Malcolm-Jamal still proud of the Legacy of ‘The Cosby Show’

• Star Malcolm-Jamal Warner acknowledges how The Cosby Show impacted the game.
• Cosby, was given a term of three to ten years in jail in 2018 for accusations of drugging.
• Warner acknowledges that the program also attracted criticism.

Star Malcolm-Jamal Warner acknowledges how The Cosby Show impacted the game more than 30 years after it came to an end. In this week’s issue’s Black History Month special, 52-year-old Warner tells news that “what made it so pioneering was its universality?”  At first assumed it was a program about a Black upper-middle-class family. They were assiduously reminded by Mr. [Bill] Cosby that the program was about a Black upper-middle-class family.”

Theo Huxtable, the accused actor’s on-screen son, explains the minute variation: “Before The Cosby Show, the humour in Black sitcoms was based on the uniqueness of the “Black” experience and being Black. Although the Huxtables were unmistakably Black—as evidenced by their attire, the Black art on the walls, and the music—the family problems were all common. Although Cliff [Cosby] was a doctor and Claire [Phylicia Rashad] was a lawyer, the family dynamic was one that almost every family could connect to, regardless of racial background, socioeconomic standing, or even the structure of the family.”

Star Several fans’ memories of the program have changed as a result of Bill Cosby’s legal troubles. Cosby, 85, was given a term of three to ten years in jail in 2018 for accusations of drugging and molesting another woman. The actor was freed after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his sexual assault conviction in 2021. In December, five more women sued Cosby for sexual assault, and one more did so for sexual battery in January.

According to Warner, “I’m still proud of the legacy and having been a part of such a legendary show that had such a deep impact on — first and foremost, Black culture — but also American society,” regardless of how some people may currently feel about the program.

Warner acknowledges that the program also attracted criticism, but praises Cosby for having “broadened the vision of how the world perceived Black people.”

“While one of the show’s original criticisms was that Black people didn’t live like the Huxtables, I was receiving hundreds of thank-you notes on a regular basis. My dad is a doctor, and my mom is a lawyer. We are the Huxtables “Warner remembers. The Black middle class, which has always existed but was previously disregarded, was brought to light by the show.

He goes on, “In addition, several members of Cliff and Claire’s generation—including Barack and Michelle Obama—became the first in their families to attend college. There is even a case can be made that the program helped pave the way for a Black president of the United States.”

Between 1984 and 1992, The Cosby Show has eight seasons and was the recipient of six Emmy Awards for its work in news. Warner and a few of Cosby’s co-stars continue to have great things to say about the program and its history in spite of the accusations against him.

When Warner states, “The Cosby Show is something that we are all still very proud of,” she is undoubtedly speaking for the entire cast. No matter how long it takes for us to see or hear from each other, we have a special experience that keeps us close.

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