time I remember seeing it was back in the 70s when WPIX in New York showed it on weekday afternoons (just a couple years after it ended its run on NBC).
No-I take that back. I remember seeing it on some cable station a few years ago and that was the first time I had seen it in YEEEARS! I watched it and it was just as good and funny as I remembered.

I don't know if the episodes will be shown on TV anymore because of Cosby's scandal. Anyone who has the DVD's should hang on to them because I think they're out of print now. Shout Factory released the 1st season in 2006, then released season 2 in 2010.

Maybe the series was ahead of its time in some way.

And what else is new?

Could stories about Colby’s abhorrent behavior led lNBC to cancel the show?

Could stories about Colby’s abhorrent behavior led lNBC to cancel the show?

Regarding the laugh track issue, I think the episodes are just fine without it, musical cues are inserted in the episodes in places where there otherwise would be a laugh track. Laugh tracks can sometimes be distracting anyway and they clutter up the audio.

NBC had several other sitcoms just before and just after 1969 that didn't have canned laughter:

Occassional Wife (1966)
Julia (1968)
Nancy (1970)
From a Bird's Eye View (1971)

Seems like there was another reason such as Cosby's vision of what he wanted in general clashed with NBC's ideas. Cosby's show had more flavor to it than Julia or any other sitcom on NBC around that time.

The Jimmy Stewart Show took the time slot of The Bill Cosby Show for the 1971-72 season

Jimmy Stewart Show didn't use a laugh track, either. There were a lot of shows at that time that were reducing use of laugh tracks, but Mary Tyler Moore, All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Odd Couple just blew them away.

The two year tenure of The Bill Cosby Show was part of the TV scheduling paradox of 1960's, the outrageous good fortune of being bookended by two mega hit series, The Wonderful World of Disney 7:30-8:30pm and Bonanza 9-10pm, who could want for anything more. As it turned out what appeared to be the French Riviera turned out to be the Bermuda Triangle of time slots. Here's a list of the shows that sailed in never to sail out:

(The slot opens in 1961-62 when The Wonderful World of Disney is scheduled in the 7:30-8:30 position with Bonanza already occupying the 9pm-10pm slot. This programming slot would exist until 72-73 when Bonanza was moved to Tuesday.)

Car 54, Where Are You?

Two seasons, first, did very well, second, not so well, cancelled.

Grindl

One season, cancelled

The Bill Dana Show

Half a season. This show was cancelled, it had been moved into this timeslot after a mediocre first season as the 7:00-7:30 show on Sunday.

Branded

Season and a half.

Hey, Landlord

One season

The Mothers-in-Law

Two seasons

The Bill Cosby Show

Two Seasons

The Jimmy Stewart Show

One season

The two series that had the most success in that time slot were The Bill Cosby Show and Car 54, Where Are You?, both shows were top 20 hits their first season and both series had a significant drop in their second season.