season 1 - Latest News & Reviews

SummaryDr. Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable was an OBGYN (obstetrician/gynecologist), and his wife Clair was a successful attorney. They had five children: Sondra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa and Rudy. Sondra was rarely seen during the first season because she was away at Princeton. She became a regular character in the second season, and was usually seen with... Read More

Created By:Michael Leeson, Bill Cosby, Ed. Weinberger

❮ The Cosby Show

Season 1

8 Seasons

Season Premiere:

Sep 20, 1984

Metascore

Available after 4 critic reviews

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User score

Universal Acclaim

Based on 17 User Ratings

8.1

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Episode 1 • Sep 20, 1984 • 24 m

Pilot

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 • Sep 27, 1984 • 24 m

Goodbye, Mr. Fish

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 • Oct 4, 1984 • 24 m

Bad Dreams

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 • Oct 11, 1984 • 25 m

Is That My Boy?

Theo makes the football team, so Cliff gives him some pointers.

Episode 5 • Oct 18, 1984 • 24 m

A Shirt Story

Theo gets a shirt that cost too much, so Denise makes him an "Exact" replica.

Episode 6 • Oct 25, 1984 • 25 m

Breaking with Tradition

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 • Nov 1, 1984 • 25 m

One More Time

While babysitting one of Cliff's patients babies, Clair decides she wants to have another baby.

Episode 8 • Nov 8, 1984 • 25 m

Play It Again, Vanessa

Vanessa is in the school's orchestra and plays the clarinet. Unfortunately, she is not good at it. While practicing at home, the family members put up with the noise she makes. At school, during a show, she has a solo performance.

Episode 9 • Nov 15, 1984 • 25 m

How Ugly Is He?

Cliff and Claire are annoyed by Denise's new boyfriend and his arrogant attitude.

Episode 10 • Nov 22, 1984 • 25 m

Bonjour, Sondra

Sondra is introduced, who comes back from college and is planning a trip to Paris for the summer.

Episode 11 • Dec 6, 1984 • 24 m

You're Not a Mother Night

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 • Dec 13, 1984 • 25 m

Rudy's Sick

Rudy is sick and has to stay home from school. Since Clair is being considered for a partner at her law firm, she has to go to work for the interview. Cliff takes care of Rudy while keeping office hours and seeing his patients.

Episode 13 • Dec 20, 1984 • 25 m

Father's Day

It's Christmas and Cliff dreads the presents the children will give him as they are always ill-fitting or unusable. This year he asks them to think about him and get meaningful gifts; they come up with some unique thoughts and gifts.

Episode 14 • Jan 10, 1985 • 25 m

Independence Day

Theo gets an earring without permission.

Episode 15 • Jan 17, 1985 • 24 m

Physician of the Year

Cliff's going to be Physician Of The Year. Theo is tapped to make his Dad's speech and accept the award for him, when Cliff's called to deliver a baby.

Episode 16 • Jan 31, 1985 • 25 m

Jitterbug Break

After her unusual plan for getting concert tickets falls through, Denise and friends have an impromptu dance party in the living room.

Episode 17 • Feb 7, 1985 • 25 m

Theo and the Joint

Episode 18 • Feb 14, 1985 • 25 m

Vanessa's New Class

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 • Feb 21, 1985 • 25 m

Clair's Case

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 • Feb 28, 1985 • 25 m

Back to the Track, Jack

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 • Mar 14, 1985 • 24 m

The Younger Woman

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 • Mar 28, 1985 • 25 m

Slumber Party

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 • May 2, 1985 • 24 m

Mr. Quiet

Episode 24 • May 9, 1985 • 25 m

Cliff's Birthday

Critic Reviews

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Metascore

Available after 4 critic reviews

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100% Positive
1 Review

0% Mixed
0 Reviews

0% Negative
0 Reviews

Jul 2, 2013

Time

The Cosby Show's achievements have been rather wildly overstated. To be sure, at a time when most TV families inhabit a farcical never-never land, the series has much to recommend it. ... But The Cosby Show pales beside such landmark sitcoms of the 1970s as All in the Family and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Those programs forged new territory for TV comedy, in both style and subject matter. The Cosby Show, with its genial wholesomeness, harks back to old times.

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User Reviews

User score

Universal Acclaim

Based on 17 User Ratings

8.1

76% Positive
13 Ratings

12% Mixed
2 Ratings

12% Negative
2 Ratings

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