The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on the Huxtable family, an upper middle-class African-American family living in Brooklyn, New York.
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The peak run. Top 40% of seasons by average rating — consecutive, with an average of 7.33.
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Bill Cosby
Heathcliff Huxtable
Phylicia Rashād
Clair Huxtable
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Theo Huxtable
Tempestt Bledsoe
Vanessa Huxtable
Keshia Knight Pulliam
Rudy Huxtable
Sabrina Le Beauf
Sondra Huxtable
Geoffrey Owens
Elvin Tibideaux
Raven-Symoné
Olivia Kendall
Erika Alexander
Pam Tucker
All 197 episodes plotted by IMDb rating
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24 episodes • 1984Avg: 7.4Golden Era
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot / Theo's Economic Lesson | Sep 20, 1984 | 8.0 |
| 2 | Mr. Fish (a.k.a. Goodbye, Mr. Fish) | Sep 27, 1984 | 7.7 |
| 3 | Bad Dreams | Oct 4, 1984 | 7.2 |
| 4 | Is That My Boy? | Oct 11, 1984 | 7.2 |
| 5 | A Shirt Story | Oct 18, 1984 | 8.2 |
| 6 | Breaking With Tradition | Oct 25, 1984 | 7.5 |
| 7 | One More Time | Nov 1, 1984 | 7.0 |
| 8 | Play It Again, Vanessa | Nov 8, 1984 | 7.2 |
| 9 | How Ugly Is He? | Nov 15, 1984 | 7.7 |
| 10 | Bonjour, Sondra | Nov 22, 1984 | 7.1 |
| 11 | You're Not a Mother Night | Dec 6, 1984 | 7.3 |
| 12 | Rudy's Sick | Dec 13, 1984 | 7.1 |
| 13 | Father's Day | Dec 20, 1984 | 7.3 |
| 14 | Independence Day | Jan 10, 1985 | 7.8 |
| 15 | Physician of the Year | Jan 17, 1985 | 7.4 |
| 16 | Jitterbug Break | Jan 31, 1985 | 7.4 |
| 17 | Theo and the Joint | Feb 7, 1985 | 7.7 |
| 18 | Vanessa's New Class | Feb 14, 1985 | 7.0 |
| 19 | Clair's Case | Feb 21, 1985 | 7.2 |
| 20 | Back to the Track, Jack | Feb 28, 1985 | 7.0 |
| 21 | The Younger Woman | Mar 14, 1985 | 7.4 |
| 22 | Slumber Party | Mar 28, 1985 | 8.0 |
| 23 | Mr. Quiet | May 2, 1985 | 6.4 |
| 24 | Cliff's Birthday | May 9, 1985 | 7.6 |
25 episodes • 1985Avg: 7.5Golden Era
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Day of School | Sep 26, 1985 | 7.5 |
| 2 | The Juicer | Oct 3, 1985 | 7.9 |
| 3 | Happy Anniversary | Oct 10, 1985 | 8.2 |
| 4 | Cliff in Love | Oct 17, 1985 | 7.8 |
| 5 | Theo and the Older Woman | Oct 24, 1985 | 7.6 |
| 6 | Halloween | Oct 31, 1985 | 7.1 |
| 7 | Rudy Suits Up | Nov 7, 1985 | 6.9 |
| 8 | Denise Drives | Nov 14, 1985 | 7.5 |
| 9 | Clair's Sister | Nov 21, 1985 | 6.9 |
| 10 | Clair's Toe | Dec 5, 1985 | 7.1 |
| 11 | Denise's Friend | Dec 12, 1985 | 7.8 |
| 12 | Mrs. Westlake | Jan 2, 1986 | 7.6 |
| 13 | The Auction | Jan 9, 1986 | 7.6 |
| 14 | Vanessa's Bad Grade | Jan 16, 1986 | 7.2 |
| 15 | Theo and Cockroach | Jan 30, 1986 | 7.5 |
| 16 | The Dentist | Feb 2, 1986 | 7.8 |
| 17 | Play It Again, Russell | Feb 13, 1986 | 6.7 |
| 18 | A Touch of Wonder | Feb 20, 1986 | 7.8 |
| 19 | Full House | Feb 27, 1986 | 7.5 |
| 20 | Close to Home | Mar 13, 1986 | 7.1 |
| 21 | An Early Spring | Mar 20, 1986 | 7.3 |
| 22 | Theo's Holiday | Apr 3, 1986 | 8.5 |
| 23 | The Card Game | Apr 10, 1986 | 7.8 |
| 24 | Off to the Races | May 8, 1986 | 7.2 |
| 25 | Denise's Decision | May 15, 1986 | 6.9 |
25 episodes • 1986Avg: 7.1Golden Era
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bring 'em Back Alive | Sep 25, 1986 | 7.2 |
| 2 | Food for Thought | Oct 2, 1986 | 7.3 |
| 3 | Golden Anniversary | Oct 9, 1986 | 7.5 |
| 4 | Man Talk | Oct 16, 1986 | 7.2 |
| 5 | Mother, May I? | Oct 23, 1986 | 7.2 |
| 6 | The March | Oct 30, 1986 | 7.4 |
| 7 | Theo's Flight | Nov 6, 1986 | 7.3 |
| 8 | Vanessa's Rich | Nov 13, 1986 | 7.1 |
| 9 | Denise Gets a D | Nov 20, 1986 | 7.0 |
| 10 | A Girl and Her Dog | Dec 4, 1986 | 7.0 |
| 11 | War Stories | Dec 11, 1986 | 7.0 |
| 12 | Cliff in Charge | Dec 18, 1986 | 6.9 |
| 13 | Monster Man Huxtable | Jan 8, 1987 | 7.0 |
| 14 | Rudy Spends the Night | Jan 15, 1987 | 7.2 |
| 15 | Say Hello to a Good Buy | Jan 22, 1987 | 7.3 |
| 16 | Denise Gets an Opinion | Feb 5, 1987 | 7.0 |
| 17 | Calling Doctor Huxtable | Feb 12, 1987 | 7.1 |
| 18 | You Only Hurt the One You Love | Feb 19, 1987 | 7.0 |
| 19 | The Shower | Feb 26, 1987 | 7.0 |
| 20 | Cliff's 50th Birthday | Mar 12, 1987 | 7.0 |
| 21 | I Know That You Know | Mar 19, 1987 | 8.1 |
| 22 | Andalusian Flu | Apr 2, 1987 | 7.3 |
| 23 | Bald and Beautiful | Apr 9, 1987 | 7.2 |
| 24 | Planning Parenthood | Apr 30, 1987 | 6.9 |
| 25 | Hillman | May 7, 1987 | 6.1 |
23 episodes • 1987Avg: 7.0
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Call of the Wild | Sep 24, 1987 | 7.5 |
| 2 | Theogate | Oct 1, 1987 | 7.6 |
| 3 | It's Not Easy Being Green | Oct 8, 1987 | 6.5 |
| 4 | Cliff's Mistake | Oct 15, 1987 | 7.2 |
| 5 | Shakespeare | Oct 22, 1987 | 7.4 |
| 6 | That's Not What I Said | Oct 29, 1987 | 7.0 |
| 7 | Autumn Gifts | Nov 5, 1987 | 6.9 |
| 8 | Looking Back | Nov 12, 1987 | 6.8 |
| 9 | Where's Rudy? | Nov 19, 1987 | 6.7 |
| 10 | Dance Mania | Dec 3, 1987 | 6.8 |
| 11 | The Locker Room | Dec 10, 1987 | 6.9 |
| 12 | The Show Must Go On | Dec 17, 1987 | 6.6 |
| 13 | Bookworm | Jan 7, 1988 | 7.1 |
| 14 | Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star | Jan 14, 1988 | 6.9 |
| 15 | The Visit | Jan 21, 1988 | 7.3 |
| 16 | The Drum Major | Feb 4, 1988 | 6.9 |
| 17 | Waterworks | Feb 11, 1988 | 7.4 |
| 18 | Once Upon a Time | Feb 18, 1988 | 5.8 |
| 19 | Petanque | Feb 25, 1988 | 6.9 |
| 20 | Trust Me | Mar 3, 1988 | 6.8 |
| 21 | Home for the Weekend | Mar 17, 1988 | 7.2 |
| 22 | The Prom | Mar 24, 1988 | 7.1 |
