Is it Time for Television to Air The Cosby Show Reruns Again?

Written Advocating the Beast by Bridger Cunningham.

For 30 years, few could find an unpleasant word to associate with the 1984-92 NBC sitcom "The Cosby Show."  Common discussion may have included words such as "hit," "wholesome," "refreshing," and for those familiar with the ratings world, "the show which defined the 80's."  Flash forward to late 2014, and 77-year old Bill Cosby was pelted with overwhelming allegations of sexual misconduct spanning back to the 70's.  Networks immediately pulled lucrative reruns from their rosters, and a show which helped revive a struggling NBC sadly was eclipsed by a performer's haughty behavior.

Bill Cosby was found guilty of three felonious counts of aggravated indecent assault on April 26, 2018.  TVRG will abstain from delving too far into the rabbit hole of what went down, as too many adjacent outlets are eager to profile that unfortunate dumpster fire.  Where this article will park its wagon is discussing the wreckage of what was once one of television's finest masterpieces.  The Cosby Show debuted in the fall of 1984 after NBC wallowed in 9 years of 3rd Place ratings woes.  Cosby's success not only catapulted the new sitcom to 3rd Place with a 24.3 rating, but also enabled the network to push back into 2nd.  Cosby ruled the Nielsens in 1st place from 1985-89, reaching its zenith during the 1987-88 season (check out the ratings for the show's 1984-92 run HERE).  ABC's Roseanne knocked Cosby out of 1st place in 1989 as the series aged, and it ended its run in 14th Place with a 16.1 in 1992.

Following its cancellation, the Cosby Show enjoyed lucrative success for an additional 22 years as eager television outlets relied on its sturdy performance after the show went dark.  The question remains could American viewers today look past what became public since 2014?  The series has potential to again grab viewers.  Not to moon on the show's wholesomeness or acclaimed positive depiction of an upper-middle-class Black American family.  Rather, resuming syndication would present  an opportunity for a mixture of love, hatred and critical thought.

Some may tune in nostalgic of the happiness the series brought television for so many years.  Haters will revel in ripping on the show, similar to what viewers do to the Howard Stern and Keeping Up With the Kardashians flagships.  Newfound, analytical group of sociologists may examine body language and early indicators of Cosby's duplicitous lifestyle.  And a newer generation may tune in out of curiosity to see how this villainized figure made a sitcom succeed, all the while falling in love with the lauded ensemble.  No matter what the motive, these views can still attract Nielsens.  Whether it is of good taste is a differing discussion.  And certainly in line with the tastes of news outlets such as CNN, FOX News and local outlets shamelessly exploiting society's tragedies.

Pulling reruns of The Cosby Show was a responsible choice in 2014 for media outlets due to the controversy.  However, society needs to examine what made the series successful.  Bill Cosby's name instigated the series' success as a hook to drawn new viewers in.  Once viewers familiarized themselves, the ensemble became just as strong (if not superseding) in popularity as Cosby himself.  Phylicia Rashad earned acclaim as poised confident matriarch Claire Huxtable.  And over time, the Huxtable children distinguished themselves, lead by polished yuppie Saundra (Sabrina Le Beauf), bohemian rebel Denise (Lisa Bonet), passive Theo (Malcolm Jamal Warner), naive Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) and precocious adolescent Rudy (Keshia Pulliam Knight).  America grew to love these characters more than Cliff Huxtable and may present rooting values for viewers to invest in daily viewing habits.

Reviving or rebooting the series is out of the question post 2014.  Should a network grab a poison pen and attempt one, viewers and critics may retitle their efforts to tasteless names such as "2 Many Drugged Girls," "The Quaalude Doctor," "Morality Can Wait" or "The Unwanted Bang Theory."  What the entertainment industry CAN do is allow viewers to take a nostalgic look and remember art vs. the artist with the original series.  Would reairing the Cosby Show present a lucrative opportunity or a tasteless grab for viewers?  Weigh in....

1991-92 Sitcom Scorecard -- Mid-80's Sitcoms Meet Their Ends, Thursdays and Saturdays Weakened

Written Working on Home Improvement by Bridger Cunningham

The Mid-80's era was coming to an end, as NBC and ABC cleared out five longstanding shows which frequented the top 10 range.  If a show debuted between the 1984 and 1985, it either ended In the wake of the political climate being controversial, CBS' Murphy Brown pushed its way toward the top with the entire Monday lineup ranking 15th or higher.  FOX also experienced renewed interest in The Simpsons and Married... With Children experienced surges due to Cosby's decline and another controversy putting Married... With Children in the headlines.

Politics are messy, and CBS' incorporation of the George HW Bush and Bill Clinton election helped it reclaim 1st place for the first time since the 1984-85 season.  Poetically the same season The Cosby Show led to the Tiffany Network being dethroned.  The same finale season which Cosby fell out of the top 10, Murphy Brown became the name everyone knew, as Vice President made a speech denouncing the series as the principle became pregnant out of wedlock this season.  Writers utilized the ill-advised statement and watched the series drive into 3rd Place.  Also, Designing Women went through much-publicized cast changes, trading out Delta Burke and Jean Smart in favor of Newhart alum Julia Duffy and SNL genius Jan Hooks.

ABC Tuesdays again were red-hot as a renewed interest in Roseanne, mainly due to plot developments mirroring the country's recession.  The network stood in 2nd place, again, yet had plenty of Nielsen power with its sitcom arena.  Outside of political undertones, Full House left the TGIF block for Tuesdays at 8pm, reaching its zenith in 8th Place.  It led into powered-up freshman sitcom Home Improvement, which landed in 6th Place.  And Coach enjoyed Roseanne as its lead-in, reaching its record high in 5th Place.



Wednesdays delivered weaker results as Doogie Howser and Wonder Years aged.  TGIF sensation Dinosaurs rated soft, and the remaining timeslot housed by poorly scheduled Anything But Love led to its cancellation as it only amassed 56 episodes in 4 seasons.  Friday fortunes remained mixed, as Family Matters now led the TGIF block.  It's follow-up was the successful Step by Step, featuring Dallas' Patrick Duffy and Three's Company's Suzanne Somers as newlyweds blending two hostile families together.  Perfect Strangers began to age, so ABC mixed its scheduling between Fridays and Saturdays, damaging its Nielsen performance.  And Baby Talk, a poorly-reviewed sitcom based on Look Who's Talking, met its end in spite of several hyped cast changes.



During this season, ABC devised a TGIF knockoff called "I Luv Saturday Nights."  This evening, however, provided a dumping ground for aging shows such as Who's the Boss, Growing Pains and Perfect Strangers.  The first two met their ends at the conclusion of the season, falling out of the top 25 for the first time ever.  Only Perfect Strangers received a summer sendoff in 1993.

NBC's fortunes dropped them back to 3rd place for the first time since early 1984, as Must See TV's fares weakened.  Cosby ended its 8-year run, and spinoff A Different World began to experience erosion.  Cheers concluded its 10th season in 4th place, as Ted Danson declared the next season would be his last.  And Wings rode the current and finished in 18th Place.  Saturday prominence became a passing trend, as Golden Girls finished its last season failing to crack the top 20, along with its spinoff, Empty Nest.  Freshman series The Torkelsons and Nurses provided modest or struggling ratings, and the evening declined.

Elsewhere, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Blossom succeeded on Mondays.  Night Court, relegated to Wednesdays, was cancelled after 9 seasons.  Incidentally, its then-unknown neighbor, Seinfeld, earned a stay of cancellation and ranked 41st.  NBC's golden era bronzed, but FOX experienced more attention.  Not because of a foul-mouthed child on The Simpsons.  But rather, another controversy circled Married... With Children.  No, Al Bundy didn't get caught in another adult boutique, but rather had an accident, resulting in a pregnant Peggy.  Outside the set, Katey Sagal became pregnant, and the writers wrote the twist into the show, making her pregnant right along side Marcy (Amanda Bearse).  Tragically, Sagal miscarried in real-life, leaving writers to scramble and undo the twist out of sensitivity to the actress.  The entire twist was rewritten as a dream, and the press heavily covered the development.



The tragedy pushed MWC into the top-30, as well as bolster surrounding Freshman Sitcoms Herman's Head and Roc.  Simpsons held up well, yet its follow-up, Drexel's Class, was expelled after failing to capitalize on plum placement between The Simpsons and Beverly Hills, 90210.  Indeed, the mid-80's era had come and gone, and folks were seeking shows with grit and reality.

1990-91 Sitcom Scorecard -- TGIF Grows, Helping ABC Take On Aging NBC Comedies

Written Asking "Did I Do That?" by Bridger Cunningham

Five seasons of dominating 1st Place ended for NBC, as a narrow race among the top three networks ended with ABC taking 1st place for the first time since the early 80's.  NBC of course claimed Thursdays, but a newfound glory on Fridays with ABC franchise TGIF helped the alphabet network nudge their way into the front of the pack.

Overall network rankings went in the order of ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX.  When it came to sitcoms, NBC and ABC went neck to neck with the peacock narrowly claiming the victory.  CBS Mondays created a formidable competitor, thanks to a top-20 clad lineup of sitcoms.  Beyond these phenomena, Roseanne reigned in Tuesdays.  Head of the Class, Who's the Boss and Growing Pains were all aging.  Due to the loss of lead Howard Hessman, Head of the Class ended its run after 5 seasons.  Doogie Howser and Wonder Years faded in a comically dramatic fashion, and ABC was due for some upgrades to its Tuesday and Wednesday blocks.

Fridays were red-hot, thanks to Full House cracking into 15th Place, followed by 22nd place Family Matters.  Perfect Strangers held up respectively, but the 9:30 timeslot would never recover as it continually rotated players for the remainder of TGIF history.  Over at NBC, their Saturday comedy block eroded as Amen was sidelined, and 227 ended the last season.  Several unsuccessful fares populated the 8-9pm hours, and NBC found their stable of sitcoms needing creative energizing.  Night Court, a regular top-20 player, slid down to 50th Place as it landed in pioneering Wednesday territory.  Mondays, however, experienced a makeover as the network traded orange for black as Will Smith's Fresh Prince of Bel Air replaced ALF.  After stumbling through the fall, NBC hit paydirt as Mayim Bialik's Blossom became a compatible fit.

And of course, there's FOX.  Seeing two saucy, sensational hits, they separated Married... With Children and the Simpsons, shipping off The Simpsons to take on The Cosby Show head on.  It appears FOX chipped away at NBC's tentpole, who slid to 5th place among the shows.  FOX did not generate sensational hits like they did in the last season, yet managed to place FOX higher on people's radars, even if the networks resided on UHF affiliates.

1989-90 Sitcom Scorecard -- ABC and NBC Vie in Prominence, FOX is Coming Up

Written Flushing a Full House of Sitcoms by Bridger Cunningham

The 2016-17 season is over, with 25 of 34 main season entries renewed.  This season delivered a hearty helping of sitcoms after years of reduced comedies.  However, those numbers pale in comparison to the glory days of the 80's.  Back in the 1989-90 season, the four networks bolstered a whopping 55 entries, with 31 network renewals.  32 returned, as the Hogan Family was resurrected on CBS after a 5-season run on NBC.  This season presented changes in the heart of the Family-First era, which dominated airwaves from 1984-92.

Back in 1989, the first president Bush entered into the White House, presenting the first time since 1929 that the Republican party had a president in a consecutive third term.  The Cold War which terrorized America like a passive-aggressive threat began to thaw; perhaps Global Warming aided the end to the longest war of the 20th century.  November 9 cracked the Berlin Wall after standing  for 28 years, and the US Government overthrew Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega on December 20.  These developments were indeed heavy, offset by topical issues such as the AIDS crisis and escalated drug usage.  Fittingly, TV presented a wholesome escape for Americans tired of everyday troubles.

Viewers were in the center of the Family First Era, which emerged due to The Cosby Show's prominence in 1984.  This year also presented the rebirth after a quieter 8-year Escapism era which sitcoms took a backseat to fantasy fares like Charlie's Angels, Dynasty, Dallas and The Love Boat.  Every evening this season featured a family-friendly sitcom, with ABC cornering the market with its Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday offerings.  1989-90 also featured a rise in workplace laughs for adults with an equal number of 25 offerings.  Seven sitcoms split the emphasis of subgenres of Hangout, Workplace or Family themes, of which five were renewed.

Above is the breakdown of the 55 sitcoms offered, minus the current covered 18-49 demographic.  Although these numbers were tracked by Nielsen, the target moneymaker with ratings was the share, or percentage of American viewers watching.  A show with a healthy 13.9 share meant 13.9% of the population was watching.  Also valued were overall Nielsens.  7 of the top 10 programs of this season were sitcoms scattered across Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday between ABC and NBC, both of which assured viewers 4 sitcoms at all times during the schedule.  Stacked against the current Sitcom Scorecards, the 4 classifications would break down with 21.9M overall viewers to break into the "Leading the Pack" range, 16M to enter the "Middle of the Pack", the delta of the "Anemic" range would be 11M, and everything below in "The Abyss".  

The 1989-90 breakdown differs from the 2016-17 classifications as majority of the Anemic range was cancelled, and The Abyss featured a true toss-up due to FOX dominating this region.  Nielsen winners and losers received their ratings by evenings.  Here were the evenings for sitcoms, by strongest evenings (out of order):

THURSDAY

Competitors knew to steer clearn and place softer fares on this evening, as NBC Thursdays featured three Top-4 players scattered between 8-9:30pm, with the 9:30 timeslot less prominent and scattered between 4 sitcoms.  Two weaker players who aired later in 1990 in that slot, Wings and Seinfeld, would become sleeper hits who ran until 1997 and 1998, respectively.  All four 9:30 shows were renewed, with Grand burning off the grid the following season, and Dear John making it to 85 episodes by 1992.  

TUESDAY

Cosby narrowly tied with ABC Tuesday's Roseanne, which built its pre-audience with The Wonder Years placing 6th at 8:30 and aging Who's the Boss taking 8th at 8pm.  Like Thursdays, the 9:30 ABC timeslot shadowed the earlier block with forgotten Chicken Soup and establishing hit Coach.  Chicken Soup placed 9th, yet was cancelled due to star Jackie Mason's controversial political remarks, making it the highest rated cancellation.  Successor Coach placed 16th that season, yet cost less as its marquee stars were Craig T. Nelson and Shelley Fabares against powerhouses of CS, Jackie Mason and Lynn Redgrave.

SATURDAY

NBC cornered this market with shares of gold, thanks to our polished seniors on Golden Girls placing 5th in Overall Nielsens and Shares (and 6th Place in overall network measures outside of sitcoms).  It led into Empty Nest, who retained nearly 95-percent of Nielsens and Shares.  The 8pm Hour rated 30-percent lighter by comparison, shared by aging fares 227, Amen, Hogan Family and ALF.  ALF and Hogan family relocated after 4 and 5 seasons from Monday as NBC opted to reinvent said evening against CBS' moderately rated sitcom block.  Of the four helpings, only Amen would survive as NBC opted against renewal.  Spring 1990 saw changes again as the 8pm slot went to dramatic piece A Home For Joe, and NBC's lowest rated and properly forgotten workplace sitcom 13 East at 8:30.  The 10pm hour opened the gates for Carol Burnett vehicle Carol and Company (14th Place) and Down Home (32nd).  Both fares were renewed, yet burned off the following season.  ABC made mild attempts at laughs with aging Mr. Belvedere and Who's the Boss spinoff Living Dolls (featuring upcoming stars Halle Berry and Leah Remini).  Both discontinued in December, with Mr. Belvedere receiving a one-evening sendoff in July 1990.

The remaining four evenings held less prominence, yet delivered respectable performances.  

WEDNESDAY

Aging ABC laughers  Growing Pains and Head of the Class placed 2nd in their timeslots against NBC's Unsolved Mysteries, the 9-10pm hour delivered respectable ratings with Anything But Love and Doogie Howser, MD.  After the young doctor outperformed Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis' ABL, it was sidelined, Doogie moved to 9pm and dramatic pices complimented Doogie with lackluster results.  Seeing softer ABC performances, NBC and CBS assembled half-hour affairs in each hour.  NBC's Night Court emerged victorious against ABL, yet Cloris Leachman workplace sitcom The Nutt House placed 3rd in its timeslot and roasted over an open fire.  Spring sitcom FM failed against Doogie Howser and faded out by Season's End.

FRIDAY

TGIF debuted this year with soaring results blazed by increasingly popular Full House (12th) and freshman Family Matters (17th).  Its parent spinoff, Perfect Strangers, held its ground in 25th Place, with 9:30 follow-up Just the Ten of Us retaining an impressive 95% in 26th Place.  The Growing Pains spinoff outrated CBS' ailing soap Dallas by 3 million viewers, yet received an unwarranted pink slip by the season's end.  The network's reasoning?  The 8-9:30 hours were produced by Miller-Boyett productions, who demanded a monopoly over the 8-10pm hour.  Subsequently, the 9:30pm timeslot struggled in succeeding years to find a suitable replacement, cancelling nearly all 1990-2000 players in this slot by season's ends.  CBS made a minor play for laughs in the springtime in the 8-9pm hour with Baghdad Cafe and Sugar and Spice.  The results?  Baghdad Cafe faltered mid-season the next year, and Sugar and Spice soured to staleness by May 1990.

MONDAY

However did Mondays rate weaker than Fridays in sitcoms!?  CBS managed to build a praised feminist workplace 9pm hour with Murphy Brown and Designing Women.  8pm launched moderately successful family/workplace fare Major Dad.  Beyond that, CBS took scheduling risks with the entire season housing sitcoms from 8-11pm from September-May.  The final season of Newhart disintegrated, moving from 10:30 to 10pm, and finally at 8pm after three failed freshman comedies faltered.  Among them: Wes Craven helmed The People Next Door, Teddy Z and City.  Teddy Z started in the plum 9:30 timeslot, then moved after The People Next Door died.  CBS reverted Newhart upward with freshman sitcoms Doctor Doctor and His & Hers, with the last dying in a cursed timeslot.  DD lasted another season, yet hemorrhaged at 9:30 in a soft order the following year.  Over at NBC, ALF and the Hogan Family declined and relocated to Saturdays.

SUNDAY

A sitcom wasteland, the greatest laugh was only two sitcoms (Married With Children, The Simpsons) survived among the three networks, and both rated in the scheduling Abyss.  ABC newbies Free Spirit and Homeroom lost spirituality and a sense of space early in the season, killing ABC's attempts at laughs.  NBC straddled three sitcoms over the 8pm Hour which landed in the Middle of the Pack -- Sister Kate, My Two Dads and Ann Jillian.  All failed to outrate CBS procedural Murder She Wrote and ABC reality platform America's Funniest Home Videos and learned N-ew B-usinesses C-rashed by May.  Conversely, FOX landed Share-d success with MWC and Simpsons.  Open House closed, as did original mainstays Tracy Ullman and Garry Shandling.

1989 was a successful television year as it offset the world's problems with 55 sitcoms over 4 networks.  32 returned (The Hogan family moved to CBS), with several lasting well into 1998.  And the Simpsons carries on....

Shows Which Enjoyed 4+ Seasons on this roster beyond May 1990:

The Simpsons (Ongoing in 29th season)

1998 Finale:

Murphy Brown (10 Seasons)
Seinfeld (9 Seasons)
Family Matters (9 Seasons)

1997 Finale:

Roseanne (9 Seasons)
Coach (9 Seasons)
Wings (8 Seasons)

1995 Finales:

Full House (8 Seasons)
Empty Nest (7 Seasons)

1993 Finales:

Cheers (11 Seasons)
Perfect Strangers (8 Seasons)
Designing Women (7 Seasons)
A Different World (6 Seasons)
The Wonder Years (6 Seasons)
Doogie Howser, MD (4 Years)
Anything But Love (4 Years)
Major Dad (4 Seasons)

1992 Finales:

Night Court (9 Seasons)
The Cosby Show (8 Seasons)
Who's The Boss (8 Seasons)
Growing Pains (7 Seasons)
Golden Girls (7 Seasons)
Dear John (4 Seasons)

1991 Finales:

The Hogan Family (6 Seasons)
Head of the Class (5 Seasons)
Amen (5 Seasons)

1988-89 Sitcom Scorecard -- WGA Strike Reduces Sitcom Quantity, NBC Leads, ABC and FOX Grow

Written Laughing at Terry Rakolta's Boycott by Bridger Cunningham

The Writer's Guild Strike which lasted from March 7 - August 8, 1988 damaged the television landscape, as several premiere dates were pushed as far back as November 1988.  Along with the preemption, this season reduced its original sitcoms by 8, dropping the total 17% from the 1987-88 figures.  Still, growth reached two networks' sitcoms by impressive margins.  ABC was on par with its last season's overall network average, yet its sitcoms increased by an 8% margin for their overall average.  The largest percent gain came when FOX experienced a 116% increase, due to picked up affiliates and the controvery of Michigan housewife Terry Rakolta's failed boycott of Married.... With Children, causing the show to more than double its Nielsen Ratings.  NBC held steady, and CBS dropped 9%.

The 1987-88 Scorecard's headline included the antagonistic "FOX is a Joke" portion of the headline.  Flash forward one season, and they turned that joke into a juggernaut.  While other shows endured delays and damage due to the strike, FOX stepped into offensive territory and gained sensational eyeballs.  The Infamous January 15, 1989 episode "Her Cups Runneth Over" triggered Rakolta to lead an unsuccessful cancellation of the crasscom, as the two leading males wandered an adult boutique in search of a bra.  The result?  Millions who had no clue a network called FOX existed tuned in, and smaller markets lacking a FOX affiliate scrambled to make space to cover this channel.  All FOX shows increased in Nielsens this season, with It's The Garry Shandling Show taking a significant increase as well.  Duets, however, only increased 20% from these developments and was not asked to return to the young station.



FOX was previously cited as a joke, as its average could be multiplied 3-6 times withinthe other three network's averages.  This season, however, the sitcom stepping between average ranks left 3-4 ratings points between the four ranks, with FOX in 4th behind a faltering CBS.  Elsewhere, another brash and unpolished family sitcom swept ABC by storm.  Roseanne debuted to critical acclaim in October, taking 2nd place in both sitcom and overall ranks.  Depicting the struggles of a working class family who overdosed the audience with crass jokes, Roseanne cornered the market away from the upscale NBC franchise of sitcoms.  ABC's fortunes were mostly positive.  Friday evenings accelerated due to Full House gaining attention.  Having struggled and ranked 71st Place the previous season, ABC bumped the series to 8:30 behind Perfect Strangers to foster growth.  During this season, Full House overtook Perfect Strangers and cracked into the top 30, leading to a brief ratings surge for anemic Mr. Belvedere reaching 42nd place.  Full House's growth inspired returning it to the 8pm timeslot to lead the evening.



The weakest of the Friday franchise was Growing Pains spinoff Just the Ten of Us, which trailed the block with improved results over the prior year of failed entries.  All were asked back for another season.  Wednesdays softened in ratings, leading to the cancellation of Hooperman.  Tested in its place was Coach, which performed at a lower bar yet cost less in production.  Over at NBC, it was business as usual.  Thursdays were on fire, and Dear John moved into Night Court's former slot, shoving it into a newly-created Wednesday comedy block which did not fare as well.  Saturdays hit another top-10 with Golden Girls spinoff Empty Nest, and Sunday shows retired as Family Ties ended its run after 7 seasons, taking struggling sophomore Day By Day with it.  And of course, Alf and Hogan Family continued orange popularity on Mondays.

CBS sitcoms endured the worst effects of the strike, as Kate and Allie was preempted to mid-season.  Along with Newhart, it dropped into the high 40's, having positioned themselves around 15th in previous seasons.  Wednesday and Saturday comedy blocks failed, and CBS had to rebuild Mondays.

Source: http://dictionary.sensagent.com/1988%E2%80%9389_United_States_network_television_schedule/en-en/