Jump to content

Little Bill: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
m Reverted edits by 209.127.197.191 (talk) to last version by Discospinster
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American children's show}}
{{infobox television |
{{About|the television show|the original book series|Little Bill (book series)|other uses|Little Bill (disambiguation)}}
| bgcolor = <!--please do not put in a color. it simply makes things hard to read.-->
{{Infobox television
| show_name = Little bill
| image = Little Bill logo.png
| image =[[Image:Little_Bill.jpg|thumb|right|Little Bill and his family|170px]]
| genre = [[Children's television series]]<br>[[Educational]]
| caption =
| creator = [[Bill Cosby]]<ref name="baltimoresun">{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1999-11-28-9912020402-story.html|title=Cosby's 'Little Bill' sends the right message to kids|work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|date=November 28, 1999|last=Zurawik|first=David}}</ref>
| format = [[Children's television series]]
| based_on = {{Based on|''[[Little Bill (book series)|Little Bill]]''|Bill Cosby|Varnette P. Honeywood}}
| runtime = 30 minutes per episode
| developer = Fracaswell Hyman
| country = {{USA}}
| writer = <!--NOTE: Per [[Template:Infobox television]], do not include writers if the series has more than five writers-->
| network = [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon]] and [[Noggin (TV channel)|Noggin]]
| director = {{Plainlist|
| first_aired = November 28 1999
* [[Robert Scull]]
| last_aired = February 6, 2004
* [[Jennifer Oxley]]
| creator =
* Olexa Hewryk
| executive producer =
* Mark Salisbury
| starring = Bill Cosby
* Robert M. Wallace
| num_episodes = 047
* Dan Kanemoto
| list_episodes=
| imdb_id = 0163929
| tv_com_id = 4339
}}
}}
| creative_director = Robert Scull
{{portalpar|Philadelphia|Libertybell alone small.jpg}}
| voices = {{Plainlist|
'''''Little Bill''''' is a TV show for preschoolers on [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon]]'s [[Nick Jr.|Nick Jr]]. The show features [[Bill Cosby]] telling stories using his character of Little Bill. During these stories Little Bill normally learns some sort of lesson or moral. The show aired on ''[[CBS]]'' on September 16, ''[[2000]]'', then ended on September 7, ''[[2002]]''. The show came back on August 2, ''[[2003]]'', then ended again in March 2004. The show came back to ''[[Nick Jr. on CBS]]'' on September 16, 2004, then it stopped in September 2006 when it was replaced with [[KOL Secret Slumber Party on CBS]].
* [[Ruby Dee]]
* [[Gregory Hines]]
* [[Phylicia Rashad]]
* Xavier Pritchett<!--NOTE: "Starring" does not mean "including" or "featuring". Production companies determine starring roles.-->
}}
| theme_music_composer = Bill Cosby, [[Don Braden]], and [[Jon Faddis]]
| composer = [[Stu Gardner]] and Art Lisi
| country = United States
| language = English
| network = [[Nickelodeon]]{{efn|name=Network|On September 10, 2007, ''Little Bill'' was moved to the [[Noggin (brand)|Noggin]] channel, which billed it as a "new series" and labeled episodes as "premieres."<ref name="noggin-new"/> }}
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
* Bill Cosby
* David Brokaw
* Charles Kipps
* Brown Johnson
*[[Janice Burgess]]
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* Robert Scull<!--NOTE: Per [[Template:Infobox television]], do not include season numbers or years-->
* Shawn Cuddy
* Irene Sherman
* Fracaswell Hyman
}}
| company = [[Nickelodeon Animation Studio]] New York<br><small>(credited as [[Nick Jr.|Nick Jr. Productions]])</small>
| num_seasons = 2<ref name="episode224">{{cite web|url=http://www.nickjr.com/enwiki/static/page/tv_schedule/episode.jhtml?channelID=11&seriesID=782&episodeID=26944|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160706141738/http://www.nickjr.com/enwiki/static/page/tv_schedule/episode.jhtml?channelID=11&seriesID=782&episodeID=26944|archive-date=July 6, 2016|title=''Little Bill'', Episode 224|work=[[Nick.com|NickJr.com]]|date=2004}}</ref>
| num_episodes = 52<ref name=TVGuideEps>{{cite web|title=Little Bill episodes|url=http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/little-bill/episodes/194562|work=TV Guide|access-date=January 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826114008/http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/little-bill/episodes/194562|archive-date=August 26, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0229141/ | title=Little Bill | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref>
| list_episodes = List of Little Bill episodes
| runtime = 24 minutes
| first_aired = {{Start date|1999|11|28}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2004|2|6}}
}}
'''''Little Bill''''' is an American [[Animation|animated]] [[educational]] [[children's television series]] created by [[Bill Cosby]].<ref name="baltimoresun"/> It is based on the [[Little Bill (book series)|''Little Bill'' book series]], written by Cosby with illustrations by [[Varnette P. Honeywood]].<ref name="about">{{cite web|title=Little Bill|url=http://www.noggin.com/parents/bill.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407232804/http://www.noggin.com/parents/bill.php|archive-date=April 7, 2008|access-date=April 7, 2016|work=noggin.com}}</ref> Cosby also composed some of the theme music, appeared in [[live-action]] in the show's intro sequence, and voiced the recurring character of Captain Brainstorm.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tulsaworld.com/archive/little-bill-has-a-brainstorm/article_df865e83-86bc-539c-b626-bf970f6ff297.html|title='Little Bill' Has a Brainstorm|work=[[Tulsa World]]|date=June 4, 2000}}</ref> It was Cosby's second animated series, after ''[[Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids]]''.<ref name="postgazette">{{cite web|url=https://old.post-gazette.com/tv/19991128tvbookowen1.asp|title='Little Bill' takes aim at kids, not merchandise|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=November 29, 1999|last=Owen|first=Rob|quote=Based on the books by Bill Cosby, "Little Bill" won't remind viewers of Cosby's "Fat Albert."}}</ref>


