List of The Cosby Show episodes

The following is a list of episodes for the NBC television sitcom, The Cosby Show. The series aired from September 20, 1984 to April 30, 1992 with 201 episodes produced spanning 8 seasons. (Note: It should not be confused with the subsequent, and similarly named show Cosby.)

Series overview

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
			Season premiere	Season finale
	1	24	September 20, 1984	May 9, 1985
	2	25	September 26, 1985	May 15, 1986
	3	25	September 25, 1986	May 7, 1987
	4	24	September 24, 1987	April 28, 1988
	5	26	October 6, 1988	May 11, 1989
	6	26	September 24, 1989	May 3, 1990
	7	26	September 20, 1990	May 2, 1991
	8	25	September 19, 1991	April 30, 1992

Season 1: 1984–1985

• All the main characters appeared in all the episodes.
• This season comprised 24 episodes.
• The first season opening credits featured the Huxtable family playing sports in Central Park. Two versions of the show's theme song were used in this sequence. A long version of the show's theme was heard in the second and another episode, but a shortened version with a few bars taken out and with a different, though similar, style was used for the rest of the season. The show's theme, titled "Kiss Me", was composed by Stu Gardner and Bill Cosby.

Series #	Season #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
1	1	"Pilot"	Jay Sandrich	Michael Leeson & Ed. Weinberger	September 20, 1984	0101
Cliff and Clair deal with the daily pressures of having children. Theo gets four D's on his report card, while Denise goes on a date with an older boy. Cliff illustrates the cost of living to Theo using Monopoly money. When he tries to reason with his father about loving him regardless of his grades, Cliff responds by saying, "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard in my life!" Theo resolves to do better in school. Meanwhile Rudy can't sleep because Rudy claims she heard the Wolfman growling in her closet, so Rudy and Vanessa sleep with Cliff & Clair.
2	2	"Goodbye Mr. Fish"	Jay Sandrich	Earl Pomerantz	September 27, 1984	0102
When Rudy's pet fish, Lamont, dies, Cliff tries to bring the family together for a funeral in the bathroom. The festivities end when Rudy gets bored and leaves to watch TV.
3	3	"Bad Dreams"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus	October 4, 1984	0103
Vanessa claims that she is old enough to watch a scary movie that Theo saw, but Cliff still forbids it. Vanessa sneaks out anyway, and ends up having nightmares as a result.
4	4	"Is That My Boy?"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus	October 11, 1984	0105
Freshman Theo tries out for the football team and makes it. Cliff is overjoyed, but his pride falters when he discovers his son will never be a star. Theo, however, is just happy being on the team. Meanwhile, Rudy believes that her older brother and sisters don't like her.
5	5	"The Shirt Story"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus	October 18, 1984	0108
Theo wants to impress a girl by wearing an expensive shirt by designer Gordon Gartrelle. Since Cliff and Clair will not pay for it, Denise offers to make a copy of the shirt for him. Guest appearance by Kadeem Hardison, who years later would portray Dwayne Wayne on the Cosby Show spinoff, A Different World. (NOTE: The name "Gordon Gartrelle" was taken from a staff member, who eventually became a writer/producer for The Cosby Show during the final two seasons of the series.)
6	6	"Breaking With Tradition"	Jay Sandrich	Earl Pomerantz	October 25, 1984	0106
Cliff's father, Russell, pays a visit and begins questioning Cliff about the kids' college choices. He asks Denise about Hillman, his and Cliff's alma mater. Denise is dead-set against it at first, until Russell tells her that the males outnumber the females there. Also Cliff reveals that he went to Hillman because of a young woman who later will be his wife. First appearance of Earle Hyman as Russell Huxtable, Cliff's father.
7	7	"One More Time"	Jay Sandrich	Earl Pomerantz	November 1, 1984	0107
While Clair cares for a friend's baby, she begins to consider having another. Cliff desperately tries to talk her out of it, claiming that babies are "false advertising", and grow up to be a nuisance. Clair's mother, Carrie, then reminds her that the older you are when you have kids, the older you'll be if they end up having to come back and live at home. First appearance of Ethel Ayler as Carrie Hanks, Clair's mother.
8	8	"Play It Again, Vanessa"	Jay Sandrich	Jerry Ross	November 8, 1984	0109
Vanessa plays the clarinet in the school's orchestra. Though she tries her best and practices daily, she simply cannot play the instrument. She plays an embarrassing solo at the school concert, but her parents support her anyway. Guest Dizzy Gillespie as Mr. Hampton, Vanessa's music teacher.
9	9	"How Ugly Is He?"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus	November 15, 1984	0110
Denise has a new boyfriend, David, but is reluctant to bring him home. She fears that Cliff will, like always, make fun of the boy and ruin her chances with him. Cliff and Clair are initially impressed with David until he expresses some unwanted opinions about medicine and the law at dinner. Kristoff St. John plays boyfriend David.
10	10	"Bon Jour, Sondra"	Jay Sandrich	Michael Loman & Jerry Ross	November 22, 1984	0111
Sondra, the eldest Huxtable child, makes her first appearance when she visits home for Thanksgiving. She plans on going to Paris for the summer with her friends, and hopes that her parents will support the decision. While Clair, Vanessa, Rudy, Theo, and Denise agree that she should go, she barely makes it with the head of household, Cliff.
11	11	"You're Not a Mother Tonight" "Knight to Knight"	Jay Sandrich	Karyl Geld Miller & Korby Siamis	December 6, 1984	0104
Clair is exhausted from constantly caring for the children, so Cliff decides to take her out on the town for "You're Not a Mother Night." Cliff reserves a suite in the Biltmore Hotel. While there, some of Clair's motherly instincts start kicking in—but they stop in time for a romantic evening.
12	12	"Rudy's Sick"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Williams	December 13, 1984	0113
Clair could be named partner at her law firm if an interview goes well, but Rudy is sick! Cliff vows to take care of her while Clair works, and engages in some unique doctoring methods. Clair is named partner and Rudy is fine in the end.
13	13	"Father's Day"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus & Elliot Shoenman	December 20, 1984	0112
Cliff complains about the poor quality of his annual Father's Day gifts. He challenges the children to find some better presents for a December Father's Day. They give him thoughtful — if not quite attractive — presents.
14	14	"Independence Day"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Robinson	January 10, 1985	0114
Theo gets his ear pierced to impress a girl, but Denise thinks it might be infected. She is correct, and Theo must go to Cliff. Cliff hopes that Grandpa Huxtable will punish Theo, but the old man instead relates the story of how Cliff tried to straighten his hair to impress Clair, but ended up burning it off! Russell brags, and Anna reminds him of the time that he had a tattoo of her name placed on his chest, but ended up with a huge scar on his chest when he tried to remove it when the tattoo artist misspells Anna's name (Adda instead of Anna, which was also the name of the girl who was a rival of Anna's for Russell's affection). First appearance of Clarice Taylor as Anna Huxtable, Cliff's mother.
15	15	"Physician of the Year"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus	January 17, 1985	0115
Cliff is set to receive an important award, but a woman goes into labor right before the ceremony. Theo delivers his speech for him. Guest appearances by Aleta Mitchell as Mrs. Randall, Elisa de la Roche as Nurse, Sheldon Leonard as Dr. Wexler
16	16	"Jitterbug Break"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Williams	January 31, 1985	0116
Cliff tries to impress Denise's friends by teaching them how to jitterbug. Some of Clair's friends also show off their dance moves. Soon, the whole house is full of dancers. Guest appearances by Blair Underwood as Denise's boyfriend (uncredited), Judith Jamison as Marie, Donald McKayle as Ralph, Gerard Cooper as Guy, Christine Langner as Girl
17	17	"Theo and the Joint"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus	February 7, 1985	0117
Clair discovers a marijuana joint in one of Theo's school books. She and Cliff confront him about it, and accept his explanation — another boy slipped it in. Theo confronts the boy and brings him home to confess in order to remove any uncertainty from his parents about his telling the truth. Theo and the boy actually start to become friends, but Clair starts to think Theo and his friends are part of a drug scheme. Guest appearances by Stephen Thompson as Anthony Braxton, Iman as Mrs. Montgomery, one of Cliff's patients. (NOTE: Rudy says her full name in this episode, Rudith Lillian Huxtable.)
18	18	"Vanessa's New Class"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra & Matt Williams	February 14, 1985	0118
Vanessa is placed in an advanced science class. She creates a model of the solar system, but learns that she will have to work harder than ever hopes to succeed. First appearance of Pam Potillo as Vanessa's friend Janet Meisner. Guest appearances by William Christian as Mr. Robertson), Kim Hauser as Girl #1, Audrey Wong as Girl #2, Rado Randriamamonjy as Leon Haywood.
19	19	"Clair's Case"	Jay Sandrich	Winifred Hervey	February 21, 1985	0119
A sneaky mechanic tries to swindle Sondra. It's Clair to the rescue as the two battle in court when the first lawyer for the case drops out. Guest appearances by David Langston Smyrl as the man in court, Shawn Elliott as Mr. Wilson, Alan North as Judge. This is the only episode where Clair Huxtable is seen in a courtroom.
20	20	"Back to the Track, Jack"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Robinson	February 28, 1985	0120
Cliff's college track coach contacts him and asks to run in a charity event between Hillman and its rival, Norton College. Heathcliff "Combustible Huxtable" trains, but soon learns that he is not the runner he was all those years ago. Guest appearances by Al Freeman, Jr. as Coach Ernie Scott, 1956 Olympic medalist Joshua Culbreath as Col. Sanford B. "Tailwind" Turner, Dhamiri Abayomi as Himself
21	21	"The Younger Woman"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus	March 14, 1985	0121
Cliff and Clair receive a visit from an old friend — and he has a new girlfriend that is half his age. They are initially suspicious, but learn that judging by appearances isn't always right. Guest appearances by Terry Farrell as Nicki Phillips, Robert King as Dr. Mike Newcomb
22	22	"Slumber Party"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra	March 28, 1985	0122
Rudy invites all of her friends over for a slumber party. It's Cliff's job to watch over them, and he demonstrates some unique games to wrangle the youngsters. In the end, Russell drops by and demonstrates the perfect way to deal with kids-bribe them! First appearance of Peter Costa as Peter, the Huxtables' neighbor. Guest appearances by Earle Hyman as Russell. With Dana Bryant, Kyle Bryant, Alicia Keys (billed under her given name of Alicia Cook), Naoka Nakagawa, Desiree Scott, Sing Smith-Stewart as Rudy's friends. The show opened with a brief voiceover from Keshia Knight Pulliam explaining that this episode was meant specifically for kids.
23	23	"Mr. Quiet"	Jay Sandrich	Emily Tracy	May 2, 1985	0125
Cliff, Clair, and the Huxtable clan volunteer at a local community center. There, a battered boy tries to find help, and the owner — Tony Castillo — does his best to lend assistance. Guest appearances by David Langston Smyrl as Chester, Alexis Cruz as Enrique Tarron, Tony Orlando as Tony Castillo, Ada Maris as Selena Cruz, Pearl Tama as Sonia Tarron, Emmet O'Sullivan as Old Man, Raymond Rosario as Kid, Angela Bassett as Mrs. Mitchell, Olga Merediz as Mrs. Rodriguez, Lisa Mordente as Expectant Mother #1, Alva Chinn as Expectant Mother #2. This episode was a backdoor pilot for a proposed spin-off series featuring Tony Orlando's character and the community center, which never came to fruition. Also the first episode in which Clair is shown to be fluent in Spanish.
24	24	"Cliff's Birthday"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus & Elliot Shoenman	May 9, 1985	0124
Cliff is turning 48, and as usual, he is trying to find out what his birthday present is ahead of time. Clair, with the help of the kids, orchestrates a huge trick. Cliff is fooled, and doesn't find about what is birthday surprise is: a visit to Lena Horne's private club. Guest appearances by Lena Horne as herself, Clarence Williams III as Clarence Thornehill. (Note: In episode 12, Cliff says his birthday is in October, although the episode could be set at any time in the year.)

Season 2: 1985–1986

• This season comprised 25 episodes.
• Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Lisa Bonet, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe and Keshia Knight Pulliam appeared in all the episodes.
• Sabrina Le Beauf was absent for nine episodes.
• For the second season, the opening credits changed from the Huxtables in the park to a gray room with the cast dancing. The song was changed for the first time keeping the show's theme signature and featured a sort of jazz tone. Each cast member, in descending age of their characters, dances alongside Cosby as his/her name is shown in the credits. Bill Cosby is seen at the end of the credits "dancing" to the music as the production credits appear and at the end, he quickly turns his head and looks into the camera before the sequence fades to black. Two versions of this theme were also used. Much like the season one theme, both versions of season two's theme song were completely different in sound than the other. The long version featured more of a synth beat than the short. Midway through the season, following her marriage to NBC sportscaster Ahmad Rashād, Phylicia Ayers-Allen's name in the opening credits is changed to "Phylicia Rashād". Producer Caryn Sneider's (who also got married) credit was also changed to read "Produced by Caryn Sneider Mandabach."

Series #	Season #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
25	1	"First Day of School"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus & Elliot Shoenman	September 26, 1985	0201
Cliff and Clair are overjoyed with the arrivial of the new school year, as their children are finally out of the house. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable
26	2	"The Juicer"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Williams	October 3, 1985	0204
Cliff, who has a penchant for electronic appliances, buys a juicer. Rudy and Peter, bored from Vanessa's inattentive babysitting, decide to use it even though they are not allowed to use appliances.
27	3	"Happy Anniversary"	Jay Sandrich	Elliot Shoenman	October 10, 1985	0203
For Russell and Anna's 49th anniversary, the family commissions a portrait of the couple as newlyweds and offers them a cruise to Europe. Later in the evening, the whole family performs Ray Charles' "Night Time Is the Right Time", with Theo, Rudy and Cliff each lip-synching a solo. Note- in 1997, TV Guide ranked this episode number 54 on it's '100 Greatest Episodes of All Time' list.[1]
28	4	"Cliff in Love"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus	October 17, 1985	0205
Sondra breaks up with her boyfriend Elvin and is depressed, taking it out on the family. Cliff and Clair aren't exactly unhappy; they find Elvin rather annoying. Later, he appears at the house with flowers and tries to apologize. While there, he offers some of his sexist rhetoric to Clair, who quickly becomes annoyed. First appearance of Geoffrey Owens as Elvin. Joseph C. Phillips appears as Daryl (Phillips joins the cast in Season 6 as Denise's new husband, Navy Lt. Martin Kendall).
29	5	"Theo and the Older Woman"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra	October 24, 1985	0202
When friend Suzanne accompanies Denise to observe the Huxtables' normal behavior, a smitten Theo behaves far from normally. Guest appearances by Robin Givens as Suzanne and Blair Underwood as Mark.
30	6	"Halloween"	Jay Sandrich	Elliot Shoenman	October 31, 1985	0206
Vanessa has a Halloween party. She has a crush on a boy named Robert Forman, but while daydreaming about her love, she drops an entire tray of glasses and embarrasses herself in front of the guests. First appearance of Dondre Whitfield as Robert. Akili Prince as Scott. (Years later, Prince would originate the role of Terrence Frye on All My Children. Upon leaving that series, he was replaced by Whitfield.) Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable
31	7	"Rudy Suits Up"	Jay Sandrich	Gary Kott	November 7, 1985	0208
Rudy plays football and becomes a star, much to the chagrin of Clair, who worries she'll get hurt. But reluctance turns to excitement when Rudy is the star of her first game.
32	8	"Denise Drives"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra	November 14, 1985	0207
Denise wants to buy a car, so she plans to use her savings to do so, but Cliff and Clair quickly point out flaws in her plan. The answer to everyone's problems comes from friend Mr. Lucas, who has an old car he is willing to sell. Denise proves herself a good driver, and the car is hers. David Langston Smyrl as Mr. Lucas. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable
33	9	"Clair's Sister"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus & Elliot Shoenman	November 21, 1985	0209
Clair's sister Sarah gets engaged. First appearance of Joe Williams as Clair's father Al Hanks. Guest appearance by Mario Van Peebles as Garvin.
34	10	"Clair's Toe"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Williams	December 5, 1985	0211
While preparing to go out on a proposal anniversary dinner, Clair breaks her toe, but tries not to let it upset her routine. In the end, she develops a unique piece of footwear to hide her cast.
35	11	"Denise's Friend"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus	December 12, 1985	0213
Denise asks Cliff to talk to her friend, who has a medical problem. Cliff diagnoses the girl as having a mild bladder infection, but learns that she was wary of telling her parents without certainty. Cliff and Clair decide to show the kids that they can tell them anything, but the children quickly point out that their parents will just get angry. Cliff admits that anger is part of problems, but tells the children that no matter what, they will be loved. Guest appearance by Stacey Dash as Michelle, Denise's friend Note- This episode won the 1986 Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.[2]
36	12	"Mrs. Westlake"	Jay Sandrich	Elliot Shoenman	January 2, 1986	0210
Theo's math teacher comes for dinner, to Theo's extreme consternation. He thinks she plans to tell his parents of a bad grade on a math test. To his surprise, Mrs. Westlake comes to dinner looking young, attractive, and even with a sense of humor; and she has a very good surprise! Mrs. Westlake also gives Theo his test-he actually gets an 89, and he proceeds to embrace her, much to his shock. Guest appearance by Sonia Braga as Mrs. Westlake. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable
37	13	"The Auction"	Jay Sandrich	Gary Kott	January 9, 1986	0214
Clair bids on a painting by her great-uncle that her grandmother had once owned. Attempting to win her favor, Elvin tries to bake her a cake, but fails miserably; he then gets advice from Cliff on how to pass himself off as a good cook. In real life, the painting used in the episode is Funeral Procession by Ellis Wilson.
38	14	"Vanessa's Bad Grade"	Jay Sandrich	Ross Brown	January 16, 1986	0212
Vanessa steals a sweater from Denise. The two soon begin to fight. In the end, Rudy's choice of television viewing, the "I Have a Dream" speech, reminds the whole family of what a real problem is. Excerpt from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech featured at the end of the episode (Originally aired four days before the first observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a U.S. federal holiday).
39	15	"Theo and Cockroach"	Jay Sandrich	Thad Mumford	January 30, 1986	0215
Theo and his friend Cockroach scheme to pass a test on William Shakespeare's "Macbeth", which neither one has read. First appearance of Carl Anthony Payne II as Cockroach. Phylicia Ayers-Allen changes her professional name to Phylicia Rashād, after marrying NBC sportscaster Ahmad Rashād.
40	16	"The Dentist"	Jay Sandrich	Elliot Shoenman	February 2, 1986	0216
Peter goes to the dentist, but has Rudy come along for moral support so Peter won't be afraid of the dentist anymore. Guest appearance by Danny Kaye (in one of his last appearances) as Dr. Burns, who is also Cliff's dentist. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable
41	17	"Play It Again, Russell"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus	February 13, 1986	0217
The jazz group that Russell played with years ago reunites for a tribute show. Guest appearances by jazz musicians Tito Puente, Art Blakey, Percy Heath, Jimmy Heath, Tommy Flanagan, Eric Gale, Joe Wilder, Carlos Valdes ("Patato"), Bootsie Barnes, and Jimmy Oliver. Slide Hampton provided the audio track for Russell's trombone solos. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable
42	18	"A Touch of Wonder"	Jay Sandrich	Mattt Williams	February 20, 1986	0218
After his limo collides with Denise's car, Stevie Wonder (appearing as himself) invites the Huxtables to a recording session. Wonder performs "I Just Called to Say I Love You" with Clair and the family. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable
43	19	"Full House"	Jay Sandrich	Gary Kott	February 27, 1986	0219
After an exhausting late shift at the hospital and a night's sleep, all Cliff wants is to read his paper in peace - but the children have taken over every room in the house.
44	20	"Close to Home"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra	March 13, 1986	0220
A close friend of Cliff's, played by Samuel E. Wright, is overcome with sadness due to his daughter's recurring drug addiction. His feelings are set off as he observes the close relationship between Cliff, Clair, and Denise, who is his daughter's age. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable
45	21	"An Early Spring"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Williams	March 20, 1986	0222
Theo's math teacher has a baby and Cockroach shows a different side. Carl Anthony Payne II as Cockroach. Sonia Braga as Mrs. Westlake. Cockroach's real name, Walter Bradley, is revealed in this episode. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable
46	22	"Theo's Holiday"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra, John Markus & Matt Williams	April 3, 1986	0221
After Theo claims that he'll have no problem making it in the "real world", the Huxtables convert their house in the "Real World Apartments" and teach him a lesson about the real world; i.e., needing employment and references to get an apartment, income to get a bank loan, having to pay for his meals, etc. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable (Cliff wears a cap that says Magnum P.I.)
47	23	"The Card Game"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Robinson	April 10, 1986	0224
Cliff plays pinochle with his father, a former teacher, and a friend. Theo buys a cheap ring for his girlfriend Tanya. Guest appearance by Roscoe Lee Browne as Dr. Foster.
48	24	"Off to the Races"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Williams	May 8, 1986	0225
In a charity run, Cliff races at the Penn Relays with "Tailwind" Turner and - as apparent payback for the race a year prior - ends up having to run the final leg against Olympic gold medalist Valerie Brisco-Hooks. Guest appearance by Josh Culbreath as Col. Sanford "Tailwind" Turner. Cameo appearance by Bill Cosby's real wife, Camille Cosby (uncredited). Portions filmed at the Penn Relays, held in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field.
49	25	"Denise's Decision"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Robinson	May 15, 1986	0223
After much deliberation, Denise chooses the college that she will attend in the fall.

