Phylicia Rashad Movies

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

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

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

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

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

There were those in 1989 who bellyached that Disney Television's Polly was a far from faithful adaptation of Eleanor Porter's classic novel Pollyanna. What they meant was that Polly did not resemble the 1960 Hayley Mills movie version of Pollyanna, which itself played fast and loose with the source material. In Polly, The Cosby Show's Keshia Knight Pulliam portrays the "Glad Girl" who brings along a satchelful of happiness and optimism when she visits her wealthy aunt one summer. Tranposing Porter's all-white story to a middle-class black community in the Alabama of the 1950s (Celeste Holm is the only white costar) isn't nearly as self-conscious or gimmicky as it seems on paper. Nor is any damage done to the original by adding musical numbers, especially when taking into consideration that the film was directed by renowned choreographer Debbie Allen (the sister of Phylicia Rashad, who plays Polly's aunt--and who in 1989 was costarring with Keshia Knight Pulliam on a weekly basis on The Cosby Show). Polly scored a boffo ratings hit, prompting Disney TV to assemble a 1990 sequel, Polly: Comin' Home! ~ 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

This medical instructional video is produced by the American Red Cross. Taking the viewer first through a twenty-question test on proper procedures for life-threatening medical emergencies, with an included test score card, the video then shows the recommended medical procedures for each depicted Emergency. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

The eighth and final season of The Cosby Show opens with a shocker for obstetrician Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) and his attorney wife, Clair (Phylicia Rashad). It seems that the couple's daughter Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe), who'd graduated from high school a year early and has been attending Lincoln University since the beginning of season seven, has for the past six months been engaged to the university's maintenance man Dabnis Brickley (William Thomas Jr.) -- who is a dozen years older than she! At first, Cliff and Clair are cold to Dabnis, suspecting his motives, but before long the level-headed working man wins their confidence and respect. In addition to William Thomas Jr., child actors Gary Gray and Jessica Vaughn join the cast as Nelson and Winnie Tibideaux, the twin children of Cliff and Clair's oldest daughter, Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf), and her husband, Elvin (Geoffrey Owens). (The twins had previously been played by other children in one-shot appearances; now they can qualify as "regulars.") Absent this season is Lisa Bonet as the Huxtables' daughter Denise, and (except for one episode) Joseph C. Phillips as her husband, Naval lieutenant Martin Kendall; it is explained that the Kendalls have moved to Singapore, where Martin has been stationed -- and that because of Navy rules and regulations, their daughter, Olivia (Raven-Symone), must stay behind with Cliff and Clair. Of the remaining Huxtable children, youngest daughter Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) is still at home, and Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) is still attending college, living near campus. Also, the Huxtable household remains the temporary domicile of 18-year-old Pam Turner (Erika Alexander), Clair's second cousin once removed, who keeps in close contact with her friends from her old Bedford-Stuyvestant neighborhood, and is now contemplated a college career herself. The series' now-legendary final episode is an hour-long affair honoring Theo's graduation from college, ending with Cliff and Clair acknowledging the presence of the studio audience for the first (and last) time in The Cosby Show's eight-year history. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mother Goose is a favorite of parents and children alike. Actress Phylicia Rashad brings these nursery rhymes to life. The viewer watches a cast of children and animals perform such favorites as "Old Mother Hubbard", "This Little Pig", "Old King Cole", and "Three Little Kittens". Also, the work of the stage crew is shown, to help children understand that there is more to a play than what is seen from the audience. Composer Jason Miles provides music to accompany each of the 36 nursery rhymes. ~ Linda J. Shriver, All Movie Guide

Monica (Roma Downey) assumes the role of personal assistant to Elizabeth Jessup (Phylicia Rashad), a celebrated journalist who is plagued with alcoholism. Though Elizabeth's excessive drinking has caused serious damage to her relationship with daughter Sydney (Erica Gimpel) and granddaugther Beth (Melissa Lee Andrew), she refuses to admit she has a problem, and is infuriated when Sydney arranges an intervention by Anita (Donna Bullock), a counselor at the New Hope Center. The situation deteriorates to the point that only a potential tragedy can reunite the family--and almost as if on cue, Beth is trapped in a fire caused by Elizabeth! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Actor Tim Reid (WKRP in Cincinnati) made his directorial debut with this filmed adaptation of Clifton L. Taulbert's autobiography. Set in an African-American community in the segregated South, Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored follows a young Taulbert through three decades, beginning with his birth in a cotton field in 1946. As he grows up, Taulbert is faced with the harsh realities of being black in the mid-20th century: first from the lessons of his great-grandfather (Al Freeman Jr.), later in his trips to the local segregated library, and finally in 1962, when a 16-year-old Taulbert watches as his community deals with a racist white business owner trying to run a local black ice man out of town. Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored was the recipient of the Audience Choice Award at the 1995 St. Louis International Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide