Would The Cosby Show Have Worked In The 70s? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

USATVFAN · 11-25-2007, 07:08 PM

I've Always Wonder If The Cosby Show Would Have Made It In Thr 70s If It Have Came A Decade Earlier,so do you Think It Would Have Worked In The 1970s?
At That Time The Jeffersons,Sanford And Son And Good Times Were The Most Popular African-American comedies At That Time.

tv star collector · 11-25-2007, 08:09 PM

Bill Cosby's style of comedy was very different from Norman Lear's. His was a
gentler humor, almost reminiscent of the shows from the '50s like OZZIE &
HARRIET and LEAVE IT TO BEAVER. But that's just my opinion. If you're
asking would it have worked in the '70s, yes, I think it would have worked in
the '70s or the '60s or the '50s or even today. It's timeless. That's why his
monologues from the '60s are still funny today (I have two of his comedy
albums). A spoof of THE COSBY SHOW in the humor magazine Cracked (sort of a poor man's Mad magazine) had, in the last panel, the family leaving him
because they were "sick of being nothing but straight men so you can do one
monologue after another on us." But, actually Cos DID use bits from some of
his monologues on his TV sitcom. And those bits (like the characters on the show) were largely based on his own family (he really did have a son and
three daughters). That is what made the show so real. This is not to take
anything away from Lear, who did have very good writers. But, to me, the
situations in Lear's shows, while funny (often hilarious) never rang true like
Cosby's. Again, that's just my opinion.

GARFIELDKOOL · 12-02-2007, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George&weezyforever

I've Always Wonder If The Cosby Show Would Have Made It In Thr 70s If It Have Came A Decade Earlier,so do you Think It Would Have Worked In The 1970s?
At That Time The Jeffersons,Sanford And Son And Good Times Were The Most Popular African-American comedies At That Time.

I think if it would have premiered before All in the Family, it would have worked. It would have broke ground for that time being the first black family on TV. If it would have premiered after All in th Famiy in the 70s, I don't know. The clean cut comedy probably would have gotten swallowed up with real life social problems sitcoms of the 70s.

11-25-2007, 07:08 PM	#1
USATVFAN Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 31, 2007 Location: Kalispell, USA Posts: 1,742	Would The Cosby Show Have Worked In The 70s? I've Always Wonder If The Cosby Show Would Have Made It In Thr 70s If It Have Came A Decade Earlier,so do you Think It Would Have Worked In The 1970s? At That Time The Jeffersons,Sanford And Son And Good Times Were The Most Popular African-American comedies At That Time.

11-25-2007, 08:09 PM	#2
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,486	Bill Cosby's style of comedy was very different from Norman Lear's. His was a gentler humor, almost reminiscent of the shows from the '50s like OZZIE & HARRIET and LEAVE IT TO BEAVER. But that's just my opinion. If you're asking would it have worked in the '70s, yes, I think it would have worked in the '70s or the '60s or the '50s or even today. It's timeless. That's why his monologues from the '60s are still funny today (I have two of his comedy albums). A spoof of THE COSBY SHOW in the humor magazine Cracked (sort of a poor man's Mad magazine) had, in the last panel, the family leaving him because they were "sick of being nothing but straight men so you can do one monologue after another on us." But, actually Cos DID use bits from some of his monologues on his TV sitcom. And those bits (like the characters on the show) were largely based on his own family (he really did have a son and three daughters). That is what made the show so real. This is not to take anything away from Lear, who did have very good writers. But, to me, the situations in Lear's shows, while funny (often hilarious) never rang true like Cosby's. Again, that's just my opinion.