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 6 Episode Guide
26 Episodes 1989 - 1990
Episode 1
Denise: The Saga Continues
Thu, Sep 21, 1989 30 mins
Just as Theo finds a new place to live, Denise returns from her African rainforest trip with startling souvenirs - a husband and a stepdaughter.
Episode 2
Surf's Up
Thu, Sep 28, 1989 22 mins
When Cliff tells Theo of some of the hi jinx he did when he was younger. Theo decides to try it himself. But he ends up damaging his apartment, which leads to the landlord throwing him out. So Cliff tries to some things with the man so Theo can move out of the house where he has been staying.
Episode 3
I'm 'In' with the 'In' Crowd
Thu, Oct 5, 1989 30 mins
Everybody loses when Vanessa and friends play a drinking game at an unsupervised get-together.
Episode 4
Denise Kendall: Navy Wife
Thu, Oct 12, 1989 30 mins
Denise & her husband Lt. Martin Kendall are leaving for the Navy base to live in a house chosen there but Denise forgot to call for approval so they find out last minute that there's no house available for them and return to Cliff's house. Meanwhile Cliff explains to little Olivia how babies are born in this world.
Episode 5
Theo's Gift
Thu, Oct 19, 1989 30 mins
Theo finds out that he has dyslexia so he changes the way he studies and gets a better grade in history.
Episode 6
Denise Kendall: Babysitter
Thu, Oct 26, 1989 30 mins
Denise and Olivia babysit Winnie and Nelson when Sondra and Elvin go out for the evening; but shortly after Sondra and Elvin leave, the whole building goes into a blackout.
Episode 7
Shall We Dance?
Thu, Nov 2, 1989 30 mins
Rudy and Kenny learn good manners at school. Rudy has a crush on a boy named Clarence and tries to show him that she cares but Clarence is too shy to admit it in front of his friends.
Episode 8
The Day the Spores Landed
Thu, Nov 9, 1989 30 mins
Cliff has a nightmare about spores which poured out of an erupting volcano and into the water which makes all the men pregnant, including: Theo, Elvin, Martin and himself.
Episode 9
Cliff's Wet Adventure
Thu, Nov 16, 1989 30 mins
Claire sends Cliff to the store to buy some stuff for Thanksgiving dinner on a very rainy day and he returns soaking wet. Unfortunately he keeps forgetting some products and Claire sends him again & again. Meanwhile Denise invites Martin's ex wife to Cliff's house because she's all alone. Finally Cliff arrives home again just in time for Thanksgiving dinner.
Episode 10
Grampy and NuNu Visit the Huxtables
Thu, Nov 30, 1989 30 mins
When Martin's parents visit, Denise frets about Mrs. Kendall's impression of her.
Episode 11
Cliff la Dolce
Thu, Dec 7, 1989 30 mins
Claire is going to Washington, and Denise is going to the Caribbean. Cliff stays all alone with Rudy & Olivia. Rudy comes to him with a problem between her & her friends but Cliff's advice makes things worse for Rudy. Meanwhile Theo takes Olivia to the cafeteria and uses her charm to collect other girls' phone numbers. Also Vanessa tries to get her father's permission to go to another girl's party with older boys.
Episode 12
Getting to Know You
Thu, Dec 14, 1989 30 mins
Theo meets Cliff & Martin at the cafeteria sitting with two willing beautiful girls. Later at the Huxtable residence Martin tries to explain to Cliff the situation on how he & Denise met and got married. Afterwards the family organizes a surprise for Cliff that will make him very happy.
Episode 13
Elvin Pays for Dinner
Thu, Jan 4, 1990 30 mins
Vanessa & Rudy comes to Sondra's house to babysit because Sondra & Elvin had planned to go to dinner with Elvin's old girlfriend & her sister but at the last minute she cancels her plans and suggests her husband go alone. Elvin goes to dinner but when he comes back he finds his lady angry. The next day Elvin & Sondra visit the Huxtable's house where Cliff tries to explain to him how women think.
Episode 14
Cliff's Nightmare
Thu, Jan 11, 1990 22 mins
Cliff comes back from the hospital at three in the morning and decides to eat a sausage sandwich. Unfortunately that sandwich becomes responsible for the weirdest dream Cliff ever had.
Episode 15
Denise Kendall: Singles Counselor
Thu, Jan 18, 1990 30 mins
Denise & Vanessa are in the cafeteria when Vanessa sees a boy she seems to like but she's too shy to go to his table; so she asks advice from her big sister.
Episode 16
The Birthday Party
Thu, Jan 25, 1990 22 mins
It's Olivia's birthday and all she wants is a brand new tricycle, which she has all her friends help her search the entire house for when Cliff, who's supposed to be babysitting her guests, falls asleep.
Episode 17
Not Everybody Loves the Blues
Thu, Feb 1, 1990 21 mins
Theo is upset his girlfriend might go to graduate school in another town. He and Elvin go to a nightclub; they hear the King of the Blues Riley Jackson. Turns out Cliff and Clair know Riley. He visits the family, helps Theo with his blues.
