1969: NBC Introduces 'The Bill Cosby Show'
On this day in 1969, NBC introduced The Bill Cosby Show, the comedian's first self-titled sitcom. The series was introduced the year after the cancellation of the ground-breaking series, I Spy, which starred Cosby and Robert Culp. I Spy was the first TV drama to feature an African American in a lead role. The Bill Cosby Show was television's first eponymous African American comedy series.
On The Bill Cosby Show, Cosby played Chet Kincaid, an unmarried California physical education teacher. The show's storylines usually revolved around his character's experiences teaching or coaching his high school students or interacting with members of the community. The series ran two seasons.
Cosby's other series included NBC's mega-hit The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992 and CBS's Cosby, which ran from 1996 to 2000.