Our Inductees: Bill Cosby

Biography

Bill Cosby was the 9th inductee into the Official National Comedy Hall of Fame®. His career in stand-up comedy began at the hungry i in San Francisco. He then landed a starring role in the 1960s television show I Spy, followed by his own sitcom The Bill Cosby Show, which ran for two seasons from 1969 to 1971.

Using the Fat Albert character developed during his stand-up routines, Cosby created, produced, and hosted the animated comedy television series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids which ran from 1972 to 1985, centering on a group of young friends growing up in an urban area.

Beginning in the 1980s, Cosby produced and starred in the television sitcom The Cosby Show, which aired from 1984 to 1992 and was rated as the number one show in America for 1984 through 1989.

The sitcom highlighted the experiences and growth of an affluent African-American family. Cosby produced the spin-off sitcom A Different World, which aired from 1987 to 1993. He also starred in The Cosby Mysteries from 1994 to 1995, starred in the sitcom Cosby from 1996 to 2000, and hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things from 1998 to 2000.

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