Jump to content

The Cosby Mysteries

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 24.222.7.2 (talk) at 14:19, 13 December 2011 (Corrected grammar.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Cosby Mysteries
Intertitle
Created byDavid Black
William Link
StarringBill Cosby
Robert Stanton
James Naughton
Rita Moreno
ComposersCraig Handy, David Weiss
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes20 (18 + pilot)
Production
Running time60 minutes per episode
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJanuary 31, 1994 –
April 12, 1995

The Cosby Mysteries is an American television mystery series that starred Bill Cosby. It was the first television series to star Cosby since The Cosby Show (which ended in the spring of 1992) and lasted only one season (1994–1995)[1]. Actor/Rapper Mos Def appeared in several episodes (credited as Dante Bezé)[2].

Premise

Cosby played Guy Hanks, a New York City Police Department criminalist who retired from the force after winning $44 million in the lottery. However, his peaceful retirement was frequently interrupted since he was called in as a consultant on tough cases by his old partner, Adam Sully (James Naughton). As Hanks used his wits and his forensics knowledge to solve crimes, he dealt with his holistic housekeeper Angie (Rita Moreno) and his girlfriend Barbara Lorenz (Lynn Whitfield).[3]

The show was created by David Black and William Link. Link's previous series included Columbo and Murder, She Wrote. Link developed the series at Cosby's request, as Cosby wanted to do an intelligent, character-driven mystery series that did not rely on graphic violence.

The show began in January 1994 as a two-hour movie, and regular episodes began airing on NBC in September. Critics expressed hope that The Cosby Mysteries would fare better than the two shows he produced after The Cosby Show,[4] Here and Now and the game-show remake, You Bet Your Life. However, it only lasted 18 episodes, and was never successful.

The Cosby Mysteries has been re-run in the UK, on digital channel ITV1, and in the US, on A&E and TVOne.

  • Saturday Night Live did a parody sketch of the Cosby series on the February 5, 1994 episode. Adam Sandler played Cosby as a buffoonish character who rambles on incoherently with dialog full of made-up nonsense words.
  • In February 2010, as a promotion for the show Glee, character Rachel Berry (RachelBerryGLEE) used Twitter to show her lament and surprise at the show's cancellation, exclaiming "Wait, "The Cosby Mysteries" was cancelled?!?!" (Rachel Berry is played in real life by Lea Michele).

References

  1. ^ "The '95 TV Season: Who's Gone? Who's New? Who's Back?". Ebony. 50 (12): 94. 1995. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  2. ^ "The Cosby Mysteries (1994) (TV)". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  3. ^ Johnson, Robert E. (1994). "Bill Cosby Begins TV Season With New Mystery Series Co-Starring Lynn Whitfield". JET. 86 (21): 60–63. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  4. ^ Randolph, Laura B. (1994). "Activist-Actor Celebrates 30 Years of Wedded Bliss, Continues Fight Against Black Stereotypes on TV". Ebony. 49 (7): 104. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
Stub icon

This article about a television show originating in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=The_Cosby_Mysteries&oldid=465640402"