The Cosby Show
"The Cosby Show" centers on the lives of the Huxtables: obstetrician Cliff and his lawyer wife Claire, their daughters Sondra, Denise, Vanessa and Rudy, and son Theo. Based on the standup comedy of Bill Cosby, the show focused on his observations of family life. Although based on comedy, the series also addresses some more serious topics, such as learning disabilities and teen pregnancy.
- 1984-1992
- 8 seasons
- NBC
- Comedy, Drama
- TV-G
"The Cosby Show" centers on the lives of the Huxtables: obstetrician Cliff and his lawyer wife Claire, their daughters Sondra, Denise, Vanessa and Rudy, and son Theo. Based on the standup comedy of Bill Cosby, the show focused on his observations of family life. Although based on comedy, the series also addresses some more serious topics, such as learning disabilities and teen pregnancy.
Season 1 Episode Guide
24 Episodes 1984 - 1985
Episode 1
Pilot
Thu, Sep 20, 1984 24 mins
Clair is upset when Theo brings home a bad report card and claims he has no plans to attend college; Cliff is horrified to meet Denise's date.
Episode 2
Goodbye, Mr. Fish
Thu, Sep 27, 1984 24 mins
Cliff forces the entire family to hold a funeral for Rudy's dead goldfish Lamont. Clair wants to tell a story about her accomplishment at work and nobody wants to listen.
Episode 3
Bad Dreams
Thu, Oct 4, 1984 24 mins
Vanessa sneaks into a scary movie despite her parents' forbidding it because she can't handle scary things. Cliff and Claire then have to deal with Vanessa sleeping between them in bed when she has nightmares from the movie.
Episode 4
Is That My Boy?
Thu, Oct 11, 1984 25 mins
Theo makes the football team, so Cliff gives him some pointers.
Episode 5
A Shirt Story
Thu, Oct 18, 1984 24 mins
Theo gets a shirt that cost too much, so Denise makes him an "Exact" replica.
Episode 6
Breaking with Tradition
Thu, Oct 25, 1984 25 mins
Cliff's father, Russell Huxtable, comes over for a visit, and then tries to persuade Denise to go to Hillman college, which has become a family tradition.
Episode 7
One More Time
Thu, Nov 1, 1984 25 mins
While babysitting one of Cliff's patients babies, Clair decides she wants to have another baby.
Episode 8
Play It Again, Vanessa
Thu, Nov 8, 1984 25 mins
At school, Vanessa's friend takes up the clarinet, leading Vanessa to beg her parents to get her one too. After driving her siblings up the wall with her less than wonderful playing, she then wants to quit because her friend also has. Cliff reminds her she is due to perform at band recital and must see it through.
Episode 9
How Ugly Is He?
Thu, Nov 15, 1984 25 mins
Cliff and Claire are annoyed by Denise's new boyfriend and his arrogant attitude.
Episode 10
Bonjour, Sondra
Thu, Nov 22, 1984 25 mins
Sondra is introduced, who comes back from college and is planning a trip to Paris for the summer.
Episode 11
You're Not a Mother Night
Thu, Dec 6, 1984 24 mins
Clair is having too many mothering days with everyone wanting her attention and to do things for them. Cliff decides it is time for a mother's day off. He takes her for a romantic day and night at a hotel.
Episode 12
Rudy's Sick
Thu, Dec 13, 1984 25 mins
Rudy is home sick in bed with a cold. Clair wants to stay home from work to take care of her but cliff insists he can handle everything. He makes taking medicine and drinking orange juice fun for Rudy. He then has to see one of his patients in his downstairs office, so, to keep as close an eye on her as possible, he takes Rudy down to the sofa, one floor up from the office.
Episode 13
Father's Day
Thu, Dec 20, 1984 25 mins
With just days to go before Christmas, Cliff and Clair have a bedroom discussion about gifts given to them on that holiday and other holidays. This prompts Cliff to pull out a trunk and show her and then later the kids, the silly Father's Day gifts he's gotten. When Clair takes the kids out shopping, they hope to make up for their past indifference to their Father's feelings.
Episode 14
Independence Day
Thu, Jan 10, 1985 25 mins
Theo gets an earring without permission.
Episode 15
Physician of the Year
Thu, Jan 17, 1985 24 mins
The very night that Cliff is to receive his award for Physician of the Year, he gets called away to the hospital to deliver a baby. In talking to Theo on the phone, he tells his 13 year old son, he must accept the award in his place and make his speech as well. Theo's scared but Clair assures him he'll be just fine. Will Theo make this delivery a success?
Episode 16
Jitterbug Break
Thu, Jan 31, 1985 25 mins
Denise asks her dad if she can join friends overnight on New York's 32nd Street to wait in line for concert tickets. After Cliff refuses, her friends stop by, letting her know they've been refused also. One of them has a boom-box and starts playing break-dance music, leading to an impromptu dance party. Soon, the family has joined in and when Cliff and Clair's 2 friends show up, they give the kids a lesson in Jitterbug dancing from their era and the kids teach them some new moves too ,musically bridging the generation gap.
Episode 17
Theo and the Joint
Thu, Feb 7, 1985 25 mins
When Clair finds a marijuana joint in Theo's geography book, she and Cliff confront him. Theo explains that it's not his and both Cliff and Clair believe him, but Theo feels that they're going to look down on him from this point on, so the next day he goes to school to confront the person it actually belonged to.
Episode 18
Vanessa's New Class
Thu, Feb 14, 1985 25 mins
Vanessa's in an advanced science class but hardly works on her science fair project, and when her friend wins first place, Vanessa accuses her of getting help from her parents.
Episode 19
Clair's Case
Thu, Feb 21, 1985 25 mins
Clair has a big case suing a mechanic that did lousy work on Sondra's car; Rudy does not want to go to a museum; Cliff teaches the kids how to do house chores, and he also cooks a soup with a cow's tongue.
Episode 20
Back to the Track, Jack
Thu, Feb 28, 1985 25 mins
Cliff's former track coach wants him to compete in a track event for seniors but the laid back Cliff is not interested. That is until an old rival dares him to.
Episode 21
The Younger Woman
Thu, Mar 14, 1985 24 mins
Cliff and Clair discuss their mortality, and wonder what the other would do if one of them was to pass away. They also get a visit from a friend of Cliff's that is dating a woman at least 25 years his junior.
Episode 22
Slumber Party
Thu, Mar 28, 1985 25 mins
When Rudy announces she's bored, Cliff arranges for her friends to come over for a slumber party and then gets stuck entertaining the kids.
Episode 23
Mr. Quiet
Thu, May 2, 1985 24 mins
Singer Tony Orlando guest stars as a man who runs an activity center where Dr. Huxtable is giving a class to expectant mothers. Tony's character has a girlfriend who also works with him. Thanks to Theo, he encounters and helps a boy who refuses to speak out of his fear of strangers. He has also just been teased and beaten up by other kids. Tony finds out who his mother is and while waiting for her, tries to get "Mr. Quiet" to talk.
Episode 24
Cliff's Birthday
Thu, May 9, 1985 25 mins
It's Cliff's birthday and the family tries to keep his present (going to a Lena Horne show) a secret. Cliff will do whatever he can to find out what his present is. And to make sure that he doesn't find out, they don't tell the weak link (Theo) what it is.