The Cosby Show

At the beginning of the pilot, Sondra, the Huxtables' eldest daughter, was added as an afterthought. However, when Clair Huxtable mentions the couple's four children, they decide to add another child to represent the results of a good upbringing. The casting came down to 26-year-old Sabrina Le Beauf and 21-year-old Whitney Houston. LeBeauf was too old for the role, only ten years younger than Phylicia Rashad. However, Houston refused to sign a contract committing her to the show as she wanted to pursue her singing career. This forced the producer's hand, and LeBeauf was given the role of Sondra.

In the pilot, Clair asks, "Cliff, why do we have four children?" He replies, "Because we didn't want to have five." A few episodes later, Sondra was added to the cast as their their eldest-of-five, who was away at college.

The season after Lisa Bonet left the series, Bill Cosby can be seen holding a photo of Bonet during the opening credits.

The season 1 DVD set was made up of edited, syndication-length episodes missing about 2 minutes per episode from their original broadcast. It was only because of the consumer outcry that season 2 and beyond were released unedited. The "Complete Series" set includes all 8 seasons, including the first one, in the original uncut network versions.

Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: George Carlin/Keshia Knight Pulliam (1984)