I LOVE The Cosby Show!!! It's one of, if not the best TV sitcom ever produced. My one gripe is, I hated when Phylicia Rashad became pregnant (in real life) in the fourth season. I hated how they tried to hide her stomach behind a desk, the kitchen island, always sitting down and the worse was a HUGE stuffed animal.

During the 4th season and after, the show never quite captured the magic, even though there were great episodes here and there, but not as prolific and magical as the first three seasons. She wasn't the same "Claire" after the baby.

Anyone else feel me?

I don't know about the magic part, but I was watching "The Nanny" recently, and they did the same thing when CC got pregnant. She got so big (even her face) that after a while they wrote it in as Niles making fat jokes about the character.

[Edited 8/9/10 16:34pm]

I can't say that has stuck with me 25 years later, no

Never thought twice about it

The only thing I disliked about the season where she got pregnant, was her occasional absence(which is quite understandable). Her presence is that crucial to the show.

If charisma could be bottled and sold, that woman could surely be the factory.

Harlepolis said:

The only thing I disliked about the season where she got pregnant, was her occasional absence(which is quite understandable). Her presence is that crucial to the show.

If charisma could be bottled and sold, that woman could surely be the factory.

I totally agree, you just said it better than I did... - It was so obvious, Bill had more lines and carried the show for awhile, but without Claire, the show wasn't the same.

chocolate1 said:

I don't know about the magic part, but I was watching "The Nanny" recently, and they did the same thing when CC got pregnant. She got so big (even her face) that after a while they wrote it in as Niles making fat jokes about the character.

[Edited 8/9/10 16:34pm]

Had they wrote that in the cosby show would have been a stroke of genius, given that cliff was an O.B.

The show would have taken a strange twist, but it would have been funny. But then again, Rayen Symone would have been out of a job, or could have been a true Huxtable.

chocolate1 said:

I don't know about the magic part, but I was watching "The Nanny" recently, and they did the same thing when CC got pregnant. She got so big (even her face) that after a while they wrote it in as Niles making fat jokes about the character.

I remember that, but they also addressed it head on. Since they were involved in show business, it was perfect. CC made the point about actresses being pregnant and how they not-so-cleverly try to hid it with large objects. She was carrying a HUGE portfolio case. As she walked out, she grabbed a plant with no explanation and covered her stomach with it.

.

[Edited 8/9/10 17:56pm]

Bulldog said:

I LOVE The Cosby Show!!! It's one of, if not the best TV sitcom ever produced. My one gripe is, I hated when Phylicia Rashad became pregnant (in real life) in the fourth season. I hated how they tried to hide her stomach behind a desk, the kitchen island, always sitting down and the worse was a HUGE stuffed animal.

During the 4th season and after, the show never quite captured the magic, even though there were great episodes here and there, but not as prolific and magical as the first three seasons. She wasn't the same "Claire" after the baby.

Anyone else feel me?

Not me. For anything, the real-life fallout between Dr. Cosby & Lisa Bonet (especially whe she got pregnant for her daughter with Lenny) have somewhat more of a negative effect of the show in later seasons than Phylicia Rashad being pregnant.

I loved it on Seinfeld when Julia Louis-Dreyfus got pregnant and they did just the bare minimum to hide it.

I didn't notice it back in the day, but now when I watch it. It was really comical the way they tried to hide her belly.

She would wear giant coats, and have these big bowls of fruit in her lap.

or when Gillian Anderson was pregnant on X-files!

Happens a lot on TV shows. It's either "hide the package" or write them off the show for a few months. The first choice is usually the better one, I think.

The only thing that ever pissed me off about the Cosby show was when Lisa Bonet wasn't on all the time anymore.

TonyVanDam said:

Bulldog said:

I LOVE The Cosby Show!!! It's one of, if not the best TV sitcom ever produced. My one gripe is, I hated when Phylicia Rashad became pregnant (in real life) in the fourth season. I hated how they tried to hide her stomach behind a desk, the kitchen island, always sitting down and the worse was a HUGE stuffed animal.

During the 4th season and after, the show never quite captured the magic, even though there were great episodes here and there, but not as prolific and magical as the first three seasons. She wasn't the same "Claire" after the baby.

Anyone else feel me?