The show's main character, Little Bill, is a fictionalized younger version of Cosby;<ref name="postgazette"/> the show's executive producer, [[Janice Burgess]], described the character as "little Bill Cosby."<ref name="nytimes2001">{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512203426/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/06/tv/for-young-viewers-met-him-on-a-fun-day-and-his-name-is-bill.html|archivedate=May 12, 2015|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/06/tv/for-young-viewers-met-him-on-a-fun-day-and-his-name-is-bill.html|date=May 6, 2001|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Met Him on a Fun Day and His Name Is Bill|quote='Little Bill is, in a way little Bill Cosby,' said Janice Burgess}}</ref> Each episode features Little Bill learning a lesson while interacting with his large family and group of friends. The show was developed with a panel of educational consultants.<ref name="about"/> The show is set in [[Philadelphia]], Cosby's hometown.<ref name="nytimes2001"/> Little Bill's personality was inspired by both Cosby himself and his son, [[Murder of Ennis Cosby|Ennis Cosby]]; Little Bill's catchphrase "Hello, friend!" was originally a greeting that Ennis used.<ref name="coseffect">{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-dec-12-ls-63133-story.html|title=Cos and Effect|date=December 12, 1997|website=Los Angeles Times|first1=Elizabeth|last1=Mehren}}</ref>
==Cast==
*[[Xavier Pritchett]] as Little Bill
*[[Zach Tyler Eisen]] as Andrew
*[[Gregory Hines]] as Big Bill
*[[Phylicia Rashad]] as Brenda
*[[Ruby Dee]] as Alice the Great
*[[Kianna Underwood]] as Fuschia
*[[Tyler James Williams]] as Bobby
*[[Monique Beasley]] as April
*[[Bill Cosby]] as Captain Brainstorm


The series originally ran on [[Nickelodeon]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Nickelodeon's 'Little Bill' Debuts as First African American Balloon In 76th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nickelodeons-little-bill-debuts-as-first-african-american-balloon-in-76th-annual-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-76750627.html|work=PRNewswire.com|access-date=13 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002180440/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nickelodeons-little-bill-debuts-as-first-african-american-balloon-in-76th-annual-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-76750627.html|archive-date=2 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> from November 28, 1999 to February 6, 2004, and reruns continued until December 22, 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nickjr.com/home/tv_schedule.jhtml|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061219225002/http://www.nickjr.com/home/tv_schedule.jhtml|title=Nick Jr. TV Schedule: Week of December 18, 2006|url-status=dead|work=[[Nick.com|NickJr.com]]|date=December 18, 2006|archive-date=December 19, 2006}}</ref> In September 2007, Nickelodeon announced that ''Little Bill'' would permanently move to the [[Noggin (brand)|Noggin channel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://animesuperhero.com/pr-bill-cosbys-little-bill-starts-on-noggin-on-september-10-2007/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614224510/https://animesuperhero.com/pr-bill-cosbys-little-bill-starts-on-noggin-on-september-10-2007/|archivedate=June 14, 2022|title=PR: Bill Cosby's 'Little Bill' Starts on Noggin on September 10, 2007|work=[[PR Newswire]]|date=6 September 2007 }}</ref><ref name="nickpress">{{cite web|url-status=dead|url=http://biz.viacom.com/sites/nickelodeonpress/nick%20jr/Press%20Releases/Little%20Bill%20on%20NOGGIN%20release.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912191940/http://biz.viacom.com/sites/nickelodeonpress/nick%20jr/Press%20Releases/Little%20Bill%20on%20NOGGIN%20release.pdf|archive-date=September 12, 2016|date=September 5, 2007|work=[[Nickelodeon|Nickelodeon Press]]|title=Little Bill NOGGIN Release}}</ref> It premiered on Noggin on September 10, 2007.<ref name="noggin-new">{{cite web|url=http://www.noggin.com/shows/bill.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070901102107/http://www.noggin.com/shows/bill.php|archive-date=September 1, 2007|work=[[Noggin (brand)|Noggin]]|title=Shows - Little Bill}}</ref> Reruns continued to air until 2014, when the show was pulled from the air due to [[Bill Cosby sexual assault cases|allegations of sexual assault against Cosby]].<ref name="distractify">{{cite web|url=https://www.distractify.com/p/is-little-bill-bill-cosby|title='Little Bill' Boasts a Darker Energy Today Than It Did in 1999 — Is Bill Cosby the Protagonist?|work=[[Distractify]]|date=January 21, 2022|last=Piazza|first=Bianca}}</ref>
==Characters==
;Little Bill: Little Bill loves Elephant his hamster and is a fan of the Blue Sox baseball team. He also likes Captain Brainstorm because he comes up with great ideas. He enjoys going to school, although he misses Elephant, he is still happy. He is known as Little Bill because he is actually Bill Jr, his father's name also being Bill.


==Premise==
;Elephant: Elephant (a [[house Mouse]]) is one the most likable character from the series, he is a small light yellow mouse who loves Little Bill, the only noise that is heard from him is his blinking eyes after Little Bill has spoken. He never talks, if he could talk he would sound like [[Porky Pig]]. When the rest of the family go on holiday, he is left alone with Alice the Great.
Set in [[Philadelphia]], the show centers on Little Bill Glover as he explores everyday life through his imagination. Little Bill lives with his parents, his great grandmother Alice (nicknamed Alice the Great), his older sister April, and brother Bobby. Each episode includes a daydreaming sequence where Little Bill imagines a fantastical scenario.<ref name="postgazette"/> At the end of every episode, he [[Fourth wall|breaks the fourth wall]] by summarizing his day to the audience by talking to the audience or Elephant, his hamster, before going to bed, and a family member offscreen asks, "Little Bill, who are you talking to?" causing Little Bill to laugh.

