History YMMV / TheCosbyShow

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: Lewis Erlicht, president of Creator/{{ABC}} Entertainment, [[http://www.minyanville.com/special-features/articles/cosby-abc-nbc-ge-disney-viacom/4/23/2010/id/27121 said in 1984]] that TV comedy was "dead. Forever. Bury it." He also considered an educated, middle class, happy African-American family "unrealistic". As such, he rejected a Creator/BillCosby's pitch for a domestic sitcom. The show was eventually greenlit by Brandon Tartikoff, president of Creator/{{NBC}} Entertainment, where it became a ratings giant (one of three shows ever to rank #1 in the Neilsen ratings for five consecutive seasons), as well as setting the bar for both African-American roles on television and intelligent family-friendly comedy. In fact, as a result of the show's mega-popularity, many other NBC shows, a lot of them heretofore struggling to win viewership, became hugely popular in the Nielsen ratings as well. All of this gave NBC much needed revenue to avoid going bankrupt. ABC, for their part, saw many of their once mega-successful programs take a tremendous nosedive in the ratings, which in turn, led to a huge decline in revenue, causing the network to be bought out by a company only a tenth of their size, Capital Cities Communications. As a result of the missed opportunity for ABC caused by his poor judgment, Erlicht was abruptly and humiliatingly demoted to a position of senior vice president and head of the network's in-house production company, ABC Circle Films, and replaced by Brandon Stoddard, president of the network's former theatrical films division, ABC Motion Pictures.

** Similarly, was the punishment that they inflict on Rudy and her friends after they sneak out to a club appropriate or over-the-top? While it was a stupid stunt, it was arguably much less worse than anything Vanessa ever pulled, yet they're told that they will be spending the next ''six months'' volunteering at a retirement home every Saturday. This is after Vanessa got grounded for ''one'' for sneaking out to meet her boyfriend. And unless they discussed it with the other girls parents, they are completely out of line to discipline them as well.

*** Ennis Cosby, who was the basis of Theo, eventually discovered that he was dyslexic, which contributed to his poor academic performance. It's a little awkward to see Cosby accusing his learning-disabled son of slacking off by proxy. Ennis's dyslexia was eventually written into Theo's character, so this even works in-universe. Sondra even points out the obvious UnfortunateImplications to a guilty Cliff.

*** Ennis Cosby, who was the basis of Theo, eventually discovered that he was dyslexic, which contributed to his poor academic performance. It's a little awkward to see Cosby accusing his learning-disabled son of slacking off by proxy. Ennis's dyslexia was eventually written into Theo's character, so this even works in-universe.

** There are times when Clair comes across like control freak or outright tyrant. While it's most often PlayedForLaughs that she doesn't
let Cliff to do some things he wants, it really isn't appropriate for her to, for example, call a store where Cliff is a regular customer and tell the owner not to sell him anything; it hurts the guy's business and she has no right to make that kind of demand as it's not her property. The punchline of this every time it comes up is the fact that Clair is a lawyer and she'd find ''some'' way to get back at them.

** There are times when Clair can really be something between a control freak or outright tyrant. While it's most often PlayedForLaughs in her not allowing Cliff to do some things he wants and in other cases, but it really isn't appropriate for her to call ahead to a store where Cliff is a regular customer and telling the owner not to sell him anything; it hurts the guy's business and she has no right to make that kind of demand as it's not her property. The punchline of this every time it comes up is the fact that Clair is a lawyer and she'd find ''some'' way to get back at them.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: The many, ''many'' imitators that have come since make even the best of Cosby episodes seem stale and dated. The lead star's modern reputation certainly doesn't help appeal to newcomers.