Synopsis
Includes:
The Cosby Show: Olivia Comes Out of the Closet (1991)
The Cosby Show: For Men Only (1991)
The Cosby Show: Olivia's Field Trip (1991)
The Cosby Show: The Iceman Bricketh (1991)
The Cosby Show: It's Apparent to Everyone (1991)
The Cosby Show: Particles in Motion (1991)
The Cosby Show: There's No Place Like This Home (1991)
The Cosby Show: With This Ring? (1991)
The Cosby Show: Clair's Place (1991)
The Cosby Show: Two Is a Crowd (1991)
The Cosby Show: Warning: A Double-Lit Candle Can Cause a Meltdown (1991)
The Cosby Show: Pam Applies to College (1991)
The Cosby Show: And So We Commence, Part 1 (1992)
The Cosby Show: Some Gifts Aren't Deductible (1992)
The Cosby Show: You Can't Stop the Music (1992)
The Cosby Show: Rudy's Retreat (1992)
The Cosby Show: Clair's Reunion (1992)
The Cosby Show: Eat, Drink and Be Wary (1992)
The Cosby Show: And So We Commence, Part 2 (1992)
The Cosby Show: The Price Is Wrong (1992)
The Cosby Show: Theo's Future (1992)
The Cosby Show: Cliff and Theo Come Clean (1992)
The Cosby Show: Cliff Gets Jilted (1992)
The Cosby Show: The Getaway (1992)
The Cosby Show: Bring Me the Lip Gloss of Deirdre Arpelle (1992)
The Cosby Show: Olivia Comes Out of the Closet
Everyone in the family is thrilled by a visit from celebrated African singer Miriam Makeba--everyone, that is, except Olivia (Raven-Symone), who is nowhere to be found. Depressed over the fact that she won't see her Navy-officer father for another three months, Olivia deliberately gets lost in hopes of persuading him to stay. In the end, it is Ms. Makeba who locates Olivia and dispense a few heartfelt words of wisdom. This episode marks the final appearance of former series regular Joseph C. Phillips, in the role of Olivia's father Martin. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: For Men Only
Asked to teach a "For Men Only" course at Theo's community center, Cliff (Bill Cosby) precipitates a heated discourse, as the inner-city teens complain about being blamed for all the trouble in the community. Among the biggest complainers is a fellow named Cal (Akili Prince), who seems to be a textbook example of the phrase "absentee father." In his efforts to straighten out Cal and the rest of the teens, Cliff delivers a stirring (and surprisingly joke-free) monologue on the subject of personal responsibility. And back at home, Cliff's dad Russell (Earle Hyman) succumbs to the lure of his granddaughter's new video game! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Olivia's Field Trip
Much against their will, Cliff (Bill Cosby) and his neighbor Jeffrey (Wallace Shawn) agree to escort Olivia (Raven-Symone) and her classmates on a museum field trip. Meanwhile, a nervous Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) is put in charge of the community center's fundraiser. While Cliff survives his ordeal, Theo may not be so lucky: it turns out that the expensive T-shirts he has ordered as prizes have no neckholes. But lest you think that Theo is doomed, please remember that his mom Clair (Phylicia Rashad) is an attorney! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: The Iceman Bricketh
Although Vanessa's 28-year-old fiance Dabnis (William Thomas Jr.) has passed muster with her parents Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair (Phylicia Rashad), he must now endure the judgmental scrutiny of her grandfather Russell (Earle Hyman). It helps matters not at all when, thanks to a misunderstanding, Russell becomes convinced that Dabnis is actually 45 years old--and as such, an automatic "dirty old man." Meanwhile, Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) is having a lot of trouble setting a wedding date, indicating that those pesky "second thoughts" are dancing around in her head. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: It's Apparent to Everyone
Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair (Phylicia Rashad) are worn to a frazzle by the disruptive behavior of their twin grandkids Nelson (Gary Gray) and Winnie (Jessica Vaughn). Even more annoying is the unwillingness of the twins' parents Sondra (Sabrina LeBeauf) and Elvin (Geoffrey Owens) to curb the kids' antics--and since the couple won't be able to move into their own house for another sixty days, it looks as though things will get worse before they get better. In desperation, Cliff constructs a makeshift "fort" in his living room to keep the twins at bay--and when this fails, he tries to palm the youngsters off on his own parents! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Particles in Motion
Placed in charge of the community center's upcoming parent-counselor night, Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) worries that he will be unable to effectively communicate with the mothers and father of the center's most troubled kids. Further vexing Theo is the fact that single mom Lisa (Saundra Quarterman) is attracted to him, despite his most strenuous efforts to maintain a professional distance between himself and his clients. Meanwhile, Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) falls for Theo's favorite student Stanley (Merlin Santana)--and Rudy's lifelong friend Kenny (Deon Richmond) is not happy about this, not happy at all! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: There's No Place Like This Home
While otherwise preoccupied with building a new soundproof (and kidproof) room in their house, Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair (Phylicia Rashad) cosign a loan that will enable daughter Sondra (Sabrina LeBeauf) and son-in-law Elvin (Geoffrey Owen) to buy their own place. Unfortunately, there are two unexpected complications: Elvin suffers a panic attack when he realizes how much the house will cost him, and at the last minute the people from whom Elvin and Sondra are purchasing the house abruptly cancel the deal! Will poor Cliff EVER be rid of his troublesome progeny? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: With This Ring?
The eighth and final season of The Cosby Show gets under way with a surprise announcement from Vanessa, third-eldest of the Huxtable daughters. It seems that for the past six months, Vanessa has been engaged to Dabnis Brickey (William Thomas Jr.), the maintenance man at her college--and a man who is twelve years older than she! During a family dinner, Vanessa's parents Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair (Phylicia Rashad) are more than a little concerned as Dabnis rattles off his previous romances. Naturally, Cliff is dead set against his daughter's impending marriage, until he realizes two things: He likes Dabnis, and he will finally get Vanessa out of the house. (Conspicuous by their absence are the Huxtables' daughter Denise and her husband Martin, who--according to the script--is now stationed in Japan.) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Clair's Place
Completing the extra room in his house ahead of schedule, Cliff (Bill Csoby) proudly presents the sumptuous new living space to his wife Clair (Phylicia Rashad)...who promptly moves in and refuses to leave! Upset that their mom has shut herself off from the rest of the family--or, as she puts it, "away from the people who think you were put on Earth to serve them"--the Huxtable kids devise all manner of strategies to lure her back outside. Meanwhile, Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) is perplexed over his dad's apparent refusal to put up the Christmas tree lights. This episode was originally scheduled to air on December 12, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Two Is a Crowd
The longer Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) puts off setting a wedding date, the more frustrated Dabnis (William Thomas Jr. becomes--especially since it was Vanessa who insisted upon marriage in the first place. And in another matter of the heart, Kenny (Deon Richmond) begins hanging around the house in hopes of getting his former hearthrob Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam), who has broken up with Stanley (Merlin Santana), on the rebound. In a fascinating plot twist, it is Stanley himself who helps Kenny reclaim Rudy's heart, using words of affection that are remarkably familiar--mainly because they'd been spoken by Dabnis earlier in the episode! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Warning: A Double-Lit Candle Can Cause a Meltdown
In order to attend a "sixteen or over" club where rapper JT Freeze (Special Ed) is performing, Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) and her friends persuade Cliff and Clair that they're actually going to a "cultural center." Once the truth is known, Lance (Allen Payne), Pam (Erika Alexander) and Charmaine (Karen Malina White) appoint themselves as Rudy's protectors, bound and determined to keep her from being hit upon by lecherous older males (aka "Old Heads"). To accomplish this, the terrific trio don a variety of bizarre disguises--with remarkable results. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Pam Applies to College