Season 3: 1986–1987

• This season comprised 25 episodes.
• Bill Cosby, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe and Keshia Knight Pulliam appeared in all the episodes.
• Phylicia Rashad was absent for two episodes.
• Lisa Bonet was absent for eight episodes.
• Sabrina Le Beauf was absent for eleven episodes.
• Season three's opening sequence featured the cast dancing to Latin jazz in a gray/blue room. Once again, Bill Cosby is seen at the end of the credits dancing to the music as the production credits appear and at the end, he quickly turns his head and looks into the camera before the sequence fades to black. Two versions of this theme were used. However, the season three theme's long version had some parts cut, instead of a differently composed version of that theme.
• Phylicia Rashād was pregnant throughout much of this season, so the crew hid her stomach for most of the season, using such devices as staging the character standing behind the kitchen counter or lying in bed under the covers.

Series #	Season #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
50	1	"Bring 'Em Back Alive"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Williams	September 25, 1986	0301
The Huxtable house is thrown into chaos after Rudy finds a snake in the basement. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra
51	2	"Food for Thought"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus	October 2, 1986	0302
Clair challenges Cliff to not eat any salty or fatty foods for the day. Denise leaves for her freshman year at Hillman College.
52	3	"Golden Anniversary"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra	October 9, 1986	0303
Russell and Anna's 50th wedding anniversary. The family performs James Brown's "I Got the Feelin' " in this sequel to Season 2's "Happy Anniversary". Earle Hyman as Russell. Clarice Taylor as Anna. Guest appearance by Frank Foster and the Count Basie Orchestra. First mention of Rudy's desire to have a husband named "Bud" when she grows up.
53	4	"Man Talk"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus	October 16, 1986	0305
Though he already has a steady girlfriend, Theo wants to start dating someone else. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra
54	5	"Mother, May I?"	Jay Sandrich	Susan Fales	October 23, 1986	0304
After Clair specifically forbids Vanessa from wearing make-up till she turns 15, she does it anyway behind her mother's back. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Lisa Bonet as Denise
55	6	"The March"	Tony Singletary	Gary Kott	October 30, 1986	0306
Theo writes a report on the March on Washington, but gets a poor grade and is asked to redo his project. Much to his surprise he learns more about the march from his family than he did from books. Meanwhile Vanessa is worried about asking a boy to the turn-around dance. This is the first episode in the series not to be directed by Jay Sandrich.
56	7	"Theo's Flight"	Tony Singletary	Gary Kott	November 6, 1986	0307
Theo and Cockroach decide they want to learn to fly, but Cliff doesn't want to waste his money on another dream of his son's. First appearance of Deon Richmond as Kenny, a.k.a. "Bud". Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Lisa Bonet as Denise
57	8	"Vanessa's Rich"	Tony Singletary	Margaret Beddow Hatch	November 13, 1986	0308
Vanessa gets into a fight with a classmate who calls her a stuck-up rich girl. Guest appearance by Essence Atkins. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Lisa Bonet as Denise
58	9	"Denise Gets a D"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Geller	November 20, 1986	0309
Denise's college career starts with a D, but Denise is to scared to show her parents. Clair needs to rest in bed because of a pinched nerve. Rudy portrays "the wind" in a school play. Guest appearance by Rosalind Cash as Dr. Hughes (The episode is preceded by a 30-second anti-drug public service announcement featuring Bill Cosby).
59	10	"A Girl and Her Dog"	Jay Sandrich	Chris Auer	December 4, 1986	0312
Rudy and Peter find a dog and attempt to take care of it without her parents knowing. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Lisa Bonet as Denise
60	11	"War Stories"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Robinson	December 11, 1986	0310
Cliff, Russell, and two of his friends play a game of pinochle and share World War II stories. Vanessa prepares to go to a skating party with date Tyrone Baxter, but soon finds a very cute guy crossing her path.
61	12	"Cliff in Charge"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Williams	December 18, 1986	0311
Cliff is in charge when Clair leaves for 10 days.
62	13	"Monster Man Huxtable"	Jay Sandrich	Gary Kott	January 8, 1987	0313
Elvin helps Theo with some wrestling moves, although he and Sondra have made plans for the weekend, and reveals that he is thinking of marrying her. Absent: Lisa Bonet as Denise and Phylicia Rashād as Clair, although mentioned.
63	14	"Rudy Spends the Night"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra	January 15, 1987	0314
Cliff establishes the Huxtable Men's Club when the women are away to help Theo get over his sadness of a lost date. Vanessa is very excited that big sister Denise is letting her go to the Village with Denise's college friends. Rudy spends the night with Cliff's parents. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Phylicia Rashād as Clair, although mentioned.
64	15	"Say Hello to a Good Buy"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, John Markus & Matt Williams	January 22, 1987	0315
Cliff buys a new car. Rudy cuts some animal pictures out of Cliff's expensive books for school. Guest appearances by Gilbert Gottfried and Sinbad, who would later portray Walter Oakes on the Cosby Show spinoff, A Different World. Watched by almost 65 million viewers when it originally aired, it is the highest-rated episode of the series.
65	16	"Denise Gets an Opinion"	Tony Singletary	Gary Kott	February 5, 1987	0316
Denise has a blind date, but is really scared. So she asks Theo to grade him for her, but this soon leads to a big hilarious mix-up. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra
66	17	"Calling Doctor Huxtable"	Jay Sandrich	Chris Auer	February 12, 1987	0317
Cliff is called to the hospital for three deliveries. Guest appearances by Malinda Williams and Patricia Richardson.
67	18	"You Only Hurt the One You Love"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra & John Markus	February 19, 1987	0318
Rudy gets hurt from Theo's rough games. She cries, and Theo gets punished. Clair goes to a doctor and gets the same advice that Cliff gave her. Cliff learns that the woman who cleans up the Doctor's Lounge at the hospital (Rita Moreno) has been fired. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Lisa Bonet as Denise
68	19	"The Shower"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Williams	February 26, 1987	0319
Denise holds a bridal shower for her pregnant and bride-to-be friend Veronica (Lela Rochon), but finds out some disturbing information. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra, although mentioned.
69	20	"Cliff's 50th Birthday"	Carl Lauten & Regge Life	Gary Kott	March 12, 1987	0320
Cliff's 50th birthday has all kinds of surprises. Guest appearance by Gates McFadden (credited as "Cheryl McFadden").
70	21	"I Know That You Know"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra, John Markus & Matt Williams	March 19, 1987	0321
When Sondra and Elvin announce their engagement, Clair and the children use the news to play a practical joke on Cliff, who launches a counter-offensive of his own. Absent: Lisa Bonet as Denise, although mentioned.
71	22	"Andalusian Flu"	Jay Sandrich	Janet Leahy	April 2, 1987	0322
While Cliff and Clair have the flu, Theo tries to keep the house going. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Lisa Bonet as Denise
72	23	"Bald and Beautiful"	Tony Singletary	Gary Kott	April 9, 1987	0324
Cliff's Navy friend comes to visit. Cockroach shaves his head to be in a rock video, but is thrown into humilliation when he is not selected, and Theo is glad he didn't shave his own head yet. Robert Culp (Bill Cosby's co-star from the 1960s TV series I Spy) appears as Scott Kelly.
73	24	"Planning Parenthood"	Jay Sandrich	Elizabeth Hailey & Oliver Hailey	April 30, 1987	0326
Clair's sister decides she wants to be a mother. Cliff takes Rudy and her friends out to eat at a fancy restaurant--but it is nothing short of disaster, and they end up eating at a fast food restaurant, dressed in formal clothing.
74	25	"Hillman"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Robinson	May 7, 1987	0325
The Huxtable family goes to Hillman College to attend a ceremony in honor of its president's retirement. Guest appearance by Joe Seneca. Filmed at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. The episode serves as a backdoor pilot for the spinoff series A Different World, which premiered next season.