==Broadcast history==
''Little Bill'' was first announced in 1997.<ref name="coseffect"/> It aired on [[Nickelodeon]] from November 28, 1999 to February 6, 2004. The first eight episodes debuted on Sunday nights before airing on Nick Jr. at a later date. The series secured a regular weekday timeslot on Nick Jr. beginning on September 4, 2000. Nick Jr. aired reruns until December 22, 2006. The series also aired on ''[[Nick on CBS]]'' from September 16, 2000<ref>{{cite book|last1=Shrivastava|first1=K M|title=Broadcast Journalism in the 21st Century|date=2005|publisher=New Dawn Press Group|page=56|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tpt8knkqUsoC&q=%22Nick+Jr+on+CBS%22&pg=PA56|access-date=February 20, 2015|isbn=9788120735972}}</ref> until September 9, 2006. In September 2007, ''Little Bill'' was moved to the [[Noggin (brand)|Noggin channel]],<ref name="nickpress"/> which advertised it as a "new series".<ref name="noggin-new"/> Noggin aired five "premiere episodes" from September 10 to September 15, 2007.<ref name="noggin-new"/>

Reruns of ''Little Bill'' were shown on Noggin and the [[Nick Jr. Channel|Nick Jr.]] channel until February 21, 2014, when Nickelodeon removed the show from its services.<ref name="distractify"/> In addition to pulling reruns, ''Little Bill'' was removed from NickJr.com in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nickjr.com/little-bill|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214184938/http://www.nickjr.com/little-bill|archive-date=December 14, 2014|title=NickJr.com}}</ref> Commenting on the show's removal from television, ''[[Distractify]]'' wrote: "Perhaps ''Little Bill'' should be left in the past."<ref name="distractify"/>

In 2017, the [[American Library Association]] said that the ''Little Bill'' series was one of the books most often targeted for removal in school libraries due to the [[Bill Cosby sexual assault cases|sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/10/us/bill-cosby-books-challenged|last=Grinberg|first=Emmanuella|date=April 10, 2017|work=[[CNN]]|title=Bill Cosby's 'Little Bill' books targeted for censorship, library group says}}</ref> In December 2014, ''[[TV Guide]]'' noted that ''Little Bill'' episodes had become difficult to find after the allegations, since the show was no longer aired on television.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/bill-cosby-tarnished-legacy-1090044/|title=How Bill Cosby's Tarnished Legacy Impacts His Business|work=[[TV Guide]]|last=Schneider|first=Michael|date=December 1, 2014}}</ref>

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of Little Bill episodes}}
{{:List of Little Bill episodes}}

==Characters==


===Glover household===
He is a house mouse (as before).
* William "Little Bill" Glover Jr. (voiced by Xavier Pritchett) is an inquisitive bald 5-year-old boy. He has a knack for storytelling and often finds himself daydreaming his own fantasy worlds. The show's executive producer, [[Janice Burgess]], described Little Bill as "in a way, little Bill Cosby." Little Bill's catchphrase "Hello, friend!" was originally a greeting used by Bill Cosby's late son, [[Ennis Cosby]].<ref name="meetcharacters">{{cite web|url=http://www.nickjr.com/little-bill/about-little-bill/little-bill-characters.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605064015/http://www.nickjr.com/little-bill/about-little-bill/little-bill-characters.html|archivedate=June 5, 2013|title=Meet the Characters of Little Bill|work=[[Nick Jr.|NickJr.com]]|date=2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="nytimes2001"/><ref name="coseffect"/>
;April: Older than Bill and Bobby, she isn't really interested in what Elephant and Little Bill are doing. She is a basketball fan who plays it at school at breaktimes. She met Elephant when he came to their house after living at the pet shop. Half the time she gets quite bossy with Little Bill or Bobby.
* William "Big Bill" Glover Sr. (voiced by [[Gregory Hines]]) is the city's [[Building control body|building inspector]] who is Little Bill, Bobby, and April's father, and Brenda's husband. He is nicknamed Big Bill since both he and his son are named Bill. In an interview, Bill Cosby said that "I am Big Bill."<ref name="ama">{{cite web|url=https://amatranscripts.com/ama/bill_cosby_2014-06-15.html|title=Bill Cosby - June 15, 2014|author=[[Bill Cosby]]|quote=All of the characteristics of Little Bill include Ennis and Big Bill (I am Big Bill - my memories of around that age).}}</ref>
* Brenda Glover (née Kendall) (voiced by [[Phylicia Rashad]]) is Little Bill, Bobby, and April's mother, and Big Bill's wife. Brenda's voice actress, Phylicia Rashad, had previously played [[Clair Huxtable]] (wife to Cosby's character, [[Cliff Huxtable]]) on ''[[The Cosby Show]]'' and Ruth Lucas (wife to Cosby's other character, Hilton Lucas) on ''[[Cosby (TV series)|Cosby]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/cosby-show-phylicia-rashad-nbc-do-no-harm-jeckyll-hyde-pilot-296151/|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|title='The Cosby Show's' Phylicia Rashad Joins NBC Drama Pilot|date=February 29, 2012|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley}}</ref>
* April Glover (voiced by Monique Beasley) is the oldest and only daughter of Brenda and Big Bill. She tends to be competitive and plays basketball.<ref name="meetcharacters"/>
* Robert "Bobby" Glover (voiced by Devon Malik Beckford in Season 1 and [[Tyler James Williams]] in Season 2) is the middle child, and oldest son of the Glover children. He is a Boy Scout and plays the violin.<ref name="meetcharacters"/>
* Alice "Alice the Great" Kendall (voiced by [[Ruby Dee]] and Anika Walker in a flashback in "Good Ol' Lightning") is the maternal great-grandmother of Little Bill, Bobby, April, and Jamal. Alice is also Brenda and Deborah's grandmother. She is in her seventies and lives with the family.<ref name="meetcharacters"/>
* Elephant is the family pet, a small, light yellow [[hamster]] who lives in Little Bill's bedroom. He often rolls around the house in a plastic [[hamster ball]]. He was named after Little Bill's favorite animal.


