Malcolm-Jamal Warner Movies
Best-known as teenage son Theo on the legendary sitcom The Cosby Show, Malcolm-Jamal Warner had already made a handful of TV appearances when he joined the show's cast in 1984. The precocious 14 year old showed up for the last day of casting, but quickly won over the producers and remained with the show until it ended its run in 1992. Warner would go on to try his hand at several other projects, starring in the comedy series Here and Now until 1993 and taking on the role of The Producer on the children's series The Magic School Bus from 1994 to 1997. Warner would also star in the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie starting in 1996, staying with the show until 2000. In 2003, the actor began appearing on the sci-fi series Jeremiah and continued with the show until it was canceled in 2004. Warner would then take on the recurring role of Bernie on the sports-oriented comedy Listen Up in 2005, and subsequently kept busy making appearances on shows like Dexter and The Cleaner. In 2009, Warner found yet another outlet for his talents on the small screen, joining Sherri Shepherd on the sitcom Sherri. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide- 1991
Seething with jealousy because she feels Olivia (Raven-Symone) has usurped her position as the "cute" Huxtable, Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) has a nightmare wherein Olivia is an evil force who uses her cuteness to manipulate everyone around her. "I have grownups under my spell" smirks the "other" Olivia, and she proceeds to prove it by twisting Cliff (Bill Cosby), Clair (Phylicia Rashad) et. al around her little finger and getting anything she wants. The limit comes when Olivia's pony takes over Rudy's bed--and thank heaven that Rudy's parents prove to be as loyal and supportive in her imagination as they are in real life. Throughout this wildly fanciful episode, Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe), Pam (Erika Alexander) and Charmaine (Karen Malina White) function as a "nightmare chorus", a la Little Shop of Horrors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, (more)
- 1990
Hoping to sneak off to a Baltimore concert by the rock band "Wretched", Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) and her friends Janet (Pam Potillo), Kara (Elizabeth Narvaez) and Susan (Lisa Rieffel) cook up an elaborate charade to convince their parents that they're actually attending a sleepover in the home of Susan's grandmother. No sooner have the girls arrived in Baltimore than their borrowed car, and their concert tickets, are stolen. Meanwhile, a fire breaks out in the house next door to the one where the sleepover is allegedly taking place...and when Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair (Phylicia Rashad) hear the news on TV, all Heck breaks loose! This episode was codirected by series regular Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Theo). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
In the conclusion of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single one hour special), Will (Will Smith) and the Banks family continue shopping at the mall in preparation for a Halloween party. Along the way, Will and Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) compete for the attentions of a toothsome lass named Melinda (Paris Vaughn), with Will trying to impress the girl by listing all the "celebrities" he's met in his lifetime (most of whom appear as themselves in a highly fanciful series of flashbacks). Meanwhile, Vivian (Janet Hubert-Whitten) enjoys a brief moment in the spotlight as a mall singer; gadget-happy Philip (James Avery) threatens to buy out an entire electronics store; and Ashley (Tatyana M. Ali) is falsely accused of shoplifting. Things come full circle when Melinda shows up for the party--along with two unexpected "guests." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, (more)
- 1989
Mother's Day was the first made-for-TV movie produced for the CBN Cable Service (now known as the Family Channel). Given CBN's religious track record and the film's innocuous title, it comes as a mild shock that Mother's Day concerns itself with drug dealers, murder charges and "women in jeopardy." Malcolm Jamal-Warner stars as an urban African-American teen convicted for a drug-related murder. He didn't do it, or so he says. The police don't seem to be concerned over this potential miscarriage of justice, so Malcolm's mother, played by Denise Nicholas, investigates the murder herself--putting her own life on the line in the process. The script's plot hinges on the fact that the teenager and the killer bear a striking resemblance to one another--a fact underlined in broad, blunt strokes by having Malcolm Jamal-Warner play both roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Making another crossover appearance from The Cosby Show, Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad) arrives at Hillman College to conduct a business-etiquette seminar. She also hopes to persuade her daughter Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) to enroll in Hillman, but Vanessa turns out to have other plans. At the same time, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) turns to Clair for help after an important job interview with Kinishewa Electronics goes horribly wrong. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
America's number one-rated series for three years running, The Cosby Show manages to hold on to this lofty status throughout its fifth season on the air. Bill Cosby is of course back as obstetrician Cliff Huxtable, as is Phylicia Rashad as Cliff's attorney wife, Clair. Three of the five Huxtable children are still being seen on a regular basis: Tempestt Bledsoe as Vanessa, Keshia Knight Pulliam as Rudy, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Theo. Also back after a year's hiatus as star of the spin-off series A Different World is Lisa Bonet as daughter Denise, though the actress' pregnancy would severely curtail her appearances this season. Likewise, oldest daughter Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf), now the wife of Elvin Tibideaux (Geoffrey Owens) and the mother of twins Nelson and Winnie (born in an hour-long episode, originally aired November 10, 1988), is only seen on a sporadic basis. Season five is distinguished by the fact that Theo has graduated from college and is attending New York University for graduate school, while Denise has dropped out of Hillman College and is preparing to journey to Africa as a photographer's assistant (a plot development which neatly coincides with Lisa Bonet's maternity leave). Likewise worth more than a passing nod is the episode "If the Dress Fits, Wear It," which features appearances by series regular Phylicia Rashad's sister Debbie Allen and husband Ahmad Rashad. And in the episode "No Way, Baby," Sammy Davis Jr. makes one of his last TV appearances as a cranky old cuss named Ray Palomino (Davis earned an Emmy nomination for his performance). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, (more)
- 1988
Upset over her grades, Denise (Lisa Bonet) invites her brother Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) to visit her at Hillman, hoping that he can cheer her up. Alas, Theo would rather pal around with the other studennts, leaving poot Lisa in the lurch. The closing scenes in this final episode of A Different World's first season neatly set up Lisa Bonet's defection from the series; also making her final regular appearance is Marisa Tomei as Maggie Lauten. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
In this provocative made-for-television drama, an African American Chicago priest takes on the Catholic church during his fight to adopt a troubled teen and save him from life on the streets. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louis Gossett, Jr.
Most of the familiar characters established during the first three seasons of The Cosby Show are still in attendance as the series launches its fourth season: obstetrician Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby), his attorney wife, Clair (Phylicia Rashad), daughters Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf), Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe), and Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam), and son Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner). Conspicuous by her absence is daughter Denise (Lisa Bonet), whose adventures at Hillman College are this season being enacted on the character's own sitcom, A Different World. Denise does, however, make a few return appearances in such episodes as "Home for the Weekend." Also, oldest daughter Sondra isn't around much any more, since she is now the wife of Elvin Tibideaux (Geoffrey Owens, who has become a regular cast member). Conversely, one actor makes four very prominent appearances in the role of Theo's pal Smitty: that actor is Adam Sandler, several years removed from his Saturday Night Live and motion-picture superstardom. Still the number one-rated TV show in America, The Cosby Show would manage to hold on to this status for the next two years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, (more)
- 1987
This video is for kids who want to be the life of the party. Show Off! A Kid's Guide to Being Cool stars Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best-known for his role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show. In this video, the young star offers a collection of fun activities, tricks, amusing gags, and entertaining moves and jokes. A real recipe for good times, the video also includes magic secrets, thumb wrestling instructions, and stunt-fighting lessons. If that doesn't liven the day, try Warner's expert teen advice on making funny faces or concocting a batch of slime. ~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, (more)
- 1986
The Cosby Show's Malcolm-Jamal Warner stretches his acting muscles in this powerful ABC Afterschool Special. Warner is cast as Charlie Curtis, a teenager who on surface seems to have everything -- loving parents, supportive teachers, and many friends. Why then, does Charlie find life so bleak that he ends up committing suicide? Charlie's best friend, Jed (Rob Stone), spends the bulk of the story trying to solve the puzzle -- and to come to terms with the tragedy. A Desperate Exit is based on Eve Bunting's novel Face at the Edge of the World, which is also the title of the 30-minute VHS version of this film. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Rob Stone, (more)
- 1986
This 1986 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Malcolm-Jamal Warner and features musical guest Run DMC. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Run-D.M.C., (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, All Movie Guide
- 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, All Movie Guide
- 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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, (more)