Not me. For anything, the real-life fallout between Dr. Cosby & Lisa Bonet (especially whe she got pregnant for her daughter with Lenny) have somewhat more of a negative effect of the show in later seasons than Phylicia Rashad being pregnant.

Yeah I know what you mean. But in defense of Bill Cosby, Lisa Bonet was playing a character in college...so writing her pregnancy into the script wasn't even an option in his eyes. I guess from his perspective, there could've been no way to hide that factor with her still being on the show (at the time she got pregnant she was on "A Different World" correct?). Still at the same time, it's like she was being scolded for having a family with her husband..which isn't right. So I dunno.

missfee said:

TonyVanDam said:

Not me. For anything, the real-life fallout between Dr. Cosby & Lisa Bonet (especially whe she got pregnant for her daughter with Lenny) have somewhat more of a negative effect of the show in later seasons than Phylicia Rashad being pregnant.

Yeah I know what you mean. But in defense of Bill Cosby, Lisa Bonet was playing a character in college...so writing her pregnancy into the script wasn't even an option in his eyes. I guess from his perspective, there could've been no way to hide that factor with her still being on the show (at the time she got pregnant she was on "A Different World" correct?). Still at the same time, it's like she was being scolded for having a family with her husband..which isn't right. So I dunno.

Nah, Cosby's issue with Lisa is the semi-nude cover spread she did for Rolling Stones and the desturbing movie she did with Robert De Niro where Mickey Rourke shot her with a pistol in her vagina Angel Heart, yep thats the title of that scrambled egg mess of a movie.

You could tell she tried to disassociate herself from the squeaky clean image Bill had built for her(and his kids), his only mistake was the fact that he tried make them live up to that image outside of the set,,,,forgetting the simple detail that they too are human, and are allowed to have a stanky morning breath like alot of people

Harlepolis said:

missfee said:

Yeah I know what you mean. But in defense of Bill Cosby, Lisa Bonet was playing a character in college...so writing her pregnancy into the script wasn't even an option in his eyes. I guess from his perspective, there could've been no way to hide that factor with her still being on the show (at the time she got pregnant she was on "A Different World" correct?). Still at the same time, it's like she was being scolded for having a family with her husband..which isn't right. So I dunno.

Nah, Cosby's issue with Lisa is the semi-nude cover spread she did for Rolling Stones and the desturbing movie she did with Robert De Niro where Mickey Rourke shot her with a pistol in her vagina Angel Heart, yep thats the title of that scrambled egg mess of a movie.

You could tell she tried to disassociate herself from the squeaky clean image Bill had built for her(and his kids), his only mistake was the fact that he tried make them live up to that image outside of the set,,,,forgetting the simple detail that they too are human, and are allowed to have a stanky morning breath like alot of people

Couldn't've said it better myself...

Harlepolis said:

missfee said:

Yeah I know what you mean. But in defense of Bill Cosby, Lisa Bonet was playing a character in college...so writing her pregnancy into the script wasn't even an option in his eyes. I guess from his perspective, there could've been no way to hide that factor with her still being on the show (at the time she got pregnant she was on "A Different World" correct?). Still at the same time, it's like she was being scolded for having a family with her husband..which isn't right. So I dunno.

Nah, Cosby's issue with Lisa is the semi-nude cover spread she did for Rolling Stones and the desturbing movie she did with Robert De Niro where Mickey Rourke shot her with a pistol in her vagina Angel Heart, yep thats the title of that scrambled egg mess of a movie.

You could tell she tried to disassociate herself from the squeaky clean image Bill had built for her(and his kids), his only mistake was the fact that he tried make them live up to that image outside of the set,,,,forgetting the simple detail that they too are human, and are allowed to have a stanky morning breath like alot of people

Dr. Cosby's biggest mistake as a executive producer was changing the the persona AND character of Denise because of all of THIS^ real life off-camera drama with Lisa Bonet.

You look at Denise during the first 3 seasons of The Cosby Show + that first season of A Different World (I like) and compare it to the 6th season of The Cosby Show (I dislike). THAT was not the same Denise that some of us young boys were fans of. The Denise that I knew of as a character was never this careless.

Sitcoms are personal taste, i recognize that, but the Cosby Show as the GOAT? GTFO. Too melodramatic, unrealistic and not enough laughs. And the last few unmemorable seasons with characters introduced that nobody cared for?