===Friends and neighbors===
;Bobby: Bobby is the most studius of the kids. He is always reading and investigating things.
* Captain Brainstorm (voiced by [[Bill Cosby]]) is Little Bill's favorite superhero. He is an [[astronaut]] with his own television show, ''Space Explorers''. He has an orange rocket and an orange space suit.
* Miss Murray (voiced by Ayo Haynes in Season 1 and [[Melanie Nicholls-King]] in Season 2) is Little Bill's cheerful kindergarten teacher.<ref name="meetcharacters"/> She wears purple glasses. She marries Dr. Clinkscales in "Miss Murray's Wedding".
* Fuchsia Glover (voiced by Nakia Williams in Season 1 and Kianna Underwood in Season 2) is the paternal cousin of Little Bill, Bobby, and April. Her mother is named Vanessa and her father is named Al. She is known for always speaking her mind.<ref name="meetcharacters"/>
* Andrew Mulligan (voiced by [[Zach Tyler Eisen]]) is an [[Irish-American]] boy who is Little Bill's best friend. He lives two houses away from Little Bill. He has an active imagination like Little Bill, and they often join each other in fantasy sequences. He has a dog named Farfy.<ref name="meetcharacters"/>
* Kiku (voiced by [[Eunice Cho]]) is an [[Asian-American]] friend of Little Bill's. She likes being creative, putting on puppet shows, and making artwork. She is very ambitious and wants to be president when she grows up.<ref name="meetcharacters"/>
* Alan "Al" Glover (voiced by Michael Green) is Big Bill's brother, Fuschia's father, Vanessa's husband, and Little Bill, Bobby, and April's uncle. He runs a convenience store in town.
* Monty (voiced by [[Cole Hawkins]]) is the grandson of Alice the Great's friend Emmaline. He uses a wheelchair to get around, and he was born with [[cerebral palsy]]. Later in the series, he joins Little Bill's class.
* Dorado (voiced by Vincent Canales) is a friend of Little Bill's who is [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]].
* Michael Riley (voiced by Muhammad Cunningham) is a classmate of Little Bill's who moves to the neighborhood from [[Miami]]. At first he is somewhat of a bully by playing [[Dozens (game)|ranking]] with Little Bill, but he reforms and befriends him in the end.
* Mrs. Shapiro (voiced by [[Madeline Kahn]] in her first appearance, and later by [[Kathy Najimy]] after Kahn's death) is Little Bill's neighbor.
* Dr. Winthrop Clinkscales (voiced by Christopher Grossett) is Mrs. Murray's husband, whom she married in "Miss Murray's Wedding".
* Mr. Miguel Rojas (voiced by [[Victor Argo]]) is an elderly [[Mexican-American]] man who speaks English and Spanish.
* Mr. Clark Terry (voiced by [[Clark Terry]]) is Alice the Great and Little Bill's new friend. He is named and modeled after.
* Baby Jamal Welsh is Little Bill's maternal baby cousin, son of Deborah (Brenda's sister) and Gary.
* Percy Mulch (voiced by [[Doug E. Doug]]) is the owner of a pet shop.
* Mr. Williams (voiced by Mike Mearian) is a music store owner.
* Aunt Deborah Kendall (voiced by [[Grace Garland]]) is Brenda's younger sister, Uncle Gary's wife (voiced by Weston Clark) and Baby Jamal's mother.


==Related media==
;Big Bill: Father of Bobby, April and Little Bill. They have a very close relationship with their father. Is a housing inspector.
Several episodes were released to [[VHS]] and [[DVD]] by [[Paramount Home Media Distribution]]. A computer game, ''Little Bill Thinks Big'', was released on September 29, 2003 for [[Windows XP]] and [[Macintosh]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Little-Bill-Thinks-Big-Mac/dp/B00009VRG3|title=Little Bill Thinks Big|website=Amazon|access-date=15 May 2015}}</ref>


===Main video releases===
;Captain Brainstorm: Captain Brainstorm is an [[astronaut]] who has an orange rocket and an orange space suit, he was seen in one of the episodes and has appeared on Little Bill's TV, he has a dog called Sparky who's tagline is in a dog accent. He was seen in just one episode with his live appearance which Little Bill told his Mum and friends, his rocket lets out blue flames but the book Little Bill wrote about him had orange flames, he also released a game which did not have speech but bleeps that Little Bill and his friends found boring.
{| class="wikitable"
! Name
! Release Date
! Number of Episodes
! Episode Titles
|-
| ''Me and My Family''
| June 5, 2001
| align="center" | 4
|
* "Are We There Yet?"/"Super Family Fun Land!"
* "The Neighborhood Park"/"The Magic Quilt"
|-
| ''Big Little Bill''
| June 5, 2001
| align="center" | 4
|
* "Big Kid"/"Just a Baby"
* "The Bills Go to Work"/"Miss Murray's Wedding"
|-
| ''What I Did at School''
| August 21, 2001
| align="center" | 4
|
* "Picture Day"/"Copy Cat"
* "The Snack Helper"/"The Stage Trick"
|-
| ''I Love Animals!''
| February 5, 2002
| align="center" | 4
|
* "The Zoo"/"My Pet Elephant"
* "Wabbit Worries"/"Wabbit Babies"
|-
| ''Merry Christmas, Little Bill!''
| September 24, 2002
| align="center" | 3
|
* "Merry Christmas, Little Bill!"
* "Summertime in the Wintertime"/"Snowracer"
|}