Season 4: 1987–1988

• This season comprised 24 episodes.
• Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe and Keshia Knight Pulliam appeared in all the episodes.
• Geoffrey Owens was absent for sixteen episodes.
• Sabrina Le Beauf was absent for seventeen episodes.
• In the fourth season, the opening sequence featured the cast dancing happily to vocal funk/jazz. The vocals were sung by Bobby McFerrin. Bill Cosby is seen at the end of the credits dancing to the music as the producer credits appear and at the end, he quickly turns his head, takes off his top hat and looks into the camera before the sequence cuts to black. Unlike the first three seasons, the opening credits featured the cast wearing some formal '30s-style clothing with Bill Cosby wearing a top hat and tails, Tempestt Bledsoe wearing a Navy uniform similar to what performers would wear when performing to the troops in the USO. Malcolm-Jamal Warner wore a business suit and is seen looking at his watch then starts tapping his feet, etc. Geoffrey Owens (Elvin Tibideaux) is introduced to the regular cast by Cosby leading him into Sabrina LeBeauf's credit scene, symbolizing Heathcliff Huxtable "giving away" his daughter Sondra to her new husband. Before the producer credits appear, Bill Cosby is briefly seen holding a picture of Lisa Bonet (Denise). Bonet does not appear as a regular this season, having departed for the spinoff series, A Different World.

Series #	Season #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
75	1	"Call of the Wild"	Jay Sandrich	Gary Kott	September 24, 1987	0402
The newlywed Sondra and Elvin return from their honeymoon with shocking news for Cliff and Clair: they want to abandon their dreams of being a lawyer and doctor and open an outdoorsman's "wilderness store." Geoffrey Owens (Elvin) becomes a regular cast member.
76	2	"Theogate"	Jay Sandrich	John Markus	October 1, 1987	0401
Theo and Cockroach come home unusually late from a track meet, and the Huxtables got a phone message earlier from the track coach. They both deny anything out of the ordinary happened, but attorney Clair knows better. A mock trial is held for Theo and Cockroach at the Huxtables' for Clair to get to the bottom of the situation. Theo finally confesses that he and Cockroach were kicked off the track team after making fun of an overweight female employee at a fast-food restaurant the team had stopped at on the way home. Bill Cosby and Keshia Knight Pulliam appear on the episode of A Different World which airs later that evening. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
77	3	"It Ain't Easy Being Green"	Carl Lauten & Regge Life	Carmen Finestra & John Markus	October 8, 1987	0408
Rudy wants to wear summer clothes in fall to a party, while Cliff tries to get rid of an old water heater. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
78	4	"Cliff's Mistake"	Carl Lauten & Regge Life	Janet Leahy	October 15, 1987	0405
While setting up the house as a "haunted house" for Halloween, Cliff discover's he's lost a power drill that his neighbor loaned to him. First appearance of Wallace Shawn as Jeffrey Engels. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
79	5	"Shakespeare"	Jay Sandrich	Matt Robinson	October 22, 1987	0323
Christopher Plummer and Roscoe Lee Browne appear. Theo must read Julius Caesar for school, but complains that it is boring. Russel and his friends read scenes from the play aloud, and Theo is enthralled. Later, the men read from a different work of literature-a story Rudy wrote. This episode was originally produced for Season 3. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
80	6	"That's Not What I Said"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra	October 29, 1987	0403
Cliff and Clair have a marital argument after Theo gets detained by police for riding in a car with an unlicensed driver. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
81	7	"Autumn Gifts"	Carl Lauten & Regge Life	Matt Williams	November 5, 1987	0404
Rudy goes to an older widowed lady's house each afternoon to have tea and play cards, but notices that she refuses to take her daily medication for diabetes. She tells Cliff, who devises a plan to try to convince her that she needs the meds to live. Guest appearance by Eileen Heckart. Keshia Knight Pulliam appears on the episode of A Different World which airs later that evening.
82	8	"Looking Back (Part 1)"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	November 12, 1987	0413A
Sondra and Elvin have their first marital fight, and Elvin comes to the Huxtable house for comfort and support. Clair shares about the difficulties in their house as flashbacks are shown.
83	9	"Looking Back (Part 2)"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	November 12, 1987	0413B
Flashbacks are shown while history is shared with Elvin.
84	10	"Where's Rudy"	Tony Singletary	Gary Kott	November 19, 1987	0409
Theo and Vanessa lose track of Rudy in a mall while Clair enters a squash exhibition. Earle Hyman (Russell) appears on the episode of A Different World which airs later that evening. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
85	11	"Dance Mania"	Tony Singletary	Matt Williams	December 3, 1987	0410
Theo and Cockroach have tickets to appear on television on the dance show "Dance Mania", but are told that only one of them can enter the studio during the filming because of fire laws. Theo miscalculates by offering to let Cockroach go in (thinking he'll refuse) and gets angry when Cockroach takes him up on the offer. First appearances of Troy Winbush as Denny and Adam Sandler as Smitty. Final appearance of Carl Anthony Payne II as Cockroach. Bill Cosby appears on the episode of A Different World which airs later that evening. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
86	12	"The Locker Room"	Jay Sandrich	Janet Leahy	December 10, 1987	0406
Theo and his classmates brag about their dates with girls in the locker room, but Theo's mood changes when one of the guys goes out with Vanessa and brags about it the next day. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
87	13	"The Show Must Go On"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	December 17, 1987	0414
Vaudeville is shown to Rudy and her friends, who are unimpressed. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
88	14	"Bookworm"	Jay Sandrich	Janet Leahy	January 7, 1988	0411
Clair drags Cliff to her book club meeting, and he's the lone male there. Much to Clair's surprise, Cliff knows quite a bit about the book in question! Meanwhile, the kids attempt a sleepover at Sondra and Elvin's run-down studio apartment, but are overwhelmed by the noise and lack of utilities. Guest appearance by Angela Bassett and S. Epatha Merkerson.
89	15	"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"	Carl Lauten & Chuck Vinson	Carmen Finestra, John Markus & Gary Kott Story by: Chris Auer, Carmen Finestra & Gary Kott	January 14, 1988	0407
Rudy has to play the violin in music class at school, but gets jealous because she thinks her classmates' instruments are more fun. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
90	16	"The Visit"	Regge Life	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	January 21, 1988	0416
Theo visits a friend in the hospital who has cancer. Guest appearance by Armand Hammer. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra
91	17	"The Drum Major"	Regge Life	Matt Robinson	February 4, 1988	0412
Vanessa tries out for the drum major at school. Theo playfully mocks her efforts, but learns from friends that Vanessa is the target of sexism and intervenes on her behalf. Meanwhile, Cliff cooks up a batch of extremely spicy chili as Russell tries to pay off a loan from an old friend. Guest appearance by Dub Taylor. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
92	18	"Waterworks"	Tony Singletary	Janet Leahy	February 11, 1988	0417
Clair tries to stop Cliff from fixing a leaky pipe by hiring a team of professionals: friends of Sondra and Elvin from Princeton.
93	19	"Once Upon a Time"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	February 18, 1988	0415
Rudy writes a fairy tale, and the colorful story is acted out in her fantasy. Members of the family play the roles of a village full of happy people and a mean group that ruins their fun. At the end of the episode, Rudy declares that when she becomes "president of the world", she will put a stop to all mean people. Cliff and Clair proceed to watch news reports of weapons' testing and bombings, and urge her to "hurry, because we need you right now".
94	20	"Petanque"	Regge Life	Matt Williams	February 25, 1988	0418
Cliff and a friend play pétanque. First appearance of Sullivan Walker as Dr. James Harmon. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
95	21	"Trust Me"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	March 3, 1988	0420
A friend of Clair's has marital problems; Cliff takes a "mini-vacation" in the house as Theo, Rudy, and Vanessa try to stump each other with riddles Guest appearances by Meg Foster as Dyan and Joe Fabiani as Richard. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
96	22	"Home for the Weekend"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	March 17, 1988	0421
Denise comes home from college, but seems to have more time for her friends than for the family. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
97	23	"The Prom"	Tony Singletary	Janet Leahy	March 24, 1988	0422
Theo, Denny and Smitty go to great lengths to impress their dates for the senior prom but fail disastrously; Cliff and Clair relive their own prom, since Clair never went to hers, since Cliff was in college taking final exams. First appearance of Michelle Thomas as Justine. Phylicia Rashād appears on the episode of A Different World which airs later that evening. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
98	24	"Gone Fishin'"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	April 28, 1988	0419
When the Huxtable men go fishing, Theo catches the dead body of a gangster that the police have been chasing, and soon attracts attention from the news media. This success goes to his head, while Rudy and Kenny find a nest of baby birds, but the mother bird is missing. The two stories eventually cross in a surprising-and rather humiliating-lesson for Theo. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin

Season 5: 1988–1989

• This season comprised 26 episodes.
• The opening sequence in the fifth season featured the cast dancing on a veranda in Caribbean-style clothing, to music performed by the Oregon Symphony Orchestra. This opening credit sequence, choreographed by Geoffrey Holder, is the only one during the series' entire run that featured the whole cast dancing together. There is only one version of the theme used for this season, much like in season four. There is no closing theme version of this orchestration of the theme, instead a funk/jazz version of the theme was used as the closing theme this season.
• The closed captioning this season is said to be made possible by MetLife and NBC.

Series #	Season #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
99	1	"Together Again and Again"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	October 6, 1988	0501
As Theo begins his freshman year at New York University, Denise announces that she is dropping out of Hillman College. Sondra is revealed to be pregnant. First mention of Cliff's theory that the children keep returning home because "they want the house."
100	2	"The Physical"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	October 13, 1988	0502
Cliff prepares for a physical. Guest appearance by John Amos as Dr. Bradley Herbert, Jr. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable Tibideaux and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin Tibideaux
101	3	"Rudy's All-Nighter"	Tony Singletary	Janet Leahy	October 20, 1988	0505
Rudy's friend sleeps over, but the two soon begin to argue. Theo gets a D on his first college English paper.
102	4	"Move It (a.k.a. The Baby Game)"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	October 27, 1988	0503
Everyone wants pregnant Sondra and Elvin to find a new house. Elvin's surname, Tibideaux, is revealed.
103	5	"Out of Brooklyn"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra & John Markus	November 3, 1988	0504
Denise leaves Brooklyn for a job in Africa as a photographer's assistant. (Lisa Bonet's last appearance of Season 5).
104	6	"The Birth (Part 1)"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	November 10, 1988	0506A
Sondra goes into labor, and Elvin is a nervous wreck. Deon Richmond as Kenny. Michelle Thomas as Justine. First appearances of Reno Wilson as Howard and Elizabeth Narvaez as Kara. Guest appearance by Naomi Campbell.
105	7	"The Birth (Part 2)"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	November 10, 1988	0506B
Sondra gives birth to twins -- a boy and a girl -- who are named after Nelson Mandela and his then-wife Winnie. Elvin decides to return to medical school.
106	8	"Cyranoise de Bergington"	Carl Lauten & Chuck Vinson	Gary Kott & John Markus	November 17, 1988	0507
Theo wants to date his friend Howard's ex-girlfriend, but he is stunned upon learning who she wants to date.
107	9	"How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?"	Tony Singletary	Janet Leahy	December 1, 1988	0508
Vanessa, Janet and Kara want to be professional singers and they sing the Kylie Minogue version of The Loco-Motion; Russell wins a prize in a sweepstakes, which turns out to be a toaster. Guest appearance by Betty Carter.
108	10	"If the Dress Fits, Wear It"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra & John Markus	December 8, 1988	0509
Clair secretly goes on a crash diet and exercise program to lose five pounds in a week so she can fit into a dress. Guest appearance by Debbie Allen; voice-over by Ahmad Rashād (Phylicia Rashād's sister and husband). Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
109	11	"Is There a Hamster in the House?"	Tony Singletary	Mark St. Germain	December 15, 1988	0510
Rudy takes care of a friend's hamster for the weekend, but it soon dies of disease and Cliff gets a new one. Rudy's friend explains that many others who have taken care of her hamster have reached the same fate and gone to the same solution, so it is her 6th hamster.
110	12	"Truth or Consequences"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	January 5, 1989	0512
Rudy lies to cover for Vanessa, who secretly goes out on a date with her boyfriend, and suffers the consequences when she returns.
111	13	"Cliff Babysits"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	January 12, 1989	0511
While the family attends a Michael Jackson concert, Cliff babysits his grandchildren Nelson and Winnie. First mention of Cliff's younger brother James, who died of rheumatic fever as a child (Bill Cosby's actual brother James died of the same illness at the age of six).
112	14	"Mrs. Huxtable Goes to Kindergarten"	Carl Lauten & Chuck Vinson	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	January 26, 1989	0514
Clair appears as a panelist on a local Sunday morning talk show entitled Retrospective, but quits when she is exploited by being asked to talk about the Great Depression from a "black woman's point of view". At home, Clair buys a new couch, and Cliff tries to keep the old one. Clair's law firm is identified as Greentree, Bradley & Dexter. Guest appearance by Austin Pendleton.
113	15	"The Lost Weekend"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	February 2, 1989	0513
With the rest of the family gone for the night, Theo throws a "small" party that gets out of control, eventually climbing to 200 participants and destroying a good fraction of the house. First appearance of Alex Ruiz as Lou. Cameo appearance by Joie Lee. Phylicia Rashād (Clair), Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Theo), Tempestt Bledsoe (Vanessa), and Elizabeth Narvaez (Kara) appear on the episode of A Different World which airs later that evening.
114	16	"No Way, Baby"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	February 6, 1989	0517
Cliff tracks down the grandfather of one of his patients: an expectant teenage mother with no other family. Clair deduces that the charming man is illiterate. Guest appearances by Sammy Davis, Jr. and Arnold Stang.
115	17	"Can I Say Something, Please?"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	February 9, 1989	0516
Rudy wants to change some of her rules, so Cliff and Clair experiment by letting her stay up as late as she wants, and Rudy learns the valuable lesson that doing what you want has its drawbacks. Voice-over by Ed McMahon (from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson).
116	18	"The Dead End Kids Meet Dr. Lotus"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	February 16, 1989	0515
Theo consults a voodoo shopkeeper for advice on winning his girlfriend back, but the attempt fails with the ridiculously high prices. Guest appearances by Moses Gunn and Harold Perrineau.
117	19	"The Boys of Winter"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	February 23, 1989	0519
Cliff's old basketball coach comes to visit, and a recent hospital basketball game with doctors vs. attractive young lab workers is recalled on video tape. Guest appearance by U.S. Senator (and former NBA basketball player) Bill Bradley. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable Tibbedeaux
118	20	"It Comes and Goes"	Jay Sandrich	Gary Kott & John Markus	March 9, 1989	0518
Sondra bemoans taking care of the twins.
119	21	"Theo's Women"	Tony Singletary	Mark St. Germain	March 16, 1989	0520
After catching Theo kissing another woman in the lounge of her dormitory, Justine breaks up with him. Desperate to win her back, Theo turns to Cliff for advice. First appearance of Vanessa A. Williams as Jade. Guest appearance by Tichina Arnold as Delores.
120	22	"Birthday Blues"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra & Gary Kott	March 30, 1989	0521
Clair's 46th birthday arrives. Guest appearance by Plácido Domingo.
121	23	"A Room With No View"	Tony Singletary	Gary Kott & John Markus	April 13, 1989	0522
Vanessa and Rudy argue and fight. After the sisters do physical damage to the house, Cliff exiles them to the basement.
122	24	"What He Did for Love"	Carl Lauten & Chuck Vinson	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	April 27, 1989	0523
Theo's friend Denny finds an expensive watch and gives it to his girlfriend, but it is soon revealed to be stolen merchandise.
123	25	"Day of the Locusts"	Chuck Vinson	Carmen Finestra & John Markus	May 4, 1989	0524
Sondra comes down with strep throat, prompting her mother Clair and Elvin's mother Francine to "steal" the babies. Sondra then gets highly upset at both her and Elvin's mother.
124	26	"57 Varieties"	Chuck Vinson	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	May 11, 1989	0525
Theo wants to go to Egypt for an archaeological dig.

Season 6: 1989–1990

• This season comprised 26 episodes.
• In the opening sequence for Seasons 6 and 7, the cast danced on a stage whose backdrop displayed the marquee of the Apollo Theater in Harlem. A classical jazz arrangement, featuring Craig Handy on saxophone, was used for the theme, which sounds very similar to "Shotgun" by Junior Walker and the All-Stars. When the credits ended, instead of looking at the camera, Cosby walked off the stage and commented, "This is the best elevator music I've ever heard!" This line was cut out of the credits when they were re-used the following year.
• The captioning this season is said to be sponsored by Carsey-Werner Productions, MetLife, NBC, and The US Department of Education.

