''The New Bill Cosby Show'' is an American variety

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aired in the

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as part of its 1972–73 lineup.

Overview

''The New Bill Cosby Show'' was an attempt to exploit the widespread popularity of

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

, who had previously starred in an eponymous sitcom and the drama (with comedic undertones) ''

I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...

'' and who had been responsible for several of the best-selling comedy albums of the 1960s. Cosby's supporting cast was biracial, highlighted by

Foster Brooks Foster Brooks (May 11, 1912 – December 20, 2001) was an American actor and comedian best known for his portrayal of a lovable drunk in nightclub performances and television programs. Early life Brooks was born in Louisville, Kentucky on ...

of "funny-drunk" routine fame and also included performer

Lola Falana Loletha Elayne Falana or Loletha Elaine Falana (born September 11, 1942), better known by her stage name Lola Falana, is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Early life Lola Falana was born in Camden, New Jersey. She was the third of si ...

, who additionally served as the show's announcer, and other persons previously best known as comedy

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

s, including

Ronny Graham Ronny Graham (August 26, 1919 – July 4, 1999) was an American actor and theater director, composer, lyricist, and writer. Life and career Graham was born Ronald Montcrief Stringer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the second of five children born ...

and Pat McCormick.

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

' orchestra provided the music. Ongoing sketches included "The Wife of the Week" and the adventures of "The Dude", a man who was so impossibly cool that nothing whatever could faze him or cause him in any way to lose his composure or coolness. The opening theme was " Chump Change" by

Reception

The show was met with low ratings, due to competition from ABC's

Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...

and NBC Monday Night at the Movies, and was cancelled after one season. For his performance in the series, Cosby received a 1973

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

nomination for Best Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy.

References

* Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, ''

The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:New Bill Cosby Show, The Bill Cosby 1972 American television series debuts 1973 American television series endings 1970s American variety television series 1970s American sketch comedy television series CBS original programming English-language television shows