=== Episodes on Nick Jr. compilation DVDs ===
==Episodes==
{| class="wikitable"
===Season 1===
! Name
* 1. Just A Baby/The Campout (Originally Aired 11/28/1999)
! Release Date
* 2. The Treasure Hunt/The Best Way To Play (Originally Aired 12/5/1999)
! Number of Episodes
* 3. Monty's Roar/Natural Root Pals (Originally Aired 12/12/1999)
! Episode Titles
* 4. The Dollar/The Choice (Originally Aired 12/19/1999)
|-
* 5. Guppies/The Magic Quilt (Originally Aired 1/9/2000)
| ''Nick Jr. Holiday''
* 6. The Meanest Thing To Say / Lavatory Story
| September 24, 2002
* 7. The Zoo / My Pet Elephant (Originally Aired 2/20/2000)
| align="center" | 1
* 8. Chicken Pox / Shipwreck Saturday (Originally Aired 6/19/2000)
|
* "Merry Christmas, Little Bill!"
|-
| ''Nick Jr. Celebrates Spring!''
| March 2, 2004
| align="center" | 2
|
* "The Skating Lesson"/"Mr. Moth"
|-
| ''Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 1''
| May 24, 2005
| align="center" | 1
|
* "Little Bill's Adventure with Captain Brainstorm"
|-
| ''Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 2''
| October 18, 2005
| align="center" | 1
|
* "Little Bill's Giant Space Adventure"
|-
| ''Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 3''
| February 7, 2006
| align="center" | 2
|
* "Same Moon, Same Sun, Same Star"/"All Together Now"
|-
| ''Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 4''
| June 6, 2006
| align="center" | 2
|
* "Racing Time"/"All Tied Up"
|-
| ''Nick Jr. Favorites Holiday''
| September 26, 2006
| align="center" | 1
|
* "Merry Christmas, Little Bill!"
|-
| ''Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 5''
| March 13, 2007
| align="center" | 2
|
* "The Zoo"/"My Pet Elephant"
|-
| ''Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 6''
| August 7, 2007
| align="center" | 2
|
* "Ready, Set, Read!"/"I Got a Letter"
|}


===Season 2===
==Awards==
'''[[Daytime Emmy Awards|Emmy Awards]]'''
* 1. Zoopity Zoo/The Neighborhood Park (Originally Aired 9/4/2000)
*[[30th Daytime Emmy Awards|2003]] – ''[[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program|Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program]]'' – [[Gregory Hines]]
* 2. Elephant On The Loose/If A Bird Rings, Answer It (Originally Aired 9/5/2000)
*[[31st Daytime Emmy Awards|2004]] – ''[[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Animated Program|Outstanding Children's Animated Program]]''
* 3. Big Kid/The Bills Go To Work (Originally Aired 9/6/2000)
'''[[Peabody Award]]'''
* 4. The Promise/The Practice (Originally Aired 9/7/2000)
* 2001<ref>[http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/little-bill 61st Annual Peabody Awards], May 2002.</ref>
* 5. Are We There Yet?/Super Family Fun Land! (Originally Aired 9/8/2000)
* 6. The Ring Bear/Miss Murray's Wedding (Originally Aired 9/12/2000)
* 7. The Birthday Present/The Birthday Party (Originally Aired 9/13/2000)
* 8. A Trip To The Hospital/The Wrong Thing To Do (Originally Aired 9/14/2000)
* 9. Rolling Along/The Stage Trick (Originally Aired 10/9/2000)
* 10. The Snack Helper/Buds (Originally Aired 11/13/2000)
* 11. Copy Cat/Picture Day (Originally Aired 12/4/2000)


===Season 3===
==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}
* 1. Ready, Set, Read! (Originally Aired 5/7/2001)
* 2. The Violin Lessons/Squirmy (Originally Aired 5/9/2001)
* 3. Monty's Visit/Mom's Trip (Originally Aired 5/10/2001)
* 4. The No-Talking Contest/The Search Is For The Sock (Originally Aired 5/11/2001)
* 5. A Day At The Beach/The Get Well Song (Originally Aired 2/12/2002)
* 6. Michael Sleeps Over/Michael's First Snow (Originally Aired 3/6/2002)
* 7. Monty Joins The Class/Dad Goes To School (Originally Aired 3/13/2002)
* 8. Number One On Honeywood Street/Baseball Glovers (Originally Aired 3/19/2002)
* 9. Wabbit Worries/Wabbit Babies (Originally Aired 11/25/2002)


===Season 4===
==References==
{{reflist}}
* 1. The Car Keys/Doggie Sitting (Originally Aired 2/18/2003)
* 2. New Foods/Elephant Tricks (Originally Aired 2/19/2003)
* 3. What About Me?/Happy Not Birthday To You (Originally Aired 2/20/2003)
* 4. Racing Time/All Tied Up (Originally Aired 2/21/2003)
* 5. Echo Falls/Going Fishing (Originally Aired 7/28/2003)
* 6. The Best Book Ever!/A Ramp For Monty (Originally Aired 7/29/2003)
* 7. The New Babysitter/My Friend Isabel (Originally Aired 7/30/2003)
* 8. The Early Bill/Going Camping (Originally Aired 7/31/2003)
* 9. Same Moon, Same Sun, Same Star/All Together Now (Originally Aired 9/22/2003)
* 10. The Surprise!/Good Ol' Lightnin' (Originally Aired 9/23/2003)
* 11. The Musical Instrument/The Choir (Originally Aired 9/24/2003)
* 12. The Incredible Shrinking Little Bill/ The Big Swings (Originally Aired 9/25/2003)
* 13. New Neighbors/Doggie Magic (Originally Aired 9/26/2003)
* 14. I Can Sign/The Sign For Friend (Originally Aired 9/29/2003)
* 15. Summertime In The Wintertime/Snow Racer (Originally Aired 2/2/2004)
* 16. Get Well, Elephant/Elephant's Best Friend (Originally Aired 2/3/2004)
* 17. The Skating Lesson/Mr. Moth (Originally Aired 2/4/2004)
* 18. Private Time/Never (Originally Aired 2/5/2004)
* 19. When Friends Get Mad/The Party Box (Originally Aired 2/6/2004)