I get the feeling it was just PC to like the 'Cosby Show' purely because 'Cheers' and 'Roseanne' didn't feature that many black people. But whatever racially-retarded America, they were just a lot funnier. Ironically it was the emergence of yellow cartoon folk called 'The Simpsons' which finally did for Bill & Co.

'Family Guy' eventually got Bill measured right. Just not that funny.

All I know is for some reason every episode of season 2 is CLASSIC to me, and I am really enjoying my DVD set.

‎"Dr. Huxtable? You don't know me, but I'm a friend of Denise's."

Actually I bought Season 3 of Cosby Show, and was like... "damn they already had Denise going to college by season THREE??"

Harlepolis said:

Nah, Cosby's issue with Lisa is the semi-nude cover spread she did for Rolling Stone

TonyVanDam said:

Harlepolis said:

Nah, Cosby's issue with Lisa is the semi-nude cover spread she did for Rolling Stones and the desturbing movie she did with Robert De Niro where Mickey Rourke shot her with a pistol in her vagina Angel Heart, yep thats the title of that scrambled egg mess of a movie.

You could tell she tried to disassociate herself from the squeaky clean image Bill had built for her(and his kids), his only mistake was the fact that he tried make them live up to that image outside of the set,,,,forgetting the simple detail that they too are human, and are allowed to have a stanky morning breath like alot of people

Dr. Cosby's biggest mistake as a executive producer was changing the the persona AND character of Denise because of all of THIS^ real life off-camera drama with Lisa Bonet.

You look at Denise during the first 3 seasons of The Cosby Show + that first season of A Different World (I like) and compare it to the 6th season of The Cosby Show (I dislike). THAT was not the same Denise that some of us young boys were fans of. The Denise that I knew of as a character was never this careless.

IMO Denise's character sucked in the first season of "A Different World". I loved that show much better from Season 2 on out after she left...it was much more funnier when Debbie Allen got involved.

You know, as I watch the DVD set of the Cosby show (I am with you Cinnie), I never really thought much about it. To me, it was still the Cosby show. Phylicia was still that fine mom, that I wish my friends had.

Bulldog said:

chocolate1 said:

I don't know about the magic part, but I was watching "The Nanny" recently, and they did the same thing when CC got pregnant. She got so big (even her face) that after a while they wrote it in as Niles making fat jokes about the character.

[Edited 8/9/10 16:34pm]

Had they wrote that in the cosby show would have been a stroke of genius, given that cliff was an O.B.

The show would have taken a strange twist, but it would have been funny. But then again, Rayen Symone would have been out of a job, or could have been a true Huxtable.

I always thought she should have been the Huxtable baby, but then what would they have done w/ Rudy?

Cerebus said:

Happens a lot on TV shows. It's either "hide the package" or write them off the show for a few months. The first choice is usually the better one, I think.

The only thing that ever pissed me off about the Cosby show was when Lisa Bonet wasn't on all the time anymore.

Or write the pregnancy into the show.

Nothinbutjoy said:

Bulldog said:

Had they wrote that in the cosby show would have been a stroke of genius, given that cliff was an O.B.

The show would have taken a strange twist, but it would have been funny. But then again, Rayen Symone would have been out of a job, or could have been a true Huxtable.

I always thought she should have been the Huxtable baby, but then what would they have done w/ Rudy?

Rudy could have still been Rudy, and plot lines around the baby could have worked... just like any family!

Cinnie said:

Nothinbutjoy said:

I always thought she should have been the Huxtable baby, but then what would they have done w/ Rudy?

Rudy could have still been Rudy, and plot lines around the baby could have worked... just like any family!

Rudy adorable. Olivia Kendall ( Raven Symone) not as adorable as she thinks she is (was). When this character was added-the show jumped the shark big time.

kewlschool said:

Cinnie said:

Rudy could have still been Rudy, and plot lines around the baby could have worked... just like any family!

Rudy adorable. Olivia Kendall ( Raven Symone) not as adorable as she thinks she is (was). When this character was added-the show jumped the shark big time.

They had to add something to keep that crazy train going. They didn't know how many seasons they would be making when they came up with the ages of the family on the pilot.

I never knew she was pregnant at all during the show. news to me.