| 23 | Gone Fishin' | Apr 28, 1988 | 7.0 |
25 episodes • 1988Avg: 7.1
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Together Again and Again | Oct 6, 1988 | 7.4 |
| 2 | The Physical | Oct 13, 1988 | 7.5 |
| 3 | Rudy's All-Nighter | Oct 20, 1988 | 6.9 |
| 4 | Move It (a.k.a. The Baby Game) | Oct 27, 1988 | 7.5 |
| 5 | Out of Brooklyn | Nov 3, 1988 | 6.8 |
| 6 | The Birth | Nov 10, 1988 | 7.3 |
| 7 | Cyranoise de Bergington | Nov 17, 1988 | 6.9 |
| 8 | How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall? | Dec 1, 1988 | 7.0 |
| 9 | If the Dress Fits, Wear It | Dec 8, 1988 | 7.5 |
| 10 | Is There a Hamster in the House? | Dec 15, 1988 | 6.9 |
| 11 | Truth or Consequences | Jan 5, 1989 | 7.2 |
| 12 | Cliff Babysits | Jan 12, 1989 | 7.1 |
| 13 | Mrs. Huxtable Goes to Kindergarten | Jan 26, 1989 | 7.2 |
| 14 | The Lost Weekend | Feb 2, 1989 | 7.2 |
| 15 | No Way, Baby | Feb 6, 1989 | 7.3 |
| 16 | Can I Say Something, Please? | Feb 9, 1989 | 6.9 |
| 17 | The Dead End Kids Meet Dr. Lotus | Feb 16, 1989 | 6.7 |
| 18 | The Boys of Winter | Feb 23, 1989 | 6.4 |
| 19 | It Comes and It Goes | Mar 9, 1989 | 6.7 |
| 20 | Theo's Women | Mar 16, 1989 | 6.9 |
| 21 | Birthday Blues | Mar 30, 1989 | 6.8 |
| 22 | A Room With No View | Apr 13, 1989 | 7.2 |
| 23 | What He Did for Love | Apr 27, 1989 | 6.6 |
| 24 | Day of the Locusts | May 4, 1989 | 7.3 |
| 25 | 57 Varieties | May 11, 1989 | 7.1 |
26 episodes • 1989Avg: 7.1
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denise: The Saga Continues | Sep 21, 1989 | 7.8 |
| 2 | Surf's Up | Sep 28, 1989 | 7.0 |
| 3 | I'm 'In' With the 'In' Crowd | Oct 5, 1989 | 7.7 |
| 4 | Denise Kendall: Navy Wife | Oct 12, 1989 | 6.9 |
| 5 | Theo's Gift | Oct 19, 1989 | 7.4 |
| 6 | Denise Kendall: Babysitter | Oct 26, 1989 | 7.0 |
| 7 | Shall We Dance? | Nov 2, 1989 | 6.9 |
| 8 | The Day the Spores Landed | Nov 9, 1989 | 5.9 |
| 9 | Cliff's Wet Adventure | Nov 16, 1989 | 8.0 |
| 10 | Grampy and Nu-Nu Visit the Huxtables | Nov 30, 1989 | 7.2 |
| 11 | Cliff la Dolce | Dec 7, 1989 | 7.0 |
| 12 | Getting to Know You | Dec 14, 1989 | 6.6 |
| 13 | Elvin Pays for Dinner | Jan 4, 1990 | 6.8 |
| 14 | Cliff's Nightmare | Jan 11, 1990 | 6.2 |
| 15 | Denise Kendall: Singles Counselor | Jan 18, 1990 | 6.7 |
| 16 | The Birthday Party | Jan 25, 1990 | 7.0 |
| 17 | Not Everybody Loves the Blues | Feb 1, 1990 | 7.2 |
| 18 | Rudy's Walk on the Wild Side | Feb 8, 1990 | 7.1 |
| 19 | Mr. Sandman | Feb 15, 1990 | 6.9 |
| 20 | Isn't It Romantic? | Feb 22, 1990 | 8.0 |
| 21 | Theo's Dirty Laundry | Mar 15, 1990 | 7.5 |
| 22 | What's It All About? | Mar 22, 1990 | 7.1 |
| 23 | Off to See the Wretched | Apr 5, 1990 | 8.2 |
| 24 | The Moves | Apr 19, 1990 | 6.7 |
| 25 | Live and Learn | Apr 26, 1990 | 7.0 |