==Trivia==
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*[[Sonia Manzano]] was a frequent writer for the show. Manzano is best-known for playing [[Human characters on Sesame Street|Maria Rodriguez]] on ''[[Sesame Street]]''.
* {{IMDb title|0229141|Little Bill}}
*The show's setting took place not too far outside [[Philadelphia]]. In almost every single episode, the Philadelphia skyline was shown usually at the beginning and end of each episode. Although the skyline was not exact, most of the downtown's most prominent buildings where shown conglomerated into one skyline. The buildings included were: [[One Liberty Place]], [[Two Liberty Place]], [[Mellon Bank Center]], [[Bell Atlantic Tower]], [[Blue Cross Tower ]], One and Two [[Commerce Square]], [[Loews Philadelphia Hotel]], [[Philadelphia City Hall]], [[1818 Market Street]] and more. The [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]] and the [[Benjamin Franklin Bridge]] are also seen.
{{Bill Cosby}}
{{Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Animated Program}}
{{Former Nickelodeon original series}}
{{Children's programming on CBS in the 2000s}}


{{Portal bar|2000s|Television|Animation|United States|Children's literature|Philadelphia|Pennsylvania}}
==See also==
*[[Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids]]
*[http://www.billcosby.com/ Official Bill Cosby Site]


[[Category:Nick Jr. shows]]
[[Category:1990s American animated television series]]
[[Category:Philadelphia in film and television]]
[[Category:1990s American black cartoons]]
[[Category:Peabody Award winners]]
[[Category:1990s American children's television series]]
[[Category:1999 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1999 animated television series debuts]]
[[Category:2000s American animated television series]]
[[Category:2000s American black cartoons]]
[[Category:2000s American children's television series]]
[[Category:2004 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1990s preschool education television series]]
[[Category:2000s preschool education television series]]
[[Category:American children's animated comedy television series]]
[[Category:American children's animated fantasy television series]]
[[Category:American television series with live action and animation]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Nickelodeon original programming]]
[[Category:Nick Jr. original programming]]
[[Category:American television shows based on children's books]]
[[Category:Peabody Award–winning television programs]]
[[Category:Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program winners]]
[[Category:Television series created by Bill Cosby]]
[[Category:American preschool education television series]]
[[Category:Animated preschool education television series]]
[[Category:Animated television series about children]]
[[Category:Animated television series about families]]
[[Category:Animation based on real people]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:1990s Nickelodeon original programming]]
[[Category:2000s Nickelodeon original programming]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Philadelphia]]

Latest revision as of 01:20, 26 December 2024

This article is about the television show. For the original book series, see Little Bill (book series). For other uses, see Little Bill (disambiguation).
Little Bill
GenreChildren's television series
Educational
Created byBill Cosby[1]
Based on
Little Bill
by
  • Bill Cosby
  • Varnette P. Honeywood
Developed byFracaswell Hyman
Directed by
Creative directorRobert Scull
Voices of
Theme music composerBill Cosby, Don Braden, and Jon Faddis
ComposersStu Gardner and Art Lisi
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2[2]
No. of episodes52[3][4] (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Robert Scull
  • Shawn Cuddy
  • Irene Sherman
  • Fracaswell Hyman
Running time24 minutes
Production companiesNickelodeon Animation Studio New York
(credited as Nick Jr. Productions)
Original release
NetworkNickelodeon[a]
ReleaseNovember 28, 1999 (1999-11-28) –
February 6, 2004 (2004-02-06)

Little Bill is an American animated educational children's television series created by Bill Cosby.[1] It is based on the Little Bill book series, written by Cosby with illustrations by Varnette P. Honeywood.[6] Cosby also composed some of the theme music, appeared in live-action in the show's intro sequence, and voiced the recurring character of Captain Brainstorm.[7] It was Cosby's second animated series, after Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.[8]

The show's main character, Little Bill, is a fictionalized younger version of Cosby;[8] the show's executive producer, Janice Burgess, described the character as "little Bill Cosby."[9] Each episode features Little Bill learning a lesson while interacting with his large family and group of friends. The show was developed with a panel of educational consultants.[6] The show is set in Philadelphia, Cosby's hometown.[9] Little Bill's personality was inspired by both Cosby himself and his son, Ennis Cosby; Little Bill's catchphrase "Hello, friend!" was originally a greeting that Ennis used.[10]

The series originally ran on Nickelodeon[11] from November 28, 1999 to February 6, 2004, and reruns continued until December 22, 2006.[12] In September 2007, Nickelodeon announced that Little Bill would permanently move to the Noggin channel.[13][14] It premiered on Noggin on September 10, 2007.[5] Reruns continued to air until 2014, when the show was pulled from the air due to allegations of sexual assault against Cosby.[15]

Premise

[edit]

Set in Philadelphia, the show centers on Little Bill Glover as he explores everyday life through his imagination. Little Bill lives with his parents, his great grandmother Alice (nicknamed Alice the Great), his older sister April, and brother Bobby. Each episode includes a daydreaming sequence where Little Bill imagines a fantastical scenario.[8] At the end of every episode, he breaks the fourth wall by summarizing his day to the audience by talking to the audience or Elephant, his hamster, before going to bed, and a family member offscreen asks, "Little Bill, who are you talking to?" causing Little Bill to laugh.