Series #	Season #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
125	1	"Denise: The Saga Continues"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	September 21, 1989	0601
Denise returns from Africa, with a new husband and stepdaughter in tow, something Cliff and Clair had no idea about until she arrived home. Joseph C. Phillips and Raven-Symoné join the cast as Martin and Olivia Kendall. Last appearance of Peter Costa as Peter. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin
126	2	"Surf's Up"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	September 28, 1989	0602
After recreating one of Cliff's adventures in college about washing the kitchen floor in a strange way, Theo and his roommates are kicked out of their apartment. First appearance of Keith Diamond as Danny. Guest appearance by Anthony Quinn.
127	3	"I'm 'In' With the 'In' Crowd"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	October 5, 1989	0603
Vanessa and her friends get drunk playing a drinking game. Guest appearance by Bill Cosby's real-life daughter Ensa Cosby, upon whom the character Vanessa is loosely based. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable Tibideaux, Geoffrey Owens as Elvin Tibideaux and Joseph C. Phillips as Martin Kendall
128	4	"Denise Kendall: Navy Wife"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	October 12, 1989	0605
Denise forgets to respond to a letter from the Navy and confirm that she and Martin want housing on the naval base in Rhode Island. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable Tibideaux, Geoffrey Owens as Elvin Tibideaux and Malcolm Jamal Warner as Theo Huxtable
129	5	"Theo's Gift"	Jay Sandrich	Mark St. Germain	October 19, 1989	0604
Theo is diagnosed with dyslexia, a learning disability which contributed to the academic problems he has had over the years.
130	6	"Denise Kendall: Babysitter"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	October 26, 1989	0606
Denise and Olivia babysit Winnie and Nelson (Sondra and Elvin's twins), and suffer street-wide power outages, and worse, the power of infant twins.
131	7	"Shall We Dance?"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	November 2, 1989	0607
Rudy and one of her classmates have a crush on each other, but peer pressure could ruin things. Guest appearance by Elaine Stritch. (Phylicia Rashād, Lisa Bonet, Joseph C. Phillips and Raven-Symoné appear on the episode of A Different World which airs later that evening.)
132	8	"The Day the Spores Landed"	Neema Barnette	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	November 9, 1989	0608
Cliff dreams that men worldwide have become pregnant caused by an eruption of a volcano in Peru -- Some of these pregnant men including Cliff's son Theo, his sons-in-law Elvin and Martin, and himself. Each of the men give birth to something that they wanted growing up like a sports car, sailboat, or even a sandwich and soda. Voice-over by NBC News correspondent John Palmer. Absent: Keshia Knight Pulliam as Rudy Huxatable, Tempest Bledsoe as Vanessa Huxatable,and Raven-Symone as Oliva Kendall.
133	9	"Cliff's Wet Adventure"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra & John Markus	November 16, 1989	0610
Denise invites Martin's ex-wife Paula for Thanksgiving dinner. Clair continues to send Cliff to the store for last-minute groceries, despite the fact that it is stormy Thanksgiving Day. Guest appearance by Victoria Rowell as Paula.
134	10	"Grampy and Nu-Nu Visit the Huxtables"	Tony Singletary	Gary Kott & John Markus	November 30, 1989	0609
Martin's parents (Olivia's grandparents) come for a visit. Actor Moses Gunn and jazz singer Nancy Wilson guest star as Martin's parents
135	11	"Cliff la Dolce"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra & Gary Kott	December 7, 1989	0611
Cliff is in charge while Clair and Denise are out of town.
136	12	"Getting to Know You"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	December 14, 1989	0612
As Christmas approaches, Cliff and Martin get to know each other better. Denise and Martin recreate their wedding ceremony, which allows Cliff to give his daughter away.
137	13	"Elvin Pays for Dinner"	Jay Sandrich	Gary Kott & John Markus	January 4, 1990	0613
Elvin takes two female college friends to dinner to reminisce and Sondra becomes very upset.
138	14	"Cliff's Nightmare"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus Story by: Jeff Lewis & Bill Prady	January 11, 1990	0526
Guest appearance by The Muppets (Performed by Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt, and Kevin Clash) in a story of what happened when Cliff ate a sausage sandwich at 3AM after coming back from a long hospital shift. Voice-over by Cliff's friend Jeffery Engels (Wallace Shawn). This episode was originally produced for season 5.
139	15	"Denise Kendall: Singles Counselor"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra & John Markus	January 18, 1990	0614
Denise causes trouble while trying to help Vanessa get a date. Guest appearance by Malinda Williams.
140	16	"The Birthday Party"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	January 25, 1990	0615
Olivia's 4th birthday arrives, and her friends overpower Cliff.
141	17	"Not Everybody Loves the Blues"	Chuck Vinson	Mark St. Germain	February 1, 1990	0616
Theo thinks about proposing to Justine. Kenny, who was "born to sing the blues," gets the chance to sing with a legendary blues singer/guitarist, Riley Jackson (B.B. King).
142	18	"Rudy's Walk on the Wild Side"	Jay Sandrich	Lore Kimbrough & Ehrich Van Lowe	February 8, 1990	0617
Rudy steals money from Clair to buy a sweatshirt (Rudy and her friend Kim do the Electric Slide).
–	–	"The Cosby Outtakes Show"	Chuck Vinson	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	February 12, 1990	–
Phylicia Rashād, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Lisa Bonet, Tempestt Bledsoe, Keshia Knight Pulliam and Raven-Symoné host this special episode featuring bloopers from the past five seasons of The Cosby Show. Special appearance by Condola Phyleia Rashād (Phylicia Rashād's daughter). This episode was excluded from The Cosby Show regular syndication cycle, the episode however was included as a bonus feature in the season 1 DVD set.
143	19	"Mr. Sandman"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	February 15, 1990	0618
Rudy is forced to take tap dancing lessons for a school project. Cliff is presented with a tap-dancing challenge with Howard Sims he cannot resist. Guest appearance by Howard "Sandman" Sims.
144	20	"Isn't It Romantic?"	Tony Singletary	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	February 22, 1990	0619
Cliff, Elvin and Martin secretly compete to determine who is the most romantic husband in the Huxtable family, and try to find the best gift under $25, but the women find out and try to be unimpressed, but this fails when the magnitude of the gifts set in.
145	21	"Theo's Dirty Laundry"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus	March 15, 1990	0620
Cliff and Clair discover that Theo has moved in with Justine. Last appearance of Michelle Thomas as Justine.
146	22	"What's It All About?"	Jay Sandrich	Carmen Finestra & John Markus	March 22, 1990	0621
Clair is burned out from work and family pressures and hurries off to a cabin resort Cliff's doctor friend suggested. However, the place is nothing short of a disaster.
147	23	"Off to See the Wretched"	Carl Lauten & Malcolm-Jamal Warner	Mark St. Germain	April 5, 1990	0622
Vanessa and her friends sneak out of town to attend a concert in Baltimore, but encounter huge problems along the way. Afterwards, she must face the wrath of Cliff and an infuriated Clair. This episode marks Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Cosby Show directorial debut.
148	24	"The Moves"	Tony Singletary	Mark St. Germain	April 19, 1990	0623
The Huxtables' nerdy-but-friendly next-door-neighbor, author Jeffrey Engalls, reinvents himself after a divorce for a lovely friend of Clair's. Guest appearance by Mercedes Ruehl.
149	25	"Live and Learn"	Tony Singletary	Matt Robinson	April 26, 1990	0624
Denise wants to become a teacher... without finishing college. Guest appearances by Max Roach and Suzzanne Douglass.
150	26	"The Storyteller"	Carl Lauten	Lore Kimbrough	May 3, 1990	0625
"Gram Tee", Cliff's 98 year old great aunt, comes to visit the family. Guest appearances by Minnie Gentry and Mavis Staples. Portions filmed at St. James Presbyterian Church in Harlem, New York City.

Season 7: 1990–1991

• This season comprised 26 episodes.
• The seventh season's credit sequence was to use a mural entitled "Street of Dreams," painted by inner-city youth from the Creative Arts Workshop in Harlem, for the opening credits. The producers wound up discarding the idea when their lawyers said that in order to use the mural they would have to get permission from all 63 young artists first. Instead, the show developed its own mural which combined some of the elements and used many of the colors of the actual one. The owners of the mural threatened to sue and denounced the show for ripping off the children. Carsey-Werner tried to negotiate a settlement with Creative Arts Workshop, but Bill Cosby decided to replace the theme with the 6th season's opening credits. Only four episodes featured the original opening credits, and only a few cities saw this version.^[3] In all other areas in first-run and repeats as well as in syndication, only the replaced sequence was used. Lisa Bonet and Joseph C. Phillips were in the credits still but they only appeared in less than a handful of episodes during the season. New cast member Erika Alexander was featured in the original Season 7 sequence, but only her name and role is listed in the replacement sequence. The spoken phrase "This is the best elevator music I've ever heard!" was removed as well in the intro, except for one episode in 1991.
• Throughout this season, Cosby was often seen wearing a small black button with the letters "SD Jr." - a tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr., who died in May 1990.

