Cosby

Cosby
Genre	Sitcom
Based on	One Foot in the Grave by David Renwick
Developed by	Dennis Klein
Starring	Bill Cosby Phylicia Rashad T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh Doug E. Doug Madeline Kahn (1996–1999) Jurnee Smollett (1998–2000) Darien Sills Evans (1999–2000)
Theme music composer	Bill Cosby Benny Golson
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	95 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Bill Cosby Dennis Klein Norman Steinberg Tom Straw
Producer(s)	Marcy Carsey Joanne Curley-Kerner Caryn Mandabach John Rogers Peter Tortorici Tom Werner
Running time	22 mins. (approx)
Release
Original network	CBS
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	September 16, 1996 – April 28, 2000
Website

Cosby is an American sitcom television series broadcast on CBS from September 16, 1996, to April 28, 2000, loosely based on the British sitcom One Foot in the Grave. The program starred Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad, who had previously worked together in the 1984–1992 NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. Madeline Kahn portrayed their neighbor, Pauline, until her death in 1999.

Cosby portrayed grumpy Hilton Lucas, a New York City man forced into early retirement from his job as an airline customer service agent. His wife Ruth was played by Phylicia Rashad. Initially, Telma Hopkins was cast as Ruth Lucas; however, she was recast after she didn't react well to Cosby's tendency to ad lib. The couple had one daughter, Erica Lucas, initially portrayed by Audra McDonald and later portrayed by T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh. Doug E. Doug played Griffin Vesey, a foster son the Lucas family took in when he was younger. Griffin occasionally tried to win Erica's affections, but they decided just to remain friends when in the fourth and final season, Darien Sills-Evans portrayed Darien Evans, Erica's fiancé/husband. Jurnee Smollett also joined the cast as 11-year-old Jurnee, whom Hilton adored.

The show was based on the concept from the BBC series One Foot in the Grave, starring Richard Wilson and Annette Crosbie. David Renwick, the creator and writer of One Foot in the Grave, was listed as a consultant of Cosby. One Foot in the Grave was notable for containing dark humor for a mainstream sitcom. The tone was significantly lightened for Cosby, although certain controversial scenes, such as a scene in which the lead character incinerates a live tortoise, albeit by accident, were recreated (though, in this version, with a turtle).

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