Despite all the controversy surrounding Bill Cosby, it's undeniable that the Cosby Show is one of the funniest and most important shows to ever come on television. This show redefined what a black family could be on TV and taught important life lessons with each episode.Just try to ignore the bull surrounding this brilliant show and enjoy it at face value. It's a funny, intelligent show that shouldn't be ignored due to the actions of its star.

Thirty years ago this show premiered about a successful family who happened to be African American. Looking at it now, it has aged well at all. It is average. Bill Cosby was funny doing stand up and his earlier show in which he played a single man and was a gym teacher was funnier. This one was average. I look at it now and saw I wasted those 8 years it was on. It was the most sexist show on television. I hated Claire. She was the most arrogant, stuck up, self rightgeous,smug woman I've ever seen. How Cliff stayed married with her was beyond. Why did Cosby allow male bashing on that show? That what it was. All the men were whipped and the women stomped over them. Not only Claire but Sondra and Rudy joined in. Tempest I liked. (The only episode I loved was the male pregnancy one and at least the women were more sympathetic.) Not all black people lived like this. I'm black and I know more black people who were more middle and lower class. Cosby should have address more reality like interracial dating which would have more interesting story lines. I'm glad I never want to appear on that show. If you want a good sitcom about an African American family, watch Blackish. Anthony Anderson is an actor who can be funny and serious. The mother is flawed and not perfect unlike Claire who thinks she is so perfect and that make me burn! Blackish explores racism which Cosby avoided. Even Family Matters was better until they focus too much on Urkle. So once again if you have the time, watch Blackish. I'll get the Cosby male pregnancy episode on DVD but that is all. After that, I never want to see this trash again.

The Cosby show had it all; comedy, drama and a little romance to boot. Heathcliff Huxtable and the lovely Claire ran a tight household while maintaining busy careers.They were held in check by Cliff's parents and their children, most notably the irrepressible Theo and the idealist Denise. Malcom Jamal-Warner as Theo re-invited Hip-Hop with his friend Coackroach, jamming memorably:"This is the name of a game called life, we like deluxe burgers and not small fries."The show peaked in the late 80s, when the children lost their 'cuteness' and Theo bore more and more responsibility toward the household. The show eventually lost most of its charm as it descended into cameos from various African American musicians and endless card games between Cliff's family members. Still, it did provide positive role models for African Americans when they were largely being ignored by prime time television.

You'd have to be crazy to think the Cosby Show wasn't the most dominant network show on television during the 80's. The Show focused on an upper class family living in Brooklyn. Bill Cosby as Cliff Huxtable creates an uncanny charm as a great father to his children but at the same time he himself is childish in behavior. Claire Huxtable portrayed by Phylicia Rashad is very assertive and has a dominant role despite the fact she is second to Bill Cosby. She gracefully commands a scene. Plus the kids of the Huxtables are all portrayed to perfection from Theo, Denise, Sondra, Rudy, etc......even the guests including Earle Hyman as Cliff's father are interesting and un-pretentious. My only beef with the show would be the last two years when the cast addition of Pam was introduced the Huxtable kids become to old. The show toward the end became a flutter of characters but still very good. Great 80's show and the finale was probably one of the best I've seen on television. Amazing.