Lisa Bonet Movies
Despite her spotty film work, Lisa Bonet remains one of the more intriguing young character actresses in Hollywood, enjoying a longevity that few former child stars can claim. Born in San Francisco in 1967, Bonet's parents divorced when she was young, and her formative years were spent mostly in New York City and L.A. At age 11, she started auditioning for commercials, and after several years of ads and walk-on TV parts, she landed a plum role in NBC's The Cosby Show. The show was an immediate hit, and Bonet quickly asserted herself as one of the most memorable kids in the Huxtable clan, the outspoken teenager Denise.It became clear that Bonet shared her character's defiant persona when she left Cosby in 1987 for a racy part opposite Mickey Rourke in director Alan Parker's gothic thriller Angel Heart. The role required the 19-year-old Bonet to appear in several graphic sex scenes, some of which had to be cut for mainstream American release. The actress seemed unfazed at the controversy surrounding her appearance in Angel Heart; nonetheless, the part did little to further her big-screen career, and by the end of the year she would return to the safety of episodic TV in the series A Different World. Also in 1987, Bonet married rocker Lenny Kravitz, whose impetuous free spirit and bi-racial upbringing uncannily paralleled her own background.
The Bill Cosby-produced World was a bonafide hit, but Bonet quickly lost interest in the show, often showing up late to the set or not at all. Within two years she was gone, opting instead to spend more time with her newborn daughter Zoe. Bonet spent the remainder of the 1980s making infrequent appearances on The Cosby Show, and she made a conscious decision not to act in the early 1990s. In 1993, her marriage to Kravitz fell apart, and to make ends meet in the mid-'90s, she accepted roles in made-for-TV and straight-to-video productions. Around this time, Bonet legally changed her name to Liliquois Moon, though she claimed she would continue to use her birth name for her acting career. She had another child with boyfriend and former yoga instructor Brian Kest before returning to the big screen with a memorable supporting role in 1998's Enemy of the State. It appeared that her Hollywood career was once again on-track when director Stephen Frears cast her as a sultry one-night-stand in High Fidelity (2000). ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
A 21st Century New York City detective finds himself experiencing a surreal blast from the past when he's struck by a speeding car and transported back to 1973 in this ABC series inspired by the popular British television series of the same name. 2008: Detective Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara) is in hot pursuit of a dangerous criminal when he's suddenly run down right in the middle of the street. Subsequently awakening in the same city circa 1973, Detective Tyler is forced to police the streets of a city locked in the cold grip of chaos. The Vietnam War is raging halfway around the world, the Watergate scandal is making headlines across the country, criminals are running the streets, and more than half of the police force is on the take. To make matters even worse, cell phones haven't been invented yet, desktop typewriters have yet to be replaced by the personal computer, and no one has ever heard of such a thing as an MP3 player. Devoid of his high-tech crime fighting equipment and forced to operate under a shady new moral code, Detective Tyler constantly clashes with his new boss at the 125th Precinct. Lieutenant Gene Hunt (Harvey Keitel) is the kind of cop that values brawn over brains, and the other members of the 1-2-5 are just as tough. Detective Ray Carling (Michael Imperioli) may ask few questions, but he's definitely the right guy to have in your corner when the going gets tough. And despite the fact that the women of the police force are still woefully underused, Police Women's Bureau member Annie Norris (Gretchen Mol) is often the smartest person in the room. Annie dreams of the day she'll become a real cop, but the prevailing sexism of the era is preventing that from happening for the time being. Even so, she's the only person that Detective Tyler can turn to as he attempts to regain his bearings and find a way back home. Meanwhile, fresh-faced rookie Detective Chris Skelton (Jonathan Murphy) may clash constantly with Lieutenant Hunt and Detective Carling, yet he proves a valuable ally for Detective Tyler. If Detective Tyler could only find a way back to 2008, he could tell his true love Maya Daniels (Lisa Bonet) about how Annie's workplace battles back in 1973 opened the doors that would allow Maya to become an official member of the force nearly four decades later. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jason O'Mara, Harvey Keitel, (more)
Two generations of radical bikers face off in this rubber-burning action drama. Manuel "Smoke" Galloway (Laurence Fishburne) is the leader of the Black Knights, an underground motorcycle club. Smoke, like most of his fellow Knights, is a successful white collar worker who can afford fancy leathers and top quality bikes, and Smoke has earned a reputation as the "King of Cali," willing take on anyone in a drag race, legal or no. Kid (Derek Luke) is a gifted young rider whose father was once Smoke's mechanic; when Kid's dad died after an accident, Kid set out to become the best biker he could be to carry on his father's name and reputation. Smoke, however, has no room in the Black Knights for Kid, and so he and several fellow outcast riders start their own club, the Biker Boyz, and challenge Smoke to prove once and for all who is the fastest rider on the scene. Biker Boyz also features appearances from Orlando Jones, Lisa Bonet, Djimon Hounsou, Larenz Tate, and Kid Rock. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Laurence Fishburne, Derek Luke, (more)