Despite her less than stellar performance in high school, Pam (Erika Alexander) is determined to go to college. Both her friend Charmaine (Karen Malina White) and her guidance counselor Mr. Bostic (Richard Lawson) gently try to persuade Pam that her chances of being accepted by the same college that will take Charmaine are within the "slim to none" range, but our heroine is not about to be confused by the facts. Meanwhile, Cliff (Bill Cosby) suffers yet another home-repair mishap, while Olivia (Raven-Symone) is continually sidetracked from her school show-and-tell project. This is one of a handful of episodes in which none of the Huxtable children appear. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: And So We Commence, Part 1
In the first half of The Cosby Show's now-legendary series finale (originally shown as a single, hour-long special), Cliff (Bill Cosby) insists upon inviting everyone he knows to his son Theo's graduation--much to the dismay of Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), who is allowed only two commencement tickets. At the same time, Cliff's step-granddaughter Olivia (Raven-Symone) prepares to move to Singapore with her parents Denise and Martin. And there is a remote possibility that Vanessa will get back together with her much-older fiance Dabnis (William Thomas Jr.). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Some Gifts Aren't Deductible
For the first time in years, Cliff (Bill Cosby) fills out the family's income tax form. Merrily declaring everyone a dependant and everything a deduction, Cliff is ultimately given a good strong dose of reality by his no-nonsense wife Clair (Phylicia Rashad). Meanwhile, klutzy Kenny (Deon Richmond) tries to keep Deirdre (Gabrielle Carmouche) from finding out that her birthday party was hastily slapped together at the very last minute. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: You Can't Stop the Music
While attending the Pan-American Music Festival with Cliff (Bill Cosby), Clair (Phylicia Rashad) butts heads with a reactionary radio station executive who wants to cancel a concert featuring bandleaders Willie Colon and Mario Bauza). Meanwhile back at home, novice babysitter Kenny has a high old time trying to persuade a stubborn Olivia to eat her carrots. Intriguingly, the direction for this episode was attributed to "Alan Smithee", the standard pseudonym used whenever the actual director insists upon having his name removed from the credits. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Rudy's Retreat
Now that she is a teenager, it is perhaps inevitable that Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) is going through some rather dramatic mood swings--and that she now considers her parents to be the two most boring people on earth. Having been here before, Cliff (Bill Cosby) commits himself to getting rid of the "moody Rudy blues." Elsewhere, Sondra (Sandra LeBeauf) and Elvin (Geoffrey Owens) want to make her parents the twins' legal guardians in case of emergency, but Cliff and Clair (Phylicia Rashad) would rather shift the burden over to Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner)--who has his own ideas on the subject. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Clair's Reunion
Clair (Phylicia Rashad) and her former college classmates attend a retirement dinner for their philosophy teacher, Professor Capel, whom they recall as both a strict taskmaster and a committed civil rights activist--qualities which, in one memorable instance, thoroughly contradicted each other! Meanwhile, Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) tries to get over Dabnis by dating a Sengalese gentleman named Baathie (Moctar Mbodj). And a nonplussed Cliff (Bill Cosby) is given a "fashion makeover" by Olivia (Raven-Symone). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Eat, Drink and Be Wary
The Huxtables brace themselves for Cliff's traditional junk-food binge when Clair (Phylicia Rashad) goes out of town for the weekend. Cliff (Bill Cosby), however, insists that he has turned over a new leaf, and serves up a healthy, well-balanced dinner to prove that he's reformed--and he almost gets away with his subterfuge! Elsewhere, Pam (Erika Alexander) and Charmaine (Karen Malina White) volunteer to keep close watch on Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) and her friends, who are determined to prove how "cool" and grown-up they are by taking the subway to a school dance. This episode was originally produced for The Cosby Show's seventh season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: And So We Commence, Part 2
