Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids

1972

Seasons & Episodes

  • 8
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6.7| 0h30m| TV-PG| en
Synopsis

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids is an animated series created, produced, and hosted by comedian Bill Cosby, who also lent his voice to a number of characters, including Fat Albert himself. Filmation was the production company for the series. The show premiered in 1972 and ran until 1985. The show, based on Cosby's remembrances of his childhood gang, centered on Albert, and his friends. The show always had an educational lesson emphasized by Cosby's live-action segments, and in early episodes the gang would usually gather in their North Philadelphia junkyard to play a rock song on their cobbled-together instruments at the end of the show.

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Reviews

AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks
Cortechba Overrated
DipitySkillful an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.
filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
grendelkhan This is one of the iconic Saturday morning cartoons of the 70's. Based on Bill Cosby's stand-up routines about characters in his old neighborhood, the show featured a group of inner city African-American kids hanging out, singing a song, and learning a thing or two. The comedy was good and the show lively. I didn't get to see it often, as it was broadcast on a channel that we couldn't tune in well (this is in the stone age before cable), so I had trouble keeping up with who was who. It was Filmation, which meant lots of stock footage, but they were creative within their limitations. And unlike the 30 minute commercial cartoons of the 80's, they had real educational value.With the Cartoon Network and Boomerang showcasing the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons, we could really use an outlet for some of Filmation's old work. The problem is, so many of their shows featured licensed characters that I don't think they owned much of their work. I wouldn't mind seeing these and other Filmation shows on dvd, like the Groovie Goolies, Star Trek, Flash Gordon, and Tarzan.
Don McCullen When Bill Cosby told the audience that they may learn something before the show was done, he really meant it. "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" was a perfect fit with Lou Scheimer's philosophy in Children's TV. In fact it was the most successful show for Scheimer's Flimation Production company in which many of the shows they produced had educational elements to the show and most of time very cheesy story writing.Fat Albert was down to earth. The show was based on Cosby's childhood and some of his stand-up routines about Fat Albert. In the show Albert and his friends would learn about life and how to better their lives and those around them. Their were frequency live-action cut aways in which Cosby himself would deliver some commentary about what was happening in the story. At the end of the show a song was featured that reinforced the lesson in the episode.By the late 70's the show was retooled and ending song was replaced by Science Fiction shorts which featured a space hero called the "Brown Hornet" which was seen at the beginning of the show. The Hornet shorts featured an educational message to Fat Albert, his friends, and the real life audience. That message was reinforced in an everyday situation that Albert and his friends would deal with. Cosby continued with live-action cut aways as in the original version of the show.Flimation may have not been the greatest production company when it comes to kids TV, but they did have a few great shows under their belt. "Fat Albert & the Cosby Kids" was one of them. In fact their were the best of Flimation's best
raysond In the late 1960's,and throughout the 1970's and 1980's for that matter, Lou Scheimer and his partner Norm Prescott crank out a ton of cartoons for Filmation productions during the time. They were some that were in fact down right awful,and some that were very successful indeed(like their animated version of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek,and The Archies) to name a few. But the one that blew them out of the water and perhaps one of the better Saturday Morning cartoon shows that had a minority in a starring role was that of "Fat Albert". There was some criticism during this show's run,but when it was on CBS,it garnered more awards and praises then any children's show ever produced. It was the show that broke the mold and the quinessential animated show of all time. As a kid growing up,I couldn't wait for it to come on. Each episode had the kids in usual predictments,and after the band would sing a song regarding the lesson they learned. However,me and me friend had a debate on who was singing those songs. We knew that Bill Cosby was the voice behind Fat Albert,but we it was a unknown singer that did the songs.........From its premiere episode in September of 1972 to the final episode of the series in September of 1985,this was the show to watch. However,the years on CBS were from 1972-1979,and when the network cancelled "Fat Albert",the series went into syndication from 1979-1985,under the title,"The New Adventures Of Fat Albert". Bill Cosby was not only the star of the show,but served as executive producer,executive in charge of production and also as the educational consultant for the series. Repeats of the show ran every Saturday Morning from two decades(1970's and 1980's)and later on in syndication markets.It was a great show. However,their were many specials produced that were good including the riveting "A Fat Albert Christmas" and others. It a crying shame that this series isn't on Cartoon Network or FOX family channel or the Odyssey network,since the show had family values. It would be nice if Bill Cosby would release these episodes on videocassette or DVD(as a box set..they did with the animated version of Star Trek). Great show from the groovy 1970's!!
Vlad one This is the quintessential animated show of all times. Bill Cosby has masterfully created an amazing show complete with an array of vocally diverse characters.Hey Hey Hey, Its Fat Albert time !!!!We must petition Bill Cosby to release this series on videotape or at least on The Cartoon Network...It has been at least 15 years since this animated masterpiece was in syndication.