The Bill Cosby Show

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

Movie

Plot

A drama that ran in half hour segments from 1969 to 1971. While The Bill Cosby Show was originally dubbed, “situational comedy” and does have some funny moments, I found it to be more of a drama with a strong emphasis on good morals, quality education, and equality.

Chet Kincaid is a single man teaching high school physical education in Los Angeles, California. But he’s not your typical bachelor; he spends most of his spare time reaching out to others and helping them through life’s circumstances.

Starring

Bill Cosby, Lee Weaver, Lillian Randolph, Olga James, Sid McCoy, Joyce Bulifant, and guest appearances by Henry Fonda, Cicely Tyson, Elsa Lanchester, and more.

The Review

I fell in love with Cosby when his series, The Cosby Show, aired in the 80s. He’s one of the few actors I respect apart from his acting skills.

Truth be told, I didn’t even know The Bill Cosby Show existed until the series came out on DVD. However, I am glad I had a chance to watch the series because Cosby’s dry humor and strong moral values shines through every episode.

What I like best about The Bill Cosby Show is the realism. Each episode takes a single real-life situation and teaches viewers important life lessons while showing us how to laugh at the life around us—no matter how chaotic it may appear.

The defining moment in this series varies from episode to episode, but one that stood out was the “Driven To Distraction” episode.

Mr. Kincaid takes a part-time job as a driving instructor and must teach one of the worst student drivers in history. During a driving lesson in a dirt parking lot, the student, Donna, gets the car stuck in a ditch and while trying to help “unstuck” the car, Kincaid’s back goes out. Donna must drive them back to class.

On the way back, a conversation pursues between Kincaid and Donna. It seems Donna’s mother has instilled in her that she’s a loser and not as good as her “perfect” sister.

“Some people are losers and I’m one of them,” says Donna.

“You want to know something? I’m going to be perfectly frank. You are a loser. I think you’ve converted me in your loserhood,” Kincaid replies.

“A teacher is supposed to build confidence in students, not tear it down,” cries Donna.

“Well you’re right about that. But first of all you have to have some confidence to build. You know that? There’s a funny thing about being a loser, once you really begin to believe that you’re a loser you tend to stay that way. And I’m just not going to give you my sympathy anymore. That’s all.”

“I don’t want your sympathy,” says Donna.

“So you think you’re a loser, you’ll always be a loser. And that’s exactly the way it is” affirms Kincaid.

“Mr. Kincaid, I’ve changed my mind. I’d like to drive back to school. It’s my right as a student,” says Donna.

And not only does she drive them back to school safely, but she has a new sense of self-confidence! As she leaves class, she turns to Mr. Kincaid and says, “Thanks for everything!”

Just goes to show that the words we speak actually do affect the lives of those around us!

Your Task

This week, instead of watching your favorite television series, pick up a copy of The Bill Cosby Show. Then choose an episode that represents an issue happening in your home or around your neighborhood. For instance, has one of your children picked up the bad habit of cursing? Watch “This Mouth Is Rated X” and watch how Chet helps a basketball player stop using his bad language.

Order The Bill Cosby Show today!