Customer Reviews

The Cosby Show: Season 7

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Cosby Show's seventh season premiered on September 20,1990 with the cast at its all-time largest. Erika Alexander joins as Clair Huxtable's(Phylicia Rashad) kid cousin Pamela Tucker who moves into the Huxtable household from a Brooklyn tenement. Pamela attends the same high school as the other Huxtable kids(except Rudy) did. Vanessa(Tempest Bledsoe),who went from the sophomore to the senior level during her high school years last season,leaves the Huxtable nest to attend Lincoln University. So 11-year-old Rudy(Keshia Knight Pulliam) is the only Huxtable kid left in the household(who hasn't yet left at all). Pamela occupied Vanessa's bedroom while Vanessa was away. Rudy and Olivia Kendall(Raven Symone) still share a bedroom and so do Olivia's father Martin(Joseph C. Phillips) and his wife,the former Denise Huxtable(Lisa Bonet). Theo(Malcolm Jamal Warner) is out of the Huxtable household again and back in his girlfriend Justine Phillips'(the late Michelle Thomas,recurringly). Martin half-humorously declined being given a bachelor party by Theo and Sondra's(Sabrina LeBeauf) husband Elvin Tibidaux(Geoffrey Owens). Denise,who thought Martin DID want it,was so angry with him. This results in mild arguments between the Tibidauxs and Cliff's(Bill Cosby) parents Russell(Earle Hyman,recurringly) and Anna(Clarice Taylor,recurringly). Clair believed Theo was the cause of the arguments. This happened at a backyard barbecue held at the Huxtable home(Cliff was grilling burgers and chickens). Rudy's friend Kenny(Deon Richmond,recurringly) attended the barbecue also. I believe the highest-rated episode this season was the one where the late great John Ritter and his not-yet-girlfriend/wife Amy Yasbeck guest-starred. Ritter was Ray Evans,a basketball coach with a pregnant wife(Yasbeck). In fact,Cosby and RS were the only cast members to appear in this episode(Cosby holds the record for appearing in every episode of the series). So Ray and his wife became parents and of course were congratulated by the doctor who delivered the baby,Cliff. There's also RETURN OF THE CLAIRETTES. They are Clair and an old girlfriend of hers who's married herself. The husband was played by none other then Phylicia's real-life(now-ex)husband,football great Ahmad Rashad. Silly Olivia once laundered her crayons in the Huxtables' washer(naturally,she took for granted that would be OK for the washable crayons). In the two-part season finale,Theo worked as a substitute teacher for special education students in spite of his dyslexia. You'll also see the Tibidauxs twins Winnie and Nelson again,now age 2. The other episodes are great. As for the opening montage,the one used for season 8 was filmed and intended to be used for this season. I'm sure we'll see the recycling of the season 6 opening and closing montages in this set,with a few changes in the credits,one of them being Alexander's inauguration. We will not hear Cosby quipping,"This is the best elevator music I ever heard",like we did in the season 6 opening. By the way,since one of the season 6 episodes premiered during the season 7 run on NBC,it will be included in this set(I don't know why it was delayed). This season finished at #5,a new low. Bonet was written out of the series for good after this season(she had been fired). Denise would only be mentioned from this point on. Also,Karen Malina White made a few recurring appearances during this season and the next/last. She would later become Mrs. Malcolm Jamal Warner,who himself was dating Thomas during this time.

Sadly for me anyway,this was The Cosby Show's final swansong for Lisa Bonet,who would be absent from the show by the season yet to come. As one reviewer also stated this season features the largest cast The Cosby Show ever had. This also introduces the character of Cousin Pam and her best friend Charmaine (soon to be a featured character on A Different World)-not only that but the community center where they dwelled became a platform for one of the best episodes of the season;the two part closer in which Theo,newly assigned to the center tries to encourage a young man who he believes is dyslexic as himself. There are many favorite moments to be seen on this season:one of them finds Denise and Martin looking for apartments,one of which is a cramped "crew quarters" with a shower in the living room. Another favorite involves the two characaters again-this time revolving around a "battle of the sexes" in the Huxtable clan surrounding Theo throwing the couple a bachelor party.Even the grandparents get into it with them. Another of my personal favorites is a nightmare of Rudy's after she has a fight with Olivia,featuring the youngest Huxtable imagining Olivia is a semi demonic-acting rival. There are many more but I could go on and on. One great thing about this season is,with the Huxtable kids out of the house Clair and Cliff's constant (and sometimes selfishly irritating) ribes from the previous season about all the kids leaving disappear,and the show went back to being the show it started out as. With this and the accompanying season 8 DVD collectors of this series will now be able to officially complete their Cosby Show Collection!