Series #	Season #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
151	1	"Same Time Next Year"	Jay Sandrich	Ehrich Van Lowe	September 20, 1990	0701
Denise takes classes locally at Medgar Evers College, while Vanessa enrolls at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Rudy starts sixth grade. Olivia starts preschool. In a scene prior to the opening credits, Olivia enters Cliff's bedroom wearing a Bart Simpson mask. It is a nod to Fox's decision to move The Simpsons to Thursdays at 8:00 pm Eastern/Pacific, presenting The Cosby Show with its first true ratings challenge. This is the only episode in the series that has a "cold open".
152	2	"Bird in the Hand"	Jay Sandrich	Steve Kline & Bryan Winter	September 27, 1990	0702
Cliff teaches Olivia jazz with "Pop Goes the Weasel", and tries to win a classic jazz record (including A Night in Tunisia) at an auction while filling in for Denise as volunteer parent at Olivia's preschool.
153	3	"The Last Barbecue"	Ellen Falcon	Bernie Kukoff & Janet Leahy	October 4, 1990	0704
The Huxtable family erupts in a battle of the sexes after Theo suggests having a stripper at Martin's post-wedding bachelor party. Absent: Tempestt Bledsoe as Vanessa Huxtable
154	4	"Period of Adjustment"	Ellen Falcon	Gordon Gartrelle & Lore Kimbrough	October 11, 1990	0703
Clair's teenage second cousin moves in with the family. Erika Alexander joins the cast as Pam. First appearances of Karen Malina White as Charmaine, Allen Payne as Lance, and Mushond Lee as Slide, Pam's friends.
155	5	"It's All in the Game"	Neema Barnette	Janet Leahy & Bryan Winter	October 18, 1990	0706
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.
156	6	"Getting the Story"	Ellen Falcon	Lore Kimbrough & Janet Leahy Story by: Mark St. Germain	October 25, 1990	0705
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. They later choose to follow Cliff instead, and have an expectant father tape a birth, since hospital rules restrict them from being in the delivery room. Rudy and Kenny win 1st prize, and everyone involved is credited.
157	7	"Just Thinking About It (Part 1)"	Jay Sandrich	Bernie Kukoff & Ehrich Van Lowe	November 1, 1990	0707
Under pressure from her boyfriend to become sexually active, Pam considers using birth control.
158	8	"Just Thinking About It (Part 2)"	Jay Sandrich	Bernie Kukoff & Ehrich Van Lowe	November 1, 1990	0708
Pam and Slide argue over whether they should become sexually active.
159	9	"The Infantry Has Landed (and They've Fallen Off the Roof)"	John Bowab	Gordon Gartrelle, Lore Kimbrough & Janet Leahy	November 8, 1990	0712
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 wive's tales about menstruation from her friends.
160	10	"You Can Go Home Again"	Oz Scott	Lore Kimbrough, Steve Kline & Bernie Kukoff	November 15, 1990	0709
Seeking privacy, Denise and Martin decide to look for their own apartment, and find a cramped one-room apartment as one of the options.
161	11	"It's a Boy"	Chuck Vinson	Bernie Kukoff & Ehrich Van Lowe	November 22, 1990	0710
The husband of one of Cliff's patients worries that he will be a poor father of a son because he has no athletic ability. After Pam breaks up with Slide, she and the class brain are attracted to each other. First appearance of Seth Gilliam as Aaron.
162	12	"Clair's Liberation"	John Bowab	Bernie Kukoff & Ehrich Van Lowe	November 29, 1990	0713
Clair enters menopause. 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. This is the final episode in which Cockroach is mentioned.
163	13	"It's Your Move"	Jay Sandrich	Steve Kline & Bryan Winter	December 6, 1990	0714
Elvin and Sondra help friends move, just as Elvin wants to wants to watch a very important football game. Voice over by Ahmad Rashād.
164	14	"Theo's Final Final"	Neema Barnette	Elaine Arata	December 13, 1990	0715
Theo will make the dean's list if he gets an A on his final, but a beautiful exchange student planning to leave in 1-day for Barbados distracts him. Vanessa A. Williams appears (now portraying Cheryl). Guest appearances by Rachel True as Nicki and Michael Weatherly as Theo's roommate.
165	15	"Attack of the Killer B's"	Art Dielhenn	Elaine Arata & Lore Kimbrough	January 10, 1991	0717
Pam's grades have improved, but she worries that she will not be able to afford college. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable Tibideaux, Geoffrey Owens as Elvin Tibideaux, Joseph C. Phillips as Martin Kendall and Tempestt Bledsoe as Vanessa Huxtable
166	16	"Total Control"	Jay Sandrich	Bernie Kukoff & Ehrich Van Lowe	January 31, 1991	0718
Cliff's patient and her husband are convinced that they are prepared for every scenario ... and then labor begins. Guest appearances by John Ritter and his future wife Amy Yasbeck. This is the first episode in which none of the Huxtable children appear.
167	17	"Adventures in Babysitting"	Oz Scott	Steve Kline	February 7, 1991	0719
Rudy begs Martin to let her babysit Olivia, but they both become terrified after watching a horror movie. Cliff and Dr. Harmon enter a pinochle tournament as partners... and so do their wives. The wives win the tournament, hands down, much to the chagrin of Cliff and James. Guest appearance by Bern Nadette Stanis.
168	18	"27 and Still Cooking"	Neema Barnette	Gordon Gartrelle & Janet Leahy	February 14, 1991	0716
To celebrate his 27th wedding anniversary with Clair, Cliff attempts recreates the Callaloo Pot, a Caribbean restaurant where the couple dined on their honeymoon, but Clair ends up getting serenaded by Cliff's hired musicians and dining on her own when Cliff gets sick.
169	19	"The Return of the Clairettes"	Neema Barnette	Lisa Albert	February 21, 1991	0720
An old friend of Clair visits, along with her husband. Rudy prepares for her first date but it is cancelled when the other girls that were joining her can't make it. Guest appearance by Leslie Uggams.
170	20	"No More Mr. Nice Guy"	Jay Sandrich	Steve Kline & Brayn Winter	February 28, 1991	0711
Theo's friend Denny thinks his girlfriend is cheating on him, but it is really a plan for Denny's surprise birthday party--but Ellen, Denny's girlfriend is in the house, trying to hide from everyone when she gets sick.
171	21	"Home Remedies"	Jay Sandrich	Mark St. Germain	March 7, 1991	0722
When Olivia comes down with a cold, everyone (except Cliff) has a different home remedy to offer as a cure. Russell and Anna celebrate another wedding anniversary. Olivia lip-synchs Koko Taylor's "I'm a Woman".
172	22	"Nightmare on Stigwood Avenue"	Carl Lauten & Malcolm-Jamal Warner	Lore Kimbrough & Steve Kline	March 21, 1991	0723
Rudy has a nightmare about Olivia always getting her way.
173	23	"There's Still No Joy in Mudville"	Carl Lauten	Gordon Gartrelle & Matt Robinson	April 4, 1991	0721
Cliff goes bowling with his friends. Cricket vs. Baseball ensues when Cliff is forced to buy Chinese food for the others, since he scored the least. Final appearance of Sullivan Walker as Dr. James Harmon. Voice-over by Ahmad Rashād. Guest appearances by former Major League Baseball players Joe Black and Frank Robinson.
174	24	"Cliff and Jake"	Jay Sandrich	Mark St. Germain	April 11, 1991	0626
Clair tries to prevent Cliff from buying a new appliance from his friend Jake. Cliff tries to settle a decade-old argument between a friend of Jake's when Jake's daughter and the other man's son become engaged. Guest appearances by Red Buttons and E. G. Marshall. Final appearance of Lisa Bonet as Denise. This episode was originally produced for season 6.
175	25	"Theo and the Kids (Part 1)"	John Bowab	Bernie Kukoff & Ehrich Van Lowe	April 25, 1991	0724
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. First appearances of Merlin Santana as Stanley and Eugene Byrd as Eugene. Guest appearance by Lynne Thigpen. This is the first and only two-part episode of The Cosby Show, in which both parts of the episode premiered on separate nights and not back-to-back.
176	26	"Theo and the Kids (Part 2)"	John Bowab	Bernie Kukoff & Ehrich Van Lowe	May 2, 1991	0725
Theo continues his attempts to help Stanley and the other children at the community center.

Season 8: 1991–1992

• This season comprised 25 episodes.
• The mural "Street of Dreams," painted by inner-city youth from the Creative Arts Workshop in Harlem, was finally used full-time in season eight. The cast now danced in the sequence to a Hip-Hop blend that featured Lester Bowie on trumpet. The scenes of Bonet and Phillips in the original opening sequence were removed. After the controversy from the previous season, the producers gave recognition to the painters of the original mural in the closing credits. Malcolm-Jamal Warner wore glasses in this set of opening credits, but not in any episodes. At the end of the sequence, like he did in other seasons, Cosby turns his head and looks into the camera. A few episodes from season 7 used this opening, albeit with Lisa Bonet and Joseph C. Philips in the opening credits, and at the end of the sequence, Bill Cosby would walk off and say, "Yo, chill out! Don't put your face in the mud, Pally!".
• The final episode "And So We Commence" features an extended sequence, with clips of each cast member dancing from the opening credits of every season (except Season 1, which did not have dancing in the opening credits).
• A running gag throughout this season involves the house's front doorbell, which malfunctions in a variety of bizarre ways despite Cliff's attempts to fix it.

Series #	Season #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
177	1	"With This Ring?"	John Bowab	Adriana Trigiani	September 19, 1991	0801
18 year old Vanessa reveals that she is engaged to a 29 year old head maintenance man of her University... and has been for six months. First appearance of William Thomas, Jr. as Dabnis Brickey. Absent Erika Alexander as Pam
178	2	"There's No Place Like This Home"	John Bowab	Gordon Gartrelle & Janet Leahy	September 26, 1991	0802
Cliff announces plans to add a new room to the house for Clair... and only Clair. Sondra and Elvin are on the verge of purchasing their first house.
179	3	"Particles in Motion"	John Bowab	Adriana Trigiani Story by: Adriana Trigiani & Linda M. Yearwood	October 3, 1991	0804
During his first parent-counselor meeting, Theo and a single mother discover mutual attraction. Rudy meets Stanley and the two are immediately smitten with each other, much to the chagrin of a jealous Kenny. Guest appearance by Saundra Quarterman. First mention of Cliff's season-long project: fixing the front doorbell.
180	4	"Pam Applies to College"	John Bowab	Walter Allen Bennett, Jr.	October 10, 1991	0803
Pam begins to realize that, because of her below average grades earlier in high school, she will not be able to attend the same college as her best friend. Guest appearance by Richard Lawson as Mr. Bostic. Absent: Keshia Knight Pulliam as Rudy Huxtable, Tempestt Bledsoe as Vanessa Huxtable, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Theo Huxtable, Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable Tibideaux and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin Tibideaux.
181	5	"Warning: A Double-Lit Candle Can Cause a Meltdown"	Malcolm-Jamal Warner	Walter Allen Bennett, Jr.	October 17, 1991	0808
Anxious to see a famous rapper, Rudy and her friends lie to their parents in order to get into a club for 16 year olds and up. Cliff and Clair secretly send Pam, Lance and Charmaine to keep an eye on them. Guest appearances by rapper Special Ed and actor/rapper Daryl "Chill" Mitchell. Absent: Raven-Symoné as Olivia Kendall, Tempestt Bledsoe as Vanessa Huxtable, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Theo Huxtable, Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra Huxtable Tibideaux and Geoffrey Owens as Elvin Tibideaux
182	6	"It's Apparent to Everyone"	Neema Barnette	Hugh O'Neill	October 24, 1991	0805
Winnie and Nelson drive Cliff and Clair crazy around the house while Elvin and Sondra wait to move into their new house. Absent: Tempestt Bledsoe as Vanessa Huxtable, Malcolm Jamal Warner as Theo Huxtable, Keshia Knight Pulliam as Rudy Huxtable and Erika Alexander as Pam
183	7	"The Iceman Bricketh"	Carl Lauten	Courtney Flavin, Hugh O'Neill & Adriana Trigiani	October 31, 1991	0807
Vanessa's grandparents Russell Huxtable and Carrie Hanks demand to meet her fiancé Dabnis, who bonds with Cliff over a plumbing job.
184	8	"Olivia's Field Trip"	John Bowab	Courtney Flavin	November 7, 1991	0806
Cliff chaperones Olvia's field trip to the museum; Theo falls victim to a scammer while ordering T-shirts for the community center. Guest appearance by Wallace Shawn as Jeffrey Engels.
185	9	"For Men Only"	John Bowab	Walter Allen Bennett, Jr.	November 14, 1991	0809
Cliff teaches a class "for men only" at the community center.
186	10	"Olivia Comes Out of the Closet"	John Bowab	Kathleen McGhee-Anderson	November 21, 1991	0812
Olivia tries to delay Martin's return to Asia. Last appearance of Joseph C. Phillips as Martin. Miriam Makeba appears as herself.
187	11	"Two Is a Crowd"	Jay Sandrich	Gordon Gartrelle & Janet Leahy	December 5, 1991	0810
Vanessa and Dabnis have relationship problems, as do Rudy and Stanley.
188	12	"Clair's Place"	John Bowab	Adriana Trigiani	December 19, 1991	0813
As Christmas approaches, Clair gets a wonderful present: the completion of her special room.
189	13	"Theo's Future"	Jay Sandrich	Gordon Gartrelle, Janet Leahy & Hugh O'Neill Story by: Hugh O'Neill	January 2, 1992	0814
Theo is accepted to graduate school at NYU, but faces a tough decision when he is unexpectedly offered a chance to interview for a corporate job in San Francisco.
190	14	"The Price Is Wrong"	Malcolm-Jamal Warner	Gordon Gartrelle & Janet Leahy	January 9, 1992	0815
Pam, Lance, Charmaine, and a group of senior citizens protest a grocery chain that gives preferential treatment to customers in wealthier neighborhoods.
191	15	"Bring Me the Lip Gloss of Deirdre Arpelle"	John Bowab	Courtney Flavin	January 16, 1992	0816
Kenny pretends that he is dating another girl, in order to make Rudy jealous and force Stanley out of the picture. First appearance of Gabrielle Carmouche as Deirdre. Guest appearance by Ed Lover.
192	16	"Eat, Drink and Be Wary"	Carl Lauten & Malcolm-Jamal Warner	Jill Condon & Leslie Strain	January 30, 1992	0726
Rudy and her friends want to go on the subway. Guest appearance by Debbi Morgan. This episode was originally produced for season 7.
193	17	"The Getaway"	Chuck Vinson	Hugh O'Neill	February 6, 1992	0817
Sondra, Elvin, and the twins finally move into their own house in New Jersey. Guest appearances by NCAA basketball coaches Jim Valvano and Dick Vitale.
194	18	"Cliff Gets Jilted"	John Bowab	Stuart Silverman	February 6, 1992	0818
Vanessa and Dabnis announce that they have broken their engagement... and would-be father-in-law Cliff is devastated.
195	19	"Cliff and Theo Come Clean"	John Bowab	Adriana Trigiani	February 13, 1992	0819
Theo decides to turn down the corporate job in San Francisco and attend graduate school in New York. One of the students at the community center finds $600. Last appearance of Eugene Byrd as Eugene.
196	20	"Clair's Reunion"	Carl Lauten & Anne-Louise Wallace	Marcia L. Leslie	February 20, 1992	0820
Clair and her college friends plan a retirement party for one of their former professors from Hillman. Vanessa brings home a Senegalese exchange student. Guest appearances by Margaret Avery, CCH Pounder, and Daphne Maxwell Reid.
197	21	"Rudy's Retreat"	Carl Lauten & Maynard C. Virgil I	Lisa S. Benjamin & Nina Combs	February 27, 1992	0821
Cliff and Clair see Rudy changing. While preparing their wills, Sondra and Elvin try to determine who should be the twins' legal guardian if the couple should both die. Charmaine and Lance prepare to visit Hillman College. Karen Malina White and Allen Payne appear on the episode of A Different World which airs later that evening. In the fall of 1992, White becomes a regular cast member of that series.
198	22	"You Can't Stop the Music"	Alan Smithee	Gardenia Gabrielle & Ben Gramin	March 26, 1992	0811
Cliff and Clair go to a local radio station for a live salsa performance. Kenny babysits Olivia. Graciela, Willie Colón, and Mario Bauza and His Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra appear as themselves.
199	23	"Some Gifts Aren't Deductible"	John Bowab	Courtney Flavin	April 23, 1992	0822
Kenny turns to Rudy and Cliff for help after lying to his girlfriend about plans for her birthday party. Cliff and Clair work on their income tax return. Last appearances of Merlin Santana as Stanley and Gabrielle Carmouche as Deirdre. The Uptown String Quartet performs James Brown's "I Feel Good".
200	24	"And So We Commence (Part 1)"	Jay Sandrich	Courtney Flavin, Gordon Gartrelle, Janet Leahy & Hugh O'Neill	April 30, 1992	0823
Theo prepares to graduate from New York University. An elated Cliff continues to invite additional people to the ceremony, despite the fact that Theo only has a limited number of tickets. The two-part series finale aired on the evening of Day 2 of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. Bill Cosby appeared on KNBC in an attempt to end hostilities, asking viewers to stop what they were doing and instead watch the series finale of show.
201	25	"And So We Commence (Part 2)"	Jay Sandrich	Courtney Flavin, Gordon Gartrelle, Janet Leahy & Hugh O'Neill	April 30, 1992	0824
As Theo graduates from NYU, Cliff remembers how a 14 year old Theo received D's in 9th grade and had no desire to attend college at all (features flashbacks to scenes from the very first episode in 1984). Denise telephones and reveals that she is pregnant. Olivia leaves to join Denise and Martin in Singapore. In the final scene, Bill Cosby (Cliff) gets the front doorbell to work properly at last; he and Phylicia Rashād (Clair) share a dance which leads them off the set to the applause of the studio audience. The scene is immediately followed by a 3-minute "thank you" tribute from NBC.

References

1. ^ TV Guide Book of Lists. Running Press. 20078. pp. 185. ISBN 0-7624-3007-1. 
2. ^ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. pp. 1436. ISBN 0-345-45542-8. 
3. ^ CHRONICLE - BILL COSBY has stopped using a mural designed for the opening credits of The Cosby Show. By Susan Heller Anderson Published: October 18, 1990, The New York Times

External links

• List of The Cosby Show episodes at TV.com