Bill Cosby (b. 1937) is a popular comedian who got his start making appearances on the likes of The Jack Paar Show. His career took a dramatic turn in the television series I Spy, and he reached superstardom in the 1980s with The Cosby Show.
Cosby has frequently appeared with the Muppets, particularly through Sesame Street, where he appeared in frequent inserts in 1970. Following the success of Sesame Street, in fact, Cosby appeared as a regular in the first season of The Electric Company, the Children's Television Workshop's follow-up series aimed at older children. Many of his segments on that series, such as twins (via split-screen) pairing off word sounds, were reminiscent of the Sesame Street skits.[1] Cosby's other children's work included the animated series Fat Albert and recurring appearances on Captain Kangaroo, in separate "Picture Pages" segments.
In 1989, he served as host of the TV special Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting; in one segment, in reference to Cosby's frequent billing in certain productions as "Dr. William H. Cosby, Jr., Ed.D.", Oscar the Grouch refers to him as "Ph.D. Face." As an illustration, he shared a 1989 TV Guide cover with Big Bird and TV personalities.
The following spring, in 1990, several Muppets from The Jim Henson Hour appeared on the Cosby Show episode "Cliff's Nightmare."
In 1992, he played host to Big Bird and Loretta Long in an episode of the You Bet Your Life revival series.
Most recently, in 2004, Cosby appeared in a "My Favorite Sesame Street Moments" segment.
Sesame Street inserts
- Twins say the alphabet (First: Episode 0131)
- Bill tries to bounce a square basketball (EKA: Episode 0158)
- Bill demonstrates sad (EKA: Episode 0163)
- Bill demonstrates angry (EKA: Episode 0164)
- Bill has a hard time trying to count four kids (EKA: Episode 0176)
- Film with Bill and kids: Over and under (EKA: Episode 0136)
- Bill demonstrates surprise (EKA: Episode 0268)
- Bill demonstrates happy (EKA: Episode 0272)
- Bill teaches the concepts of "yesterday" and "today." (EKA: Episode 0273)
- Bill counts to 20 with his "twin". (EKA: Episode 0135) (An excerpt of this was shown on Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting.)
- Bill counts to 10 (EKA: Episode 0340)
Sources
- โ Ebony Jr. magazine mentioned these segments briefly.