First off - I like this new format better - where they give the descriptions of the episode before viewing. However, as I was watching the episodes, I've noticed that two of them are messed up. My episode #14 is actually #19 and vice versa. Has anyone else had that problem, or did I just get a bad set? Otherwise - love the season - especially the characters of Lance, Charmaine & Pam. They crack me up.

I am sorry I didn't discover this season to be defective until it was too late. I ordered the entire 8 seasons and didn't get to viewing this right away. It seems to be produced by another company and is inferior to the other seasons. It skips and stick and in general doesn't play well. Buyer Beware! I would order another replacement but I feel it would be the same poor quality!

If Season 6 of The Cosby Show was a turnaround season for the cast of characters, it also paved the way for the changes that took place in Season 7. Here we have Vanessa and Rudy both making great changes in their lives; Rudy enters sixth grade and starts getting her period; Vanessa begins college one year before the rest of her age group.

Big changes for Clair as well: she accepts her second cousin Pam Tucker into the Huxtable home and - respectively begins menapause. We also witness Sondra beginning her law degree, Elvin starting his practice and Denise taking a serious step toward becoming a teacher.

Among the season's best moments are "Bird in the Hand," "Period of Adjustment," "It's All in the Game," "The Infantry has Landed," "You Can Go Home Again," "Clair's Liberation," "Return of the Clairettes," "Home Remedies," "Nightmare on Stigwood Avenue," "Cliff and Jake" (wonderful appearance by Red Buttons) and the two-parte season finale "Theo and the Kids."

[I'm interested in finding out if that's really Tempestt, Erika Alexander and Karen Malina White doing the groovy Supremes-meets-Ronnettes-meets-Pointer-Sisters vocals during "Nightmare on Stigwood Avenue."]

[One could almost view the first few episodes on Disc 2 as "The Transitional Suite." That's when Rudy begins her period, Denise & Martin finally get the bug to live in their own home after being married a year-and-a-half, Pam starts dating a nice boy, Clair enters menapause, and Theo learns to shake off the girls to prepare for an exam.]

And then, there's the silly mistake someone made in the packaging when the titles of "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "Attack of the Killer 'B's" were mismatched. To make up for this error - it'd be neat if Carsey-Werner distributed at least a couple more seasons of A Different World. (Ha ha ha!)

Rudy had always been my favorite on "The Cosby Show" because I was only slightly younger than her, so I connected with her the most in previous seasons. However, Erika Alexander's character, Pam, stepped on the scene, and I immediately switched gears. Although it was fun to see Lisa Bonet's character, Denise Huxtable, come back into "The Cosby Show" as a more responsible mother and structured student, during this season I was getting older, "A Different World" was on, and I wanted to know about that older generation of young adults who were going to college but still at that cool age where they were hanging out, had jobs, but weren't quite full-grown adults. This was that particular season for me.

Cons: I fast forwarded through pretty much all of the shows with Olivia. Of course she was very cute, but the cutesy thing got old after a few moments. I didn't need to see the episodes where she dragged out trying to cook, sneaking cake, having an invisible dog, wanting to be president and a football player, coloring on walls, arguing with Rudy, and so forth. They were boring. I loved her in the "Home Remedies" episode because she took me back to the earlier episodes of the Cosby Show when Rudy was the cute one, and they did musical numbers. For awhile, this season seemed like the Cosby Show was relying on kids being cute: Sondra's twins, Olivia being an adorable but bratty younger "sibling", and a bunch of episodes about parents having babies. Some episodes were just flat out unnecessary like "Adventures in Babysitting" about a pinochle tournament and the one about bowling "There's Still No Joy in Mudville" and appliance shopping "Cliff and Jake." Zzzz.

I didn't think Aaron was even remotely as interesting as Lance when it came to Pam's boyfriends though. I wish Lance would've hung around on more episodes. Although Rudy and I were going through the same stuff like getting woman parts "Same Time Next Year" and becoming a woman "The Infantry Has Landed," I focused more on my future by watching Theo and Pam. Vanessa was in and out, and I didn't really connect with her character the way I did with Pam's.

