The Cosby Show Quiz

ENTERTAINMENT

By: Olivia Cantor

5 Min Quiz

Image: Youtube

About This Quiz

Did you watch every episode of "The Cosby Show"... twice? Then take this quiz to find out how much you remember.

Bill Cosby was one of the most successful comedians of his time. It stands to reason, then, that he would turn a successful stand-up career into an equally successful television sitcom. "The Cosby Show" was based on Cosby's stand up routines. "The Cosby Show" aired for the first time on September 20, 1984. It ran for eight seasons and a total of 201 episodes. Critics have hailed the show as leading the way for other television shows that featured African Americans in lead roles.

"The Cosby Show" starred Bill Cosby as Cliff Huxtable, an obstetrician; Phylicia Rashad as Cliff's wife, Clair, an attorney; and Sabrina La Beauf, Lisa Bonet, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe, Keshia Knight Pulliam as the five Huxtable children. The show was well received by nearly everyone, with just a few detractors insisting that it led people to believe that racism was not an issue in today's world. Over "The Cosby Show's" eight-year run, it garnered a host of awards including Emmys, Golden Globes, and People's Choice Awards.

Think you're ready to take "The Cosby Show" quiz? Let's get started.

Who is the central figure of the show, after whom the show is named?

Regardless of current controversies, Bill Cosby is still considered an influential figure in comedy TV.

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What was Bill Cosby’s fictional character name in this comedy series?

His original name on the pilot, though, was Clifford.

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What is Cliff Huxtable’s occupation?

Dr. Cliff Huxtable is actually an ob-gyne.

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Clair Huxtable is also a professional in her own right. What is her job?

In an episode, Clair successfully defended her eldest daughter in a case against anomalous car repair people.

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Out of those 5 kids, how many were boys?

The middle child is also their only boy.

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Who is the second Huxtable kid, the kinda rebellious and artsy one?

Denise was played by Lisa Bonet.

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What is the name of the Huxtable’s only son?

Theo was played by Malcolm Jamal Warner.

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What is the name of the brainy Huxtable kid who actually went to college a year ahead than expected?

Vanessa was played by Tempestt Bledsoe.

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What is the name of the youngest and perhaps most precocious Huxtable kid?

Rudy was played by Keshia Knight Pulliam.

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What is the name of Denise’s stepdaughter, the precocious 3-year old who immediately became a beloved member of the Huxtable household?

Olivia was played by Raven Symone.

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Denise Huxtable later met a single dad who became her husband. What is his name?

Martin Kendall was played by Joseph C. Phillips.

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The Cosby Show featured this fictional family.

This family sitcom revolved around the Huxtable couple dealing with their children as they grow up.

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What is the name of the eldest Huxtable kid?

Sabrina LeBeauf played Sondra.

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What is the name of Cliff Huxtable’s wife?

Clair is played by Phylicia Rashad.

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Sondra Huxtable and her husband had twins. What was their names?

Sondra got married in season 4, and the twins came soon after.

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Theo Huxtable demonstrated this learning disability which made it difficult for him at first to adjust to college life.

Theo was able to successfully hurdle this learning disability, even becoming a student teacher in the final season of the show to teach students with dyslexia, too.

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Cliff Huxtable loved this particular kind of music, which had the show guesting famous musicians playing the genre.

Cliff has an extensive collection of jazz albums which he always mentions in the show.

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Which future husband of the Huxtable kids was always confronted by their strong-willed mother Clair because of his male chauvinistic tendencies?

Elvin was played by Geoffrey Owens.

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How many kids does the Huxtable couple have?

Originally, the Huxtables were designed to only have 4 children.

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Rudy Huxtable was originally a male character, until they changed it to accommodate Keshia Knight Pulliam. Which other young teen actor originally auditioned for this role?

Urkel eventually became as famous as the Huxtable kids.

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The Cosby Show had famous musicians as guests from time to time. Which famous piano-playing African-American '80s singer appeared as himself in the show?

Stevie Wonder appeared as a guest in season 2.

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What is the title of the spinoff series which featured the life of Denise Huxtable in another location?

A Different World featured Denise’s new school life in the fictional African-American college called Hillman College.

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This known 1980s-1990s character actress, who co-starred with Eddie Murphy in Boomerang, also guested in the show.

Givens starred in the sitcom Head of the Class in the '80s.

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Which of the Huxtable kids starred in a spinoff series of the show?

Denise left the main series during season 3 to star in this spinoff series.

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Because of the show, the term "Huxtable" became part of the US cultural lexicon which pertains to this kind of African-American family.

Depending on the usage and who's using it, the term "Huxtable" could be considered as a neutral or sarcastic adjective.

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Denise’s surprise husband is an officer of which branch of the US armed forces?

Martin was a lieutenant in the navy.

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What is the name of Clair’s distant cousin who lived with the Huxtables during season 7-8?

Pam was played by Erika Alexander.

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Bill Cosby wanted to reflect the importance of education in the show, prompting him to suggest that one of the Huxtable kids be a student of this prestigious ivy league school.

Sondra is the Huxtable kid from Princeton U.

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This other would-be-famous African-American female singer also appeared on the show as a very young extra.

Alicia Keys, credited as Alicia Cook, appeared in season 1 as Rudy’s playmate.

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The Cosby Show is actually a sitcom version of Cosby’s stand-up comedy routines. What does “sitcom” mean?

A sitcom is usually filmed in front of a live audience inside a huge TV studio.

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Actress Sabrina LeBeauf wasn’t supposed to play the eldest Huxtable kid. Which famous singer was first pegged for this role?

Whitney’s stellar career took off at the time of casting, so they had to consider another actress for the role.

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The Cosby Show is a top-rated TV series which aired for 8 seasons. In which genre of TV shows does it belong?

The Cosby Show is considered as one of the top-rated comedy shows of the 1980s.

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During the '80s, The Cosby Show is generally hailed as a TV show that broke barriers in the sitcom genre for having this fact and becoming a top-rated TV show at that.

In the ‘70s and ‘80s, it was rare to have a predominantly African-American cast on primetime television in America that was a consistent ratings topper.

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Out of the 8 seasons of the show’s entire run, how many seasons was it rated as number 1 in the Nielsen ratings?

The show was a consistent number 1 rated show, from season 2 (1985) to season 6 (1989).

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What is the title of the show’s instrumental theme music, co-composed by Bill Cosby himself?

Cosby composed the theme with Stu Gardner.

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