Broadcast history

[edit]

Little Bill was first announced in 1997.[10] It aired on Nickelodeon from November 28, 1999 to February 6, 2004. The first eight episodes debuted on Sunday nights before airing on Nick Jr. at a later date. The series secured a regular weekday timeslot on Nick Jr. beginning on September 4, 2000. Nick Jr. aired reruns until December 22, 2006. The series also aired on Nick on CBS from September 16, 2000[16] until September 9, 2006. In September 2007, Little Bill was moved to the Noggin channel,[14] which advertised it as a "new series".[5] Noggin aired five "premiere episodes" from September 10 to September 15, 2007.[5]

Reruns of Little Bill were shown on Noggin and the Nick Jr. channel until February 21, 2014, when Nickelodeon removed the show from its services.[15] In addition to pulling reruns, Little Bill was removed from NickJr.com in 2014.[17] Commenting on the show's removal from television, Distractify wrote: "Perhaps Little Bill should be left in the past."[15]

In 2017, the American Library Association said that the Little Bill series was one of the books most often targeted for removal in school libraries due to the sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby.[18] In December 2014, TV Guide noted that Little Bill episodes had become difficult to find after the allegations, since the show was no longer aired on television.[19]

Episodes

[edit]
Main article: List of Little Bill episodes
Season Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
1 26 November 28, 1999 (1999-11-28)[8] March 19, 2002 (2002-03-19)
2 26 May 7, 2001 (2001-05-07) February 6, 2004 (2004-02-06)


Characters

[edit]

Glover household

[edit]
  • William "Little Bill" Glover Jr. (voiced by Xavier Pritchett) is an inquisitive bald 5-year-old boy. He has a knack for storytelling and often finds himself daydreaming his own fantasy worlds. The show's executive producer, Janice Burgess, described Little Bill as "in a way, little Bill Cosby." Little Bill's catchphrase "Hello, friend!" was originally a greeting used by Bill Cosby's late son, Ennis Cosby.[20][9][10]
  • William "Big Bill" Glover Sr. (voiced by Gregory Hines) is the city's building inspector who is Little Bill, Bobby, and April's father, and Brenda's husband. He is nicknamed Big Bill since both he and his son are named Bill. In an interview, Bill Cosby said that "I am Big Bill."[21]
  • Brenda Glover (née Kendall) (voiced by Phylicia Rashad) is Little Bill, Bobby, and April's mother, and Big Bill's wife. Brenda's voice actress, Phylicia Rashad, had previously played Clair Huxtable (wife to Cosby's character, Cliff Huxtable) on The Cosby Show and Ruth Lucas (wife to Cosby's other character, Hilton Lucas) on Cosby.[22]
  • April Glover (voiced by Monique Beasley) is the oldest and only daughter of Brenda and Big Bill. She tends to be competitive and plays basketball.[20]
  • Robert "Bobby" Glover (voiced by Devon Malik Beckford in Season 1 and Tyler James Williams in Season 2) is the middle child, and oldest son of the Glover children. He is a Boy Scout and plays the violin.[20]
  • Alice "Alice the Great" Kendall (voiced by Ruby Dee and Anika Walker in a flashback in "Good Ol' Lightning") is the maternal great-grandmother of Little Bill, Bobby, April, and Jamal. Alice is also Brenda and Deborah's grandmother. She is in her seventies and lives with the family.[20]
  • Elephant is the family pet, a small, light yellow hamster who lives in Little Bill's bedroom. He often rolls around the house in a plastic hamster ball. He was named after Little Bill's favorite animal.

Friends and neighbors

[edit]
  • Captain Brainstorm (voiced by Bill Cosby) is Little Bill's favorite superhero. He is an astronaut with his own television show, Space Explorers. He has an orange rocket and an orange space suit.
  • Miss Murray (voiced by Ayo Haynes in Season 1 and Melanie Nicholls-King in Season 2) is Little Bill's cheerful kindergarten teacher.[20] She wears purple glasses. She marries Dr. Clinkscales in "Miss Murray's Wedding".
  • Fuchsia Glover (voiced by Nakia Williams in Season 1 and Kianna Underwood in Season 2) is the paternal cousin of Little Bill, Bobby, and April. Her mother is named Vanessa and her father is named Al. She is known for always speaking her mind.[20]
  • Andrew Mulligan (voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen) is an Irish-American boy who is Little Bill's best friend. He lives two houses away from Little Bill. He has an active imagination like Little Bill, and they often join each other in fantasy sequences. He has a dog named Farfy.[20]
  • Kiku (voiced by Eunice Cho) is an Asian-American friend of Little Bill's. She likes being creative, putting on puppet shows, and making artwork. She is very ambitious and wants to be president when she grows up.[20]
  • Alan "Al" Glover (voiced by Michael Green) is Big Bill's brother, Fuschia's father, Vanessa's husband, and Little Bill, Bobby, and April's uncle. He runs a convenience store in town.
  • Monty (voiced by Cole Hawkins) is the grandson of Alice the Great's friend Emmaline. He uses a wheelchair to get around, and he was born with cerebral palsy. Later in the series, he joins Little Bill's class.
  • Dorado (voiced by Vincent Canales) is a friend of Little Bill's who is Puerto Rican.
  • Michael Riley (voiced by Muhammad Cunningham) is a classmate of Little Bill's who moves to the neighborhood from Miami. At first he is somewhat of a bully by playing ranking with Little Bill, but he reforms and befriends him in the end.
  • Mrs. Shapiro (voiced by Madeline Kahn in her first appearance, and later by Kathy Najimy after Kahn's death) is Little Bill's neighbor.
  • Dr. Winthrop Clinkscales (voiced by Christopher Grossett) is Mrs. Murray's husband, whom she married in "Miss Murray's Wedding".
  • Mr. Miguel Rojas (voiced by Victor Argo) is an elderly Mexican-American man who speaks English and Spanish.
  • Mr. Clark Terry (voiced by Clark Terry) is Alice the Great and Little Bill's new friend. He is named and modeled after.
  • Baby Jamal Welsh is Little Bill's maternal baby cousin, son of Deborah (Brenda's sister) and Gary.
  • Percy Mulch (voiced by Doug E. Doug) is the owner of a pet shop.
  • Mr. Williams (voiced by Mike Mearian) is a music store owner.
  • Aunt Deborah Kendall (voiced by Grace Garland) is Brenda's younger sister, Uncle Gary's wife (voiced by Weston Clark) and Baby Jamal's mother.
[edit]

Several episodes were released to VHS and DVD by Paramount Home Media Distribution. A computer game, Little Bill Thinks Big, was released on September 29, 2003 for Windows XP and Macintosh.[23]

Main video releases

[edit]
Name Release Date Number of Episodes Episode Titles
Me and My Family June 5, 2001 4
  • "Are We There Yet?"/"Super Family Fun Land!"
  • "The Neighborhood Park"/"The Magic Quilt"
Big Little Bill June 5, 2001 4
  • "Big Kid"/"Just a Baby"
  • "The Bills Go to Work"/"Miss Murray's Wedding"
What I Did at School August 21, 2001 4
  • "Picture Day"/"Copy Cat"
  • "The Snack Helper"/"The Stage Trick"
I Love Animals! February 5, 2002 4
  • "The Zoo"/"My Pet Elephant"
  • "Wabbit Worries"/"Wabbit Babies"
Merry Christmas, Little Bill! September 24, 2002 3
  • "Merry Christmas, Little Bill!"
  • "Summertime in the Wintertime"/"Snowracer"

Episodes on Nick Jr. compilation DVDs

[edit]
Name Release Date Number of Episodes Episode Titles
Nick Jr. Holiday September 24, 2002 1
  • "Merry Christmas, Little Bill!"
Nick Jr. Celebrates Spring! March 2, 2004 2
  • "The Skating Lesson"/"Mr. Moth"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 1 May 24, 2005 1
  • "Little Bill's Adventure with Captain Brainstorm"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 2 October 18, 2005 1
  • "Little Bill's Giant Space Adventure"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 3 February 7, 2006 2
  • "Same Moon, Same Sun, Same Star"/"All Together Now"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 4 June 6, 2006 2
  • "Racing Time"/"All Tied Up"
Nick Jr. Favorites Holiday September 26, 2006 1
  • "Merry Christmas, Little Bill!"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 5 March 13, 2007 2
  • "The Zoo"/"My Pet Elephant"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 6 August 7, 2007 2
  • "Ready, Set, Read!"/"I Got a Letter"

Awards

[edit]

Emmy Awards

Peabody Award

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ On September 10, 2007, Little Bill was moved to the Noggin channel, which billed it as a "new series" and labeled episodes as "premieres."[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Zurawik, David (November 28, 1999). "Cosby's 'Little Bill' sends the right message to kids". The Baltimore Sun.
  2. ^ "Little Bill, Episode 224". NickJr.com. 2004. Archived from the original on July 6, 2016.
  3. ^ "Little Bill episodes". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  4. ^ "Little Bill". IMDb.
  5. ^ a b c d "Shows - Little Bill". Noggin. Archived from the original on September 1, 2007.
  6. ^ a b "Little Bill". noggin.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  7. ^ "'Little Bill' Has a Brainstorm". Tulsa World. June 4, 2000.
  8. ^ a b c d Owen, Rob (November 29, 1999). "'Little Bill' takes aim at kids, not merchandise". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Based on the books by Bill Cosby, "Little Bill" won't remind viewers of Cosby's "Fat Albert."
  9. ^ a b c "Met Him on a Fun Day and His Name Is Bill". The New York Times. May 6, 2001. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. 'Little Bill is, in a way little Bill Cosby,' said Janice Burgess
  10. ^ a b c Mehren, Elizabeth (December 12, 1997). "Cos and Effect". Los Angeles Times.
  11. ^ "Nickelodeon's 'Little Bill' Debuts as First African American Balloon In 76th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade". PRNewswire.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  12. ^ "Nick Jr. TV Schedule: Week of December 18, 2006". NickJr.com. December 18, 2006. Archived from the original on December 19, 2006.
  13. ^ "PR: Bill Cosby's 'Little Bill' Starts on Noggin on September 10, 2007". PR Newswire. 6 September 2007. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Little Bill NOGGIN Release" (PDF). Nickelodeon Press. September 5, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 12, 2016.
  15. ^ a b c Piazza, Bianca (January 21, 2022). "'Little Bill' Boasts a Darker Energy Today Than It Did in 1999 — Is Bill Cosby the Protagonist?". Distractify.
  16. ^ Shrivastava, K M (2005). Broadcast Journalism in the 21st Century. New Dawn Press Group. p. 56. ISBN 9788120735972. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  17. ^ "NickJr.com". Archived from the original on December 14, 2014.
  18. ^ Grinberg, Emmanuella (April 10, 2017). "Bill Cosby's 'Little Bill' books targeted for censorship, library group says". CNN.
  19. ^ Schneider, Michael (December 1, 2014). "How Bill Cosby's Tarnished Legacy Impacts His Business". TV Guide.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h "Meet the Characters of Little Bill". NickJr.com. 2009. Archived from the original on June 5, 2013.
  21. ^ Bill Cosby. "Bill Cosby - June 15, 2014". All of the characteristics of Little Bill include Ennis and Big Bill (I am Big Bill - my memories of around that age).
  22. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (February 29, 2012). "'The Cosby Show's' Phylicia Rashad Joins NBC Drama Pilot". The Hollywood Reporter.
  23. ^ "Little Bill Thinks Big". Amazon. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  24. ^ 61st Annual Peabody Awards, May 2002.
[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Little Bill.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Little_Bill&oldid=1265261427"