Pros: However, there were plenty of episodes that I really enjoyed. Even though the "Nightmares on Stigwood Avenue" was another episode of look-at-how-cute-Olivia-is, I LOVED watching Pam, Charmagne, and Vanessa perform their musical numbers. I enjoyed the history that the Cosbys always brought about the Negro Leagues, school lessons about the legal system in the 1900s and African Americans' progress, and "You Can Go Home Again" when Denise and Martin considered moving (they were such a cute couple).

I was excited to see Theo become a professor because I got to see my short-term crush (minus Immature), the late Merlin Santana (as Stanley), and The Cosby Show got heavier. "Theo and the Kids" Parts 1 and 2 talked about job loss, dyslexia, and I got to see Eugene of one of my favorite childhood shows "Chris Cross" again. But Charmagne, Pam, Lance, and Sly were my favorites! Pam was dealing with those issues that all young girls go through: whether to lose her virginity "Just Thinking About It" (Parts 1 and 2); education; where/when/how to go to college "Attack of the Killer B's"; and wanting to hang out and avoid rules "Period of Adjustment". Pam's character was like a slightly more hip hop version of Theo. Any episode where those two were the main characters was a favorite for me.

Can Cliff get anybody to leave the house? Another addition is made this season, Pam. (Erika Alexander) Pam is Clair's cousin and she's come to stay. Also, Theo is working at a community center, and Rudy is in her preteens. So as you can obviously tell, the Huxtable kids are growing up. And the Cosby Show's rank in the Nielsen Ratings started going down, after five consecutive seasons of being number one, the Cosby Show was placed fifth. Now I didn't have many favorite episodes from season seven, but one I can think of is "Clair's Liberation." Clair enters menopause and the kids are treating her like she's losing her mind, and when Cliff and Clair realize why they're treating her so strangely, Clair decides to go along with it. Another good episode is "Nightmare on Stigwood Avenue", this episode follows Rudy's nightmare about Olivia getting whatever she wants. But my favorite episode from season seven is "Total Control", John Ritter guest stars and he's fantastic in this episode. By now everyone knows there wouldn't be any bonus features, so that's that. Each disc is in a separate case as usual but there finally is a good change, each episode has episode descriptions on the DVD episode menu, but since you may not know which episodes are on this set I'll still list them below.

Same Time Next Year - Airdate: 9/20/1990 - Denise takes classes at a local college, while Vanessa enrolls at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile Rudy starts sixth grade and Olivia starts preschool.

Bird in the Hand - Airdate: 9/27/1990 - Cliff tries to win a classic jazz record at an auction while filling in for Denise as volunteer parent at Olivia's preschool.

The Last Barbecue - Airdate: 10/4/1990 - The Huxtable family erupts in a battle of the sexes after Theo suggests having a stripper at Martin's post-wedding bachelor party.

Period of Adjustment - Airdate: 10/11/1990 - Clair's teenage second cousin moves in with the family.

It's All in the Game - Airdate: 10/18/1990 - After Vanessa gets into a minor car accident and tries to cover it up, Cliff and Clair complain about the various small disasters the children have caused them, and the children fight back by complaining about ways Cliff and Clair have embarrassed them.

Getting the Story - Airdate: 10/25/1990 - Rudy and Kenny do a video project for school on Clair hoping to see some action, however, they soon learn that the legal profession is not always an exciting, action packed career.

Just Thinking About It (Part One) - Airdate: 11/1/1990 - Pam's pressured by her boyfriend Slide to become sexually active.

Just Thinking About It (Part Two) - Airdate: 11/1/1990 - Pam and Slide argue over whether they should become sexually active.

The Infantry Has Landed - Airdate: 11/8/1990 - Rudy gets her first period. Clair plans "Women's day" where she goes out alone with Rudy and answers any questions she has, but Rudy refuses to talk after hearing old wife's tales about menstruation from her friends.

You Can Go Home Again - Airdate: 11/15/1990 - Seeking privacy, Denise and Martin decide to look for their own apartment.

It's a Boy - Airdate: 11/22/1990 - The husband of one of Cliff's patients worries that he will be a boring father for his son because he has no athletic ability. Meanwhile Pam breaks up with Slide, and she becomes attracted to a smart student from her class.

Clair's Liberation - 11/29/1990 - Clair enters menopause and she takes the news fine, but the kids treat her as if she's losing her mind, something Cliff and Clair sense, and plan an act where she is indeed suffering from classic menopause symptoms.

