Bill Cosby did not enjