The Cosby Show
Call it an unexpected pick, but like my favorite sports team of all time, the Utah Jazz, I take pride in the fundamentals. Sure, Arrested Development is funny as hell, and no one has been as quotable and memorable as the unlikeable Seinfeld foursome, but when push comes to shove, the comedy I admire most is the one without the unbelievable hijinks and surreal characters. Without the outrageous leads of the others, The Cosby Show found its bread and butter with the simple things in life and with characters that were, in most respects, pretty reasonable. Yet the Huxtables still managed to create a captivating – and hilarious – decade-long series.
The root of Huxtable hilarity isn’t ridiculous situations or infantile adults or any of the other contemporary comedy go-to’s, but the subtle and sometimes not so subtle interactions of a close-knit family. Who knew everyday intergenerational interactions could be so lulzy? Well, it isn’t a formula that automatically delivers a win. The lols are made possible in the Cosby Show by likable actors and their excellent delivery—the dialogue quick and realistic, the characters just silly and flawed enough to keep it light, but normal and nice enough to evoke a little admiration. It’s the little things in life that make it worth living, and the irreplaceable chemistry between our Huxtable seven made that clearer than ever.
“But the Huxtables are too pure and wholesome to be funny,” a hater might say. That hater clearly hasn’t seen Rudy steal that money from Claire for the light-up sweatshirt, or Theo being picked up by Cliff at the police station after he and his unlicensed friend drove out of the borough for hot dogs, or Vanessa going to that concert in Baltimore only to be stranded when her friend’s car is stolen, or even the close-to-perfect Claire Huxtable lose her damn mind when Vanessa finally returned home.
Okay, so they’re not exactly the Bundy kids. But let’s face it, cynicism is an easy game to play in comedies. What made The Cosby Show so outstanding is that it remained funny and enjoyable even while maintaining an optimistic outlook on society and families. These characters were funny without being idiots, and there was plenty of conflict without outright dysfunction. Who wouldn’t want to be a Huxtable—or at least watch them on TV?
The contemporary comedy has a lot to offer, and I’m always grateful for the display of comedic range and ridiculousness. But when it comes down to it, there’s nothing more appealing to me than the comfort of the old sitcom pick-and-roll: Cute but witty kids, oblivious teenagers, and their goofy but knowing parents. Hey, they’re sitcom fundamentals for a reason, and they’ve never been done better than they were on The Cosby Show.
Clip of Gold
Stats
Series Run: 1984-1992
On DVD? Yes! Including this 25th Anniversary Set
Honorable Mention for Best Comedy Ever
Arrested Development
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