August 01, 2015
Amid legal battles concerning sexual assault allegations against comedian Bill Cosby, the head of his hit show "The Cosby Show" says the legacy of the show may be in jeopardy.
Speaking to TV Insider Friday, Tom Werner, who served as executive producer of the show and whose company Casey-Werner Productions ran the sitcom, said that despite the sullied image, he hoped people could separate Cosby and his show:
"I certainly think that at the moment the show is kind of tarnished. But hopefully people can distinguish between the show and Bill. I think about all the great episodes that we’ve done and the impact that it had. I’m certainly hoping that people can continue to watch it.”
"The Cosby Show," which ran from 1984 to 1992 on NBC, starred Cosby as the father of an upper-class family living in Brooklyn, New York. It was a ratings goldmine during its run, according to TV Guide.
The show's reruns have been pulled from TV Land and BET affiliate Centric TV, according to TV Insider, but remain available for streaming on Hulu and Amazon.
A new show planned for NBC starring Cosby was scrapped in November 2014.
Since allegations against Cosby have entered the limelight, numerous educational grants, murals, and statues using his name or likeness have been discontinued or removed.