Episode 18
Rudy's Walk on the Wild Side
Thu, Feb 8, 1990 30 mins
Rudy wants a sweater with fish that light up that are on sale at the mall, but she doesn't have enough money to buy it and becomes so desperate, she steals $2.30 out of the money Clair left out for the dry cleaning.
Episode 19
Mr. Sandman
Thu, Feb 15, 1990 22 mins
Mrs. McGee (Rudy's teacher) calls the Huxtables to report that Rudy has not been attending dance lessons, so Cliff takes Rudy to to the dancing lessons and gets a little carried away.
Episode 20
Isn't It Romantic?
Thu, Feb 22, 1990 22 mins
Cliff, Martin & Elvin place a bet between them on who can buy a romantic present to each of their wife within twenty-five dollars limit. Who ever wins will be called "The Emperor of Romance".
Episode 21
Theo's Dirty Laundry
Thu, Mar 15, 1990 30 mins
The episode begins with a rare look at the Huxtables' basement, where Rudy is helping Cliff do Theo's laundry. Cliff is confused at first when he sees a pair of purple underwear in the laundry and teases Rudy about mixing colors with whites. But Clair figures out that Cliff wasn't just seeing things: He had seen a pair of women's lingerie in the laundry basket. They decide to ask Theo if he knows anything, and he explains that he had moved in with his girlfriend, Justine. He tells Cliff and Clair that Justine had lost her roommate, the rent is cheaper and that the extra money they had given him had gone into a savings account. Clair is upset at Theo's revelation and that he kept this a secret, then tells him that he cannot live with Justine (the reason being that it will interfere with his education). Later, Theo and Justine meet at the malt shop, where Justine warns Theo that she had told her parents about their living arrangements, they too are very much against it and that her father is very angry with Theo. After considering their future, Theo and Justine decide to move into separate apartments. Theo thinks the matter is resolved and goes home to apologize, but Clair tells him that this latest escapade goes much deeper than that. In essence, she says it is a case of "Theo screws up, gets lectured, promises to do better, then screws up again." Cliff and Clair decide to teach him a hard lesson and throw Theo out. Later, Clair is remorseful and wants to take Theo back ... until they get a phone call from Justine's parents. Seems Theo has moved in with her folks (so as they can keep an eye on Theo and regain their trust) while Justine remains on her own. In the subplot, Denise announces she wants to become a special education teacher. At first, Clair is skeptical (since Denise had announced a variety of dreams before but never followed through) and tries to get her to realize that someone will have to look after Olivia. Cliff, however, is enthusiastic ... if only to get Denise out on her own once and for all.
Episode 22
What It's All About
Thu, Mar 22, 1990 21 mins
Clair comes home from work exhausted and needs to rest but her family do not understand her so Cliff sends her to a friends combine around the lake far away from home to relax.
Episode 23
Off to See the Wretched
Thu, Apr 5, 1990 22 mins
Vanessa and her friends want to attend a rock concert by The Wretched, their favorite band. Knowing they'd never be allowed to go alone to the venue in Baltimore, over 100 miles away, Vanessa tells her parents that they're having a slumber party at Susan's after the show; Cliff and Clair agree to this. But a series of developments conspires against Vanessa, starting with one of the girls taking her brother's car without permission; it gets stolen during a snack stop in Delaware. That evening Cliff and Clair are alarmed by a TV news report of an industrial fire near Susan's house, especially when Susan's grandmother tells a reporter that nobody was there at the time. At the concert, the girls give their tickets to a man claiming to be associated with the band who promises they'll get to meet them, but it's a scam. Now minus tickets, money, or transportation, the girls fear that they're stranded until a chance encounter with someone they know. Calm Cliff and outraged Clair bring Vanessa home and Clair yells at her and when she apologizes, Clair thinks she's only sorry that she got caught, and informs her that she might never trust her again. She then orders her to bed because she's too upset to think of an appropriate punishment at the moment. Meanwhile, Olivia becomes a master joke-teller--at a price. When Cliff learns what it is, he encourages her to rely on her own talents.
Episode 24
The Moves
Thu, Apr 19, 1990 21 mins
Claire receives an important case by representing a client who wants to protect a community center with a childhood playground which is about to be torn down and in it's place they will build an office center. Meanwhile Cliff's neighbor take Cliff out to buy a sports car.
Episode 25
Live and Learn
Thu, Apr 26, 1990 22 mins
Denise gets very excited about wanting to be an instructor to work with children who have learning disabilities but cannot understand that in order to teach she must have a college degree.
Episode 26
The Storyteller
Thu, May 3, 1990 21 mins
Cliff's great-aunt, Gramtee, comes to visit and everyone is excited - except Olivia. Olivia wants to go to the zoo instead of a planned church visit. Gramtee tells stories of Cliff as a child and of a relative who was a slave years ago.