The BEST episodes of Cosby
Every episode of Cosby ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Cosby!
Bill Cosby stars as Hilton Lucas, a former airline worker forced into early retirement after a mass layoff. Other characters in this CBS sitcom include Hilton's wife Ruth, his daughter Erica and family friends Griffin and Pauline.
#1 - Lucas Raymondicus
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/17/1997
Frank Barone has been telling his son about sinking the winning shot in the 1955 Queens hampionship since the day he was born. So when Frank pleads with Hilton to help him save face with his son by lying for him, Hilton reluctantly agrees. But then Gwendolyn Brooks High plans a ceremony honoring Frank - and he tells the school that Hilton can't come because he's dead - Hilton decides that enough is enough and goes forward to set the record straight.
Watch Now:Amazon#2 - Lucas Matriculus
Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/26/1998
When Griffin accompanies Hilton to "Grandparents Day" at Jurnee's school and adds his two cents to the science lesson, it quickly becomes apparent that he is a natural at teaching and holding the kids' interest. Who would have thought?? Hilton is thrilled that Griffin has uncovered a talent for this most noble profession, while Erica is more than ticked off when she learns that Griffin achieved a higher GPA than she did in college. At first resistant to the idea of working hard for little pay and loads of responsibility, Griffin is ultimately swept up with the idea of molding the minds of America's young -- heaven help them.
Watch Now:Amazon#3 - The Episode Episode
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/9/1998
Hilton is sentenced to a life without pork chops, barbeque ribs and bacon when a doctor's visit reveals a too-high cholesterol count. A mouth-watering meal for Hilton now consists of tofu, steamed broccoli and "not-wurst" imitation hot dogs. New Jersey Nets player Jayson Williams guest stars as Jurnee's teacher, who adds his two-cents on the subject of of Hilton's eating habits.
Watch Now:Amazon#4 - Ol' Betsy
Season 3 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/15/1999
While searching for a rare part for his beloved turntable, Hilton bumps into an old friend from his bachelor days, Fred. When Hilton and Fred start reminiscing about how they double-dated sisters Mattie and Roberta Singleton, Hilton decides to play matchmaker and prompts Fred into learning whatever became of Mattie. Even now, years later, Fred can't help wondering what might have happened if they remained a couple.... and, thanks to Hilton, he may finally get a chance to find out.
Watch Now:Amazon#8 - Natural Born Debtors
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/28/1996
Hilton tries to help Pauline's financially irresponsible goddaughter but ends up the recipient of an overly generous ATM.
#10 - Social Insecurity
Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 5/19/1997
Hilton tries to convince the Social Security Administration that he is not dead.
#11 - Playground Scar
Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/2/1998
After Jurnee expresses her fondness for schoolmate Kevin and he retaliates by shoving her on the school playground, amateur psychologist Hilton explains his theory of how "playground scarring" can affect a woman for life. According to Hilton, when women are unable to trust, unable to commit, their problems can always be traced back to a bad playground experience when they were deeply humiliated by a boy they liked. To this day, Ruth has problems with trust because of a certain Kenneth P. Watson, who purposely teetered when he should have tottered, requiring a young Ruth to get stitches. When it comes to Jurnee, however, Hilton is determined not to have history repeat itself.
Watch Now:Amazon#12 - War Stories
Season 3 - Episode 25 - Aired 5/17/1999
Griffin's trust in his new girlfriend Anita is put to the test when her job as a conference planner puts her smack in the middle of a young millionaires' convention, on the season finale. Rather than heeding Hilton's advice to give Anita some space, Griffin decides to pop in on the convention and find out for himself how loyal Anita is -- which prompts Hilton to reminisce about the anxious time he spent away from Ruth, soon after they first met, agonizing over whether or not she was thinking of him as often as he was of her. "Prequel Monday" kicks off with an animated flashback sequence of Hilton as an enlisted Navy man.
Watch Now:Amazon#13 - The Vesey Method
Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/3/1999
When Griffin finds himself face to face with the group of tough, unmotivated students, he struggles to find a way to reach them and open their minds to the wonders of learning -- something fellow teacher Mr. Fleming lost enthusiasm for a long time ago. Meanwhile, Hlton's car breaks down and he stumbles into the waiting room of Dr. John Becker.
#15 - Lucas Absentia
Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/25/1999
Griffin contemplates quitting the teaching profession when his first day as a substitute teacher is a disaster. The Lucases lend themselves out as mock students so that Griffin can practice his teaching techniques on them -- although their misguided attempt to help might just turn him off teaching forever.