| 26 | The Storyteller | May 3, 1990 | 6.1 |
25 episodes • 1990Avg: 6.7
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Same Time Next Year | Sep 20, 1990 | 6.9 |
| 2 | Bird in the Hand | Sep 27, 1990 | 7.7 |
| 3 | The Last Barbecue | Oct 4, 1990 | 7.5 |
| 4 | Period of Adjustment | Oct 11, 1990 | 6.6 |
| 5 | It's All in the Game | Oct 18, 1990 | 7.1 |
| 6 | Getting the Story | Oct 25, 1990 | 6.4 |
| 7 | Just Thinking About It | Nov 1, 1990 | 6.6 |
| 8 | The Infantry Has Landed (and They've Fallen Off the Roof) | Nov 8, 1990 | 6.9 |
| 9 | You Can Go Home Again | Nov 15, 1990 | 6.6 |
| 10 | It's a Boy | Nov 29, 1990 | 6.2 |
| 11 | Clair's Liberation | Dec 6, 1990 | 7.1 |
| 12 | It's Your Move | Dec 13, 1990 | 6.7 |
| 13 | Theo's Final Final | Jan 3, 1991 | 6.5 |
| 14 | Attack of the Killer B's | Jan 10, 1991 | 6.6 |
| 15 | Total Control | Jan 31, 1991 | 6.9 |
| 16 | Adventures in Babysitting | Feb 7, 1991 | 6.6 |
| 17 | 27 and Still Cooking | Feb 14, 1991 | 6.7 |
| 18 | The Return of the Clairettes | Feb 21, 1991 | 6.6 |
| 19 | No More Mr. Nice Guy | Feb 28, 1991 | 6.4 |
| 20 | Home Remedies | Mar 7, 1991 | 6.5 |
| 21 | Nightmare on Stigwood Avenue | Mar 21, 1991 | 6.0 |
| 22 | There's Still No Joy in Mudville | Apr 4, 1991 | 6.0 |
| 23 | Cliff and Jake | Apr 11, 1991 | 6.5 |
| 24 | Theo and the Kids (1) | Apr 25, 1991 | 7.1 |
| 25 | Theo and the Kids (2) | May 2, 1991 | 7.2 |
24 episodes • 1991Avg: 6.4Valley of Despair
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | With This Ring? | Sep 19, 1991 | 7.3 |
| 2 | There's No Place Like This Home | Sep 26, 1991 | 6.8 |
| 3 | Particles in Motion | Oct 3, 1991 | 6.5 |
| 4 | Pam Applies to College | Oct 10, 1991 | 6.0 |
| 5 | Warning: A Double-Lit Candle Can Cause a Meltdown | Oct 17, 1991 | 6.5 |
| 6 | It's Apparent to Everyone | Oct 24, 1991 | 6.4 |
| 7 | The Iceman Bricketh | Oct 31, 1991 | 6.5 |
| 8 | Olivia's Field Trip | Nov 7, 1991 | 6.3 |
| 9 | For Men Only | Nov 14, 1991 | 6.5 |
| 10 | Olivia Comes Out of the Closet | Nov 21, 1991 | 6.3 |
| 11 | Two Is a Crowd | Dec 5, 1991 | 6.4 |
| 12 | Clair's Place | Dec 19, 1991 | 6.4 |
| 13 | Theo's Future | Jan 2, 1992 | 5.8 |
| 14 | The Price Is Wrong | Jan 9, 1992 | 5.8 |
| 15 | Bring Me the Lip Gloss of Deirdre Arpelle | Jan 16, 1992 | 6.1 |
| 16 | Eat, Drink and Be Wary | Jan 30, 1992 | 6.8 |
| 17 | The Getaway | Feb 6, 1992 | 6.5 |
| 18 | Cliff Gets Jilted | Feb 6, 1992 | 6.6 |
| 19 | Cliff and Theo Come Clean | Feb 13, 1992 | 6.3 |
| 20 | Clair's Reunion | Feb 20, 1992 | 6.5 |
| 21 | Rudy's Retreat | Feb 27, 1992 | 6.4 |
| 22 | You Can't Stop the Music | Mar 26, 1992 | 5.6 |
| 23 | Some Gifts Aren't Deductible | Apr 23, 1992 | 5.9 |
| 24 | And So We Commence | Apr 30, 1992 | 7.5 |