The Lathe of Heaven was a made-for-cable remake of the 1980 TV movie of the same name, both based upon the futuristic novel by Ursula K. LeGuin. Former child star Lukas Haas is effectively cast as George Orr, an otherwise ordinary man who experiences extraordinary dreams. When the visions in his head begin coming true -- and even seem to be altering reality -- the anguished Orr consults psychiatrist Walter Haber (James Caan), which is the first of many miscalculations on the part of the protagonist. Dr. Haber intends to harness George's "talent" to bring his own peculiar notion of Utopia to full fruition. Will the fabric of the space-time continuum unravel as Haber plots and plans and Orr's dreams become more and more frightening? And how does Orr's extremely skeptical (and ravishingly beautiful) lawyer Heather LaLache (Lisa Bonet) figure into all this? Lathe of Heaven made its A&E cable network bow on September 8, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A man discovers that there's more to love than a good mixed tape in this dramatic comedy about music and relationships. Rob (John Cusack), an obsessive record collector in his mid-thirties, is struggling to reconcile his adolescent enthusiasm for pop music with adult responsibilities and a more mature outlook. He runs a record shop with his friends Barry (Jack Black) and Dick (Todd Louiso), who are known to drive away customers whose taste in music doesn't match their exacting standards -- which may have something to do with why the shop is losing money. But Rob's biggest problem is his failing relationship with Laura (Iben Hjejle), a lawyer who needs more out of the relationship than Rob is capable of giving. To Rob's horror, Laura starts dating Ian (Tim Robbins), his upstairs neighbor, known throughout the building for his long and noisy sex sessions. Rob, on the other hand, finds himself catching the attention of singer/songwriter Marie DeSalle (Lisa Bonet), as he tries to deal with his breakup by tracking down his previous ex-girlfriends and taking a fresh look at what he's been doing wrong. Based on the acclaimed novel by Nick Hornby, High Fidelity also features Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lili Taylor, and Joelle Carter as three of Rob's ex-lovers, and Sara Gilbert as Dick's new girlfriend, who gets a crash course in U.K. punk bands that influenced Green Day. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, (more)
The action producing-directing team of Jerry Bruckheimer and Tony Scott is back with another thrill-a-minute ride called Enemy of the State. Taking its "innocent man accidentally caught up in political corruption" story from such films as Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Sydney Pollack's Three Days of the Condor, they turn up the high-tech volume in an attempt to create the ultimate action film. Robert Clayton Dean, played by Will Smith, is a devoted father, husband, and attorney shopping for a sexy gift for his wife. What he doesn't know is that he was given a videotape from a friend (Jason Lee) regarding the recent murder of a U.S. senator led by corrupt National Security Agency official Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voight). Now Reynolds is after Dean to cover his tracks or, as the audience soon finds out, frame Dean for Rachel's murder. Since Dean isn't up on his high-tech gadgetry, he needs the aid of ex-intelligence operative Brill (Gene Hackman). Between the explosions and chases is the subtext of George Orwell's 1984 mantra "beware of big brother," as Dean realizes that in the modern world, there is no such thing as total privacy. ~ Arthur Borman, Rovi
- Starring:
- Will Smith, Gene Hackman, (more)
- 1994
Sex and death are the main themes running through this thriller. Matt Dickson is a former hockey player turned L.A. cop. Since his wife left him he has become a hard-drinking carouser. Dickson is on the trail of Welton, a psychotic boxer, using the names of famous fighters for his aliases has left a grisly trail of dead women found in cheap motels throughout the city. He is assisted by Catherine Briggs, a journalist, who helps him see the connection between these murders and similar ones in the past. But Catherine is not only there to help Dickson. She is also there because of a recent one-nighter Dickson had with her sister. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Lisa Bonet, (more)
- 1994
An engineer tries to save people trapped on a nuclear-war-ravaged planet in this made-for-cable science-fiction fare. Stephen Baldwin stars as Adams, an engineer who is dumped onto a sand planet of the future, where the harsh conditions lead to constant fighting and brutality. The inhabitants have reverted to primitive tribal societies. He tries to teach the those left about farming and irrigation in hopes of saving them from destruction, but soon learns that peace cannot be had so easily. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi
- 1993
In this awful black comedy, an aging bank robber tries to pull off one final caper. Things go awry and he ends up staying in a raunchy hotel. The crime is well-publicized, but fortunately the equally seedy residents there keep mum. Unfortunately, they are determined to literally nickel and dime him to death by making him pay dearly for even the smallest favors. Things look bleak until a kindly hooker falls in love with him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patrick Dempsey, Lisa Bonet, (more)
So here are the conditions that prevail as The Cosby Show enters its seventh season. Obstetrician Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) and his attorney wife, Clair (Phylicia Rashad) are still happily married, still living in the upscale Brooklyn brownstone that also serves as Cliff's office. Their youngest daughter, Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam), is the only one of the couple's five children still living at home: both daughters Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf) and Denise (Lisa Bonet) are married and raising families; son Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) is attending New York College and living near campus in a tiny apartment; and daughter Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) had graduated from high school a year earlier, and is about to start her freshman year at Lincoln University. This season, the series' humor, which has usually been at a gentle middle-American level, takes on a sharper and sometimes more caustic edge with the introduction of several new characters from the tough Bed-Stuy section of Brooklyn. In the episode "Period of Adjustment," 17-year-old Pam Turner (Erika Alexander), Clair Huxtable's second cousin once removed, moves out of her inner-city neighborhood when her mom leaves for California to take care of a sick relative, and moves into the Huxtable home. Also coming along for the ride -- at least on an occasional drop-in basis -- are Pam's neighborhood pals Slide (Mushond Lee), Charmaine (Karen Malina White), and Lance (Allen Payne). For the first time in five years, The Cosby Show was not America's top-rated series during season seven. However, it did manage a respectable fifth place -- ironically, just below its spin-off series, A Different World. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, (more)
The sixth season of The Cosby Show marks the full-time return of actress Lisa Bonet in the role of Denise Huxtable, second of four daughters of obstetrician Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) and his attorney wife, Clair (Phylicia Rashad). Bonet had been on maternity leave throughout much of season five, so it was explained that Denise had gone to Africa to work as a photographer's assistant. Now she's back, with a new husband in tow, Navy lieutenant Martin Kendall (played by new series regular Joseph C. Phillips). But wait, there's more: Denise is now also the stepmother of Martin's three-year-old daughter, Olivia (played by another new regular, Raven-Symone). Though the Kendalls move to Rhode Island, the Brooklyn-dwelling Huxtable parents remain in very close contact -- as they do with their other married daughter, Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf), now living with her husband, Elvin (Geoffrey Owens) and their twin children, Nelson and Winnie (played in one episode -- and only in one episode -- by Clayton Griggs and Domonique Reynolds). As for the other Huxtable kids, Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) and Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) are still living at home, while college student Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) has moved into a tiny apartment. The Cosby Show remained firmly in the number-one ratings slot throughout season six -- though it was tied with another sitcom from the Carsey-Werner factory, Roseanne. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, (more)
- 1989
When Whitley (Jasmine Guy) announces plans to attend her father's wedding in New York, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) offers to drive her there. Actually, Dwayne's primary misison is to visit his former classmate Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet, in her first series appearance after leaving A Different World in 1987), hoping to persuade her to return to Hillman College. Ultimately, a depressed Whitley and a disheartened Dwayne find themselves trapped in a blizzard--a crisis that forces them to draw closer together than ever before. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1988
The Huxtables are both hurt and insulted when college student Denise (Lisa Bonet) would rather spend her weekend home with her friends than her family. Further alienating Denise from parents and siblings is her habit of being out of the house just when her presence is needed the most , to say nothing of her "buttinsky" attitude towards Theo's social life. But the limit comes when Denise insists upon watching an R-rated comedy video in the Huxtable living room. Ultimately, the family finds a creative way to get even with the insensitive Denise. Watch for an early appearance by Saturday Night Live "news anchor" Colin Quinn. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1988