Watch Now:Amazon#16 - Turkey Day
Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/23/1998
When Hilton offers to make Jurnee's Thanksgiving Day Parade turkey costume from scratch, it comes out to be just that.... a turkey of a costume. So imagine Hilton's joy when the queen of domesticity, Martha Stewart, shows up at the coffee shop bearing the most realistic looking turkey outfit that anyone's ever seen and leaves it behind by mistake. But, when Martha Stewart returns asking if anyone has seen the costume, will Hilton's guilt get the best of him... or will Jurnee be the best-dressed turkey in the parade?
Watch Now:Amazon#17 - The Greatest Gift
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/19/1998
A major argument erupts when Ruth accidentally discovers that Erica has been hiding all the gifts she has given her over the years. When Ruth confronts Erica about only pretending to like the gifts that Ruth put so much time and care into buying, it sparks the disagreement. On the one hand, Ruth feels that she doesn't know her own daughter, and on the flip side, Erica feels that her mother doesn't bother to learn about her likes and dislikes. Although Hilton desperately wants to stay out of their argument, he is left with no alternative and attempts to coerce the women into a joint shopping trip. The goal -- buy something that is pleasing to them both without driving him over the edge.
#18 - Chemistry
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/5/1998
Hilton is devastated to learn that Erica is breaking up with her latest boyfriend, Gil -- a handsome, well-educated jazz musician who is everything that Hilton could ever want in a guy and more. When Erica and Gil mutually decide to call it quits, it's Hilton who takes the news the hardest since he's developed his own meaningful relationship with Gil -- primarily because he represents the jazzman Hilton always wanted to be. How will Hilton go on? All he does is sit by the phone and wait for Gil to call! It's true that break-ups can be hard -- but usually for the two people involved.
#19 - Do Not Overheat
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/28/1998
Griffin and Erica work out a financial deal to move into Griffin’s house on a landlord-tenant basis – thus giving Hilton and Ruth back their privacy – only to have Griffin’s house accidentally burn to the ground. Hilton’s visions of spending romantic evenings alone with Ruth are over before they’ve even begun. And, when Erica and Griffin realize that everything destroyed in the fire was either borrowed, rented or on loan, they decide it’s time to grow up and start taking “ownership” of their lives.
Watch Now:Amazon#20 - The First Gentleman
Season 2 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/18/1998
Ruth is President of the Businessmen's Roundtable, and Hilton the Ladies auxiliary.
#21 - On the Rocks
Season 2 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/4/1998
When Ruth and Hilton have a major fight they assess the changes in their lives.
#23 - Men are from Mars, Women are from Astoria
Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/27/1998
Erica and her girlfriends, unable to find "Mr. Right," take Ruth's advise about changing their dating habits and set out on "The Great American Manhunt." As the girls despair about their single state, Ruth tries to explain that men are like old cars - you've just got to find one that works, and if you take care of it long enough, eventually it'll be worth something! Taking her advice, the ladies set out in search of the guy least likely to turn into a lemon!
Watch Now:Amazon#24 - 1040 - Not So EZ
Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/6/1998
It's April 15 and Hilton hasn't even started working on his taxes, a fact he wants to make sure Ruth doesn't discover. Ruth has other things on her mind, however -- she and Pauline have an appointment with Mr. Rollins of the SBA to obtain another loan for the Flower Café. At the Café, Erica has agreed to look after Jurnee, her friend's younger sister. A desperate Hilton arrives and asks Erica for help with his taxes, but she reminds him she's a lawyer, not an accountant. Meanwhile, Mr. Rollins, very negative and skeptical, says he needs to see Ruth's and Pauline's personal tax returns before they can proceed. Ruth calls Hilton for their tax information, and he promises to get everything to her in an hour. Erica sends Jurnee over to the house to watch TV, where it shortly becomes clear that the little girl knows more about doing taxes (her dad's an accountant) than Hilton. She gets the taxes wrapped up and over to Ruth, Pauline and Mr. Rollins, and Hilton is saved.
Watch Now:Amazon#25 - Enter Lucas
Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/9/1998
Pauline tries her hand at playwriting for a course she's taking at the community center. Following Hilton's advice about writing about something "real," she turns out a thinly-disguised comedy about the Lucas family. Hilton is the only one who can't see who the lead character is based on - until he volunteers to play the part on stage. Broadway veteran Philip Bosco is Pauline's flamboyant playwriting teacher, who casts Hilton in her comedy as a sarcastic, irascible coot. Talk about typecasting....
Watch Now:AmazonWant to see the rest of the rankings?
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