In the concluding half of The Cosby Show's now-legendary series finale (originally shown as a single, hour-long special), Cliff (Bill Cosby) prepares for Theo's college graduation by recalling how his son struggled to keep apace in high school. Elsewhere, Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) and Dabnis (William Thomas Jr.) remain on the verge of getting back together; and word comes that a certain former series regular is now pregnant. Don't miss that unforgettable final shot, as Cliff and Clair elegantly share a last dance--then casually stroll off the set, past the studio audience, and into sitcom immortality. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: The Price Is Wrong
While on a shopping excursion with her former babysitter Mrs. Whitaker (Leila Danette), Pam (Erika Alexander) is shocked to discover that the chain supermarket in Mrs. Whitaker's neighborhood charges higher prices for lower-quality items than the store owned by the same chain in the Huxtable's neighborhood.. After sharing her outrage with her friends Lance (Allen Payne) and Charmaine (Karen Malina White), Pam sets up a "penny plan" whereby Mrs. Whitaker and her friends can shop at the supermarket with the more reasonable prices. This strategy proves both rewarding and exhausting for Pam and her pals, who are now committed to shuttling the little old ladies back and forth--nonstop! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Theo's Future
Just after finding out that he has been accepted to grad school, Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) attends a corporate recruting dinner--not really to scope out his future job prospects, but to gorge himself on the free food. Be that as it may, Theo so impresses an attending executive that he is offered a $30,000-per-year job in San Francisco! While Theo's parents are delighted that their son has come so far so quickly (or maybe not so quickly, considering his less than stellar high school record), the prospect of his departure proves distressing to Eugene (Eugene Byrd), one of the kids at the community center. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Cliff and Theo Come Clean
Having decided to attend grad school rather than accept a job in San Francisco, Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) returns to work at the community center, where he ends up moderating a heated debate over whether or not a underprivileged kid named Rahim (Kennan Scott) should return the $600 that he found on the street. Meanwhile, back at the Huxtable house, Olivia (Raven-Symone) and Marlon (Aaron Beener) are unable to get a straight answer from Cliff (Bill Cosby) as they work on school project about Cliff's childhood. Finally, Grandpa Russell (Earle Hyman) comes up with a few embarrassing anecdotes--forcing Cliff to drop the jokes and tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Cliff Gets Jilted
Cliff (Bill Cosby) begins to worry that he will never, EVER get rid of Sondra (Sabrina LeBeauf) and Elvin (Geoffrey Owens) when furnace problems in the couple's new home force them to hold their housewarming party at the Huxtable house. And in a related incident, Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) and Dabnis (William Thomas Jr.) have broken up, but are reluctant to inform the family. Once he finds out, Cliff is even more upset than Vanessa; after all, with Dabnis gone, who can he count on to do repairs around the house? This episode was originally telecast in tandem with "The Getaway". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: The Getaway
So eager is Cliff (Bill Cosby) to get Sondra (Sabrina LeBeauf) and Elvin (Geoffrey Owens) out of the house that he agrees to babysit the twins while the couple moves into their new home in New Jersey. In his efforts to keep the kids entertained, Cliff plays a rough-house game with them--which culminates in his breaking the grandfather clock in the living room. Terrified that Clair (Phylicia Rashad) will give him what-for when she sees the damage, Cliff is "rescued" in the nick of time by a pair of resourceful moving men (played by network sportscasters Jim Valvano and Dick Vitale!) This episode was originally shown in tandem with "Cliff Gets Jilted". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show: Bring Me the Lip Gloss of Deirdre Arpelle
Pam (Erika Alexander) spends an eventful weekend serving as Cliff's temporary assistant at the hospital, highlighted by the contrary attitude of expectant mother Mrs. Minnifield (Lili Bernard), who refuses to follow the pre-natal instructions laid down by Cliff (Bill Cosby). As a result, the woman ends up giving birth in a cab just outside the Huxtable house! Elsewhere, Kenny (Deon Whitfield) tries to make Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) jealous by introducing his classmate Dierdre (Gabrielle Carmouche) as his new girlfriend. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
