The pilot is about to air. What are your personal views on it?

Big change in the children, except Denise, of course...

There was a big change in the set. The pilot had all the same sets except for the living room. The weird thing is that the living set in the pilot was about the same size as the living room in a real brownstone. But after the episode, the producers probably thought they needed a better living room set. They also probably thought that the living room needed to be bigger so they could use the standard 4 camera set-up.

They said they have four kids but they really have five. And isn't the guy who played Denise's date the same guy who played Tootie's boyfriend Jeff on The Facts of Life? I started taping the show last night with the pilot... I really shouldn't because I already have way too many tapes in my room but oh well.

Originally posted by tootieismyfav
And isn't the guy who played Denise's date the same guy who played Tootie's boyfriend Jeff on The Facts of Life?

Yep, it is the same guy!:)

I noticed at the very beginning of the eppie, the camera zoomed in on the brownstone and next to the front door there was a little engraved gold plate that read "Clifford Huxtable, MD."

Later we find out that Cliff's real name is Heathcliff,,not Clifford.

Also I believe only 4 children were mentioned and the Sondra character was written in later that season.

Vanessa refers to Theo as "Teddy" several times. Claire calls him Theodore. Only Cliff calls him Theo.

I don't think the kids are that different in the pilot, with the exception of Vanessa, who is a real wise-ass (and very funny). I love the line where Cliff is trying to convince Rudy that monsters aren't going to get her. Rudy isn't convinced, and Vanessa says, "Anyone have any other bright ideas?"

Claire is much less sanctimonious, and much more the harried housewife in the pilot. Everyone seems a little less perfect.

I really love the pilot -- it's one of my favorite episodes. How many shows can you say that about?

Did anyone ever see "Billy Cosby 'Himself'". It's a recording of one of his stand-up shows performed in Canada. I think it was in 1982. It's really funny. But the point is that I noticed that he took A LOT of the same material and used it in the pilot episode.

The pilot has to be one of the funniest pilots ever for a television series. The first 3 seasons of this show were awesome. It's started to drag in the 4 season. However, there are MANY great episodes in the later years like:

Claire's Menopause (Season 7)

Vanessa Brings Home Dabnus (Season 8)

Vanessa Get's Drunk (Season 6)

Jeremy Keeps Vanessa out too late (Season 5)

Originally posted by danielle17
Did anyone ever see "Billy Cosby 'Himself'". It's a recording of one of his stand-up shows performed in Canada. I think it was in 1982. It's really funny. But the point is that I noticed that he took A LOT of the same material and used it in the pilot episode.
Yeah, I saw it and noticed that, too. "The Cosby Show" was based on Bill's stand-up act, the same way that "Roseanne" was based on Roseanne Barr's act, and "Home Improvement" was based on Tim Allen's act. All three pilots contain a lot of material from the stand-up act of the series star.