Having struck out on one job after another, Denise (Lisa Bonet) believes that she's finally found her calling in life when she is offered a a position as photographer's assistant--which will require her to go to Africa. Though Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair (Phylicia Rashad) are relieved that Denise has gotten work, they aren't entirely convinced that she is prepared for what promises to be a very tough and grueling assignment. Meanwhile, Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) faces yet another romantic crisis when word reaches her that her current beau wants to break up. (Trivia alert: Vanessa's boyfriend Roy is played by Jaime Richards, who as J. August Richards later costarred as Charles Gunn on Angel). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1988
Now that Sondra (Sabrina LeBeauf) and Elvin (Geoffrey Owens) are expecting a child, Sondra's parents Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair (Phylicia Rashad) are convinced that it's high time the couple move out of their wretched little studio apartment and find more suitable living quarters. The problem is that Sondra and Elvin haven't got the necessary funds--and they stubbornly refuse to accept any financial aid from her folks. This episode was originally slated to air on October 20, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1988
The Season Five opener of The Cosby Show finds Cliff and Clair Huxtable (Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad) eagerly looking forward to an "empty nest" as the school year begins. Cliff is particularly delighted that his son Theo will be moving into a dorm during his freshman year at NYU. Unfortunately, Theo forgot to send in his application for a dorm assignment, and will have to remain in the Huxtable household until he can scrounge up an apartment--and if this wasn't enough of an intrusion on Cliff and Clair's solituate, daughter Denise (Lisa Bonet, no longer a regular and billed as "guest star") has dropped out of Hillman college and returned to find a job nearer to home! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1988
After being diagnosed with high cholesterol, Cliff (Bill Cosby) is put on a strict diet by Clair (Phylicia Rashad) until his next blood test--and if you think he's happy about this, you don't know Cliff. Meanwhile, Denise (Lisa Bonet) begins her new job as a recording-company secretary, only to find that her accomplishments are ignored and her mistakes are amplified. In high dudgeon, she marches into her boss' office to demand more respect--and guess what happens! Former Good Times regular John Amos appears as Cliff's doctor in this, the 100th episode of The Cosby Show. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Season one of A Different World focuses primarily on former Cosby Show regular Lisa Bonet in her familiar role as Denise Huxtable, 19-year-old daughter of Cleveland obstetrician Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby). Having enrolled in Hillman College, the alma mater of both her father and grandfather, Denise is now in her sophomore year, living in the Gilbert Hall dorm with her two roommates: Maggie Lawton (Marisa Tomei), a dreamy and naïve white girl; and Jaleesa Vinson (Dawnn Lewis) a worldly 26-year-old who'd decided to enroll in college after getting a divorce. Much of the fun arises from level-headed Denise's tiltings with her neighbor across the hall, the wealthy, spoiled, and arrogant Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy). In the earliest episodes, Gilbert Hall's dorm director is Stevie Rollins (Loretta Devine), who lives with her son J.T. (Amir Williams). Also showing up on occasion are self-styled campus Casanova Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison), who works as a DJ at the campus radio station; and Dwayne's lazy, irresponsible buddy Ron Johnson (Darryl M. Bell). Midway through the season, Loretta Devine leaves to get married, presumably to handsome Professor Walcott (David Alan Grier). Enter Lettie Bostic (Mary Alice), a globetrotting adventuress who has "seen it all" (and probably done it all), who has shown up on campus to give a lecture about the famous persons of her acquaintance. Enchanted by Lettie, Denise and Jaleesa persuade her to remain at Hillman as Loretta's replacement. Also joining the cast at this juncture is athletic coach Walter Oakes (Sinbad), who runs a local community center. Although Different World posted excellent ratings its first season on the air, many critics attributed this to the series' enviable Thursday night time slot, hammocked between The Cosby Show and Cheers. Of the series itself, few except its most loyal fans felt that it had any value past its theme song, performed by Phoebe Snow. Clearly, a major shakeup would have to occur if Different World were to survive past its next season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lisa Bonet, Jasmine Guy, (more)
The time is the 1950s: seedy Brooklyn private eye Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) is hired by shady Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to locate a pop singer who reneged on a debt. Harry ventures into Harlem, the first step of a Heart of Darkness-inspired odyssey. Each time Harry makes contact with someone who might know the singer's whereabouts, he or she is killed in a horrible, ritualistic fashion; a Satanic cult seems to be at the bottom of all the carnage. Harry solves the mystery, all right. He just didn't know that he had the answer all along -- even before Louis entered his office. Also available in the "unrated" video version, Angel Heart is best known as the film that nearly got an X-rating due to a no-holds-barred sex scene involving Mickey Rourke and Lisa Bonet. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, (more)
- 1987
In the first half of a two-part episode (originally telecast as a single hour-long special), Elvin (Geoffrey Owens) retreats to the Huxtable household after an argument with his wife Sondra (Sabrina LeBeauf). In their efforts to patch things up, Sondra's parents Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair (Phylicia Rashad) recall how far Elvin has progressed since his "male-chauvinist" days. This leads to a steady stream of highlights from previous Cosby Showepisodes, including Rudy's "goldfish funeral", Theo's experience with the "Real World Apartments", and a montage of Denise's former boyfriends--and Cliff's curmudgeonly reactions to them. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
In the conclusion of a two-part episode (originally telecast as a single hour-long special), the Huxtables continue in their efforts to patch up the differences between daughter Sondra (Sabrina LeBeauf) and her husband Elvin (Geoffrey Owens). Sondra's sister Vanessa shows up to offer moral support, and to recall previous events in the Huxtable household, courtesy of excerpts from earlier episodes. Ultimately, the main focus is on the marriage of Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair (Phylicia Rashad), which has managed to weather many a domestic storm over the past 23 years. Former regular Lisa Bonet (Denise Huxtable) is billed as "guest star", though she appears only via filmclips. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
Assigned to read Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar", Theo (Malcolm Jamal-Warner) and Cockroach (Carl Anthony Payne II) cannot make heads nor tails of the text. All this changes when the Huxtable's house guest Dr. Barnabus Foster (Roscoe Lee Browne) teams up with the family's professor friend Jonathan Lawrence (Christopher Plummer) to deliver an impromptu--and very lively--Shakespeare reading. In other developments, Denise (Lisa Bonet) has distubing news for her parents; and Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) is mad that she has been chosen as the model for the witch in a fairy tale written by Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam. This episode was originally taped for the series' third season (former regular Lisa Bonet is afforded "guest star" billing).
~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Cosby Show enters its third season as America's most-watched television series -- and would continue to enjoy this lofty honor for four seasons to come. The basic cast of characters remains the same as in season two, headed by Bill Cosby as Brooklyn obstetrician Cliff Huxtable, Phylicia Rashad (formerly Phylicia Ayers-Allen) as Cliff's attorney wife, Clair. Oldest daughter Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf), still attending Princeton University, is now seriously dating Elvin Thibedeaux (Geoffrey Owens); second daughter Denise (Lisa Bonet) has graduated from high school and is attending Hillman College, alma mater of her father and grandfather; middle daughter Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) and son Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) are still in high school, with Theo hanging out more than ever with his pal Cockroach (Carl Anthony Payne II); and youngest daughter Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) has a new school friend named Kenny (Deon Richmond). Sharp-eyed fans may notice that Clair Huxtable is spending an inordinate amount of time standing behind tables and desks, and wearing heavy coats. The reason, of course, is that actress Phylicia Rashad was pregnant -- and her character Clair was not. Additionally, quite a few seemingly fleeting characters show up in the episodes depicting Denise's life at Hillman. Several of these characters would become regulars in the fall of 1987, when Lisa Bonet departed The Cosby Show to star in the spin-off series A Different World. Of the season's many excellent episodes, special attention should be paid to "Bald and Beautiful," which reunites Bill Cosby with his former I Spy co-star Robert Culp (and trivia buffs will get a kick out of Culp's character name: Kelly Scott). Season three ends as Sondra Huxtable prepares to leave the family nest and become the wife of loyal Elvin Tibideaux. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, (more)
Season two of The Cosby Show begins with all six members of the Huxtable family of Brooklyn present and accounted for: obstetrician Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby); his attorney wife, Clair (Phylicia Rashad); their daughters, Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf, previously recurring and now a regular), Denise (Lisa Bonet), Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe), and Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam); and son Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), whose oft-repeated "No problem!" has by now become a national catchphrase. This season is distinguished by "Happy Anniversary," an episode cited by many sources (including TV Guide) as one of the best TV half-hours ever (how could it be any less, with the entire Huxtable family lip-synching to Ray Charles' "The Night Time Is the Right Time"?) Also, in the episode "Cliff in Love," Geoffrey Owens makes his first series appearance as Elvin Tibideaux, Sondra Huxtable's future husband -- and, ironically, Joseph C. Phillips, who would later portray Denise's husband Martin Kendall, is seen in the same episode in the role of Darryl Marchamp, Elvin's rival for Sondra's affections! And a later installment, "Theo and Cockroach," introduces Carl Anthony Payne II as Theo's pal Walter "Cockroach" Bradley, a character heretofore unseen and only talked about. (Incidentally, this is the same episode in which series regular Phylicia Ayers-Allen officially changes her screen billing to her married name, Phylicia Rashad). Now the number one-rated series in America -- a status it would maintain for the next five years! -- The Cosby Show was also the winner of an Emmy award for Best Editing. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, (more)
In the first episode of the long-running sitcom The Cosby Show, Brooklyn obstetrician Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) is asked by his attorney wife, Clair (Phylicia Ayers-Allen), "Why do we have four children?" Though no answer is forthcoming, the fact seems to remain that there are indeed four kids living in the Huxtable's fashionable brownstone: daughters Denise (Lisa Bonet), Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe), and Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam), and son Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner). And yet, sprinkled throughout the early episodes of season one are several references to a fifth child -- who finally shows up in the person of Princeton University student Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf), who makes her first appearance in the tenth telecast episode, appropriately titled "Bon Jour Sondra." (Reportedly, Bill Cosby expanded the original four children alotted to the Huxtables to five so that his TV household would mirror his own: four daughters, one son.) Also making their initial Cosby Show appearances during its first season are Earle Hyman as Cliff's father, Russell Huxtable; Clarice Taylor as Cliff's mom, Anna; and Peter Costa as Rudy's close-mouthed friend, Peter Chiara. And as an added bonus, season one boasts memorable guest appearances by Dizzy Gillespie and Lena Horne. The Cosby Show closed out its first season as the second most popular series in the U.S. Clearly, despite the prognostications of the pundits of the period, the "warm family sitcom" format was not dead -- not on NBC, anyway. As icing on the cake, the program won an Emmy award for Outstanding Comedy Series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, (more)
- 1984
The series that literally rescued the moribund situation comedy genre from oblivion, NBC's The Cosby Show made its first appearance on September 20, 1984. By the time its first season was over, the series was the second-highest-rated program in the country, enabling NBC to build a brand-new sitcom empire with such popular offerings as Frasier, Seinfeld, and Friends. Bill Cosby was of course the creator of the series, in concert with the Carsey-Werner Company, whose later efforts included Roseanne, 3rd Rock From the Sun, and That '70s Show. Cosby played the leading character, Dr. Cliff Huxtable, a successful obstetrician who lived in a fashionable Brooklyn townhouse with his attorney wife, Clair (played by Phylicia Ayers-Allen, later billed as Phylicia Rashad). The couple's children included daughters Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf), Denise (Lisa Bonet), Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe), and Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) and son Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner). Among the many other characters were Cliff's dad, Russell (Earle Hyman), and mom, Anna (Clarice Taylor); Sondra's boyfriend -- and later husband -- Elvin Tibedeaux (Geoffrey Owens); Theo's pal Cockroach (Carl Anthony Payne II); Rudy's friends Peter (Peter Costa) and Kenny (Deon Richmond); Vanessa's boyfriend Dabnis (William Thomas Jr.); Clair's second cousin, Bedford-Stuyvesant refugee Pam Turner (Erika Alexander); and Pam's friends Slida (Mushond Lee), Charmaine (Karen Malina White), and Lance (Allen Payne). Also, after briefly leaving the series to star in her own series, A Different World, Lisa Bonet returned in the role of Denise, then-married to Lt. Martin Kendall (Joseph C. Phillips) and stepmother of Martin's daughter, Olivia (Raven-Symone). Increasing the number of family members were Sondra and Elvin's twin children, Winnie and Nelson, played during the series' final season by Jessica Vaughn and Gary Gray. Unlike many sitcoms with African-American casts, The Cosby Show did not overemphasize its racial aspects, nor did it traffic in stereotypical characters or dialogue. Put simply, the Huxtables could have been any upper-middle-class family of any color, and it was their normality and universality that made the series a hit with viewers from all ethnic groups. The winner of innumerable industry awards, and America's top-rated sitcom for a remarkable five years in a row, The Cosby Show finished its network run on September 17, 1992, and has been a welcome fixture in the syndicated-rerun field ever since. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, (more)