It's Your Move - Airdate: 12/6/1990 - Elvin and Sondra help friends move, just as Elvin wants to watch a very important football game.

Theo's Final, Final - Airdate: 12/13/1990 - Theo will make the dean's list if he gets an A on his final, but a beautiful exchange student planning to leave in one day for Barbados distracts him.

Attack of the Killer B's - 1/10/1991 - Pam's grades have improved, but she worries that she will not be able to afford college.

Total Control - Airdate: 1/31/1991 - Cliff's patient and her husband are convinced that they are prepared for every scenario ... and then labor begins.

Adventures in Babysitting - Airdate: 2/7/1991 - Rudy begs Martin to let her babysit Olivia, but they both become terrified after watching a horror movie, meanwhile Cliff and Dr. Harmon enter a pinochle tournament as partners... and so do their wives.

27 and Still Cooking - Airdate: 2/14/1991 -To celebrate his 27th wedding anniversary with Clair, Cliff attempts recreates the Callaloo Pot, a Caribbean restaurant where the couple dined on their honeymoon.

The Return of the Clairettes - Airdate: 2/21/1991 - An old friend of Clair visits, along with her husband. Meanwhile Rudy prepares for her first date but it is cancelled when the other girls that were joining her can't make it.

No More Mr. Nice Guy - Airdate: 2/11/1991 - Theo's friend Denny thinks his girlfriend is cheating on him, but it is really a plan for Denny's surprise birthday party.

Home Remedies - Airdate: 3/7/1991 - When Olivia comes down with a cold everyone (except Cliff) has a different home remedy to offer as a cure.

Nightmare on Stigwood Avenue - Airdate: 3/21/1991 - Rudy has a nightmare about Olivia always getting her way.

There's Still No Joy in Mudville - Airdate: 4/4/1991 - Cliff goes bowling with his friends and after that Cricket vs. Baseball ensues when Cliff is forced to buy Chinese food for the others, since he scored the least.

Cliff and Jake - Airdate: 4/11/1991 - Clair tries to prevent Cliff from buying a new appliance from his friend Jake, but it doesn't work. When Cliff arrives he has to try to settle a decade-old argument between a friend of Jake's when Jake's daughter and the other man's son become engaged.

Theo and the Kids (Part One) - Airdate: 4/25/1991 - Theo, who is majoring in pediatric psychology, begins an internship as a junior counselor at the community center; he soon suspects that one of the children there is dyslexic.

Theo and the Kids (Part Two) - Airdate: 5/1/1991 - Theo continues his attempts to help Stanley and the other children at the community center.

Season seven was the start of a minor downfall of the Cosby Show, but I can't really complain, this season is still better than half of what's on television nowadays. This is a great buy, highly recommended.

We enjoy the Cosby show, and I am a HUGE fan. My only issue is that there is not a play all button like Seasons 1 and 2. You have to select each episode manually, which makes it difficult when watching it in the car. Otherwise, we are totally pleased. Our kids love it and so do I. I use to write Cosby Show trivia, and having Season 7 will help me develop more questions.

Having spent my formable years in the 1980's, I watched Cosby religiously every Thursday evening. When I had a chance to introduce the show to a new generation, I was surprised how much they also enjoyed the show. Thus proving to me, The Cosby Show is TIMELESS! If you need a "family-friendly" purchase, that you feel comfortable watching without having to mute or fast forward, the Cosby Show is that answer. Having said that, there is one episode in season 7 that does address a rather "adult" subject of the degradation of women in the exotic dancing profession. Note, it's very tastefully done, but might need a quick preview of the parent(s) so they know how to respond to their child(s) questions. Still, The Cosby Show is an excellent viewing for the whole family.

Even though the Cosby Show is around 20 years old, it's still one of the best sit-coms ever. Bill Cosby is hilarious - a comic genius. His reactions to events are so spontaneous and creative. I haven't seen another comic quite like him. Best of all, the show's plots are both family-friendly and funny. Unlike modern sit-coms, the characters don't curse and talk about sex every other scene. Rather the episodes are centered around family dramas that are realistic but always resolved well. The cast includes everybody from Phylicia Rashad as the tough and very intelligent Mrs. Huxtable, to the young and adorable Rudy. This makes the show accessible to a wide range of audiences. I am glad these finally came out on DVD. I hope one day to share this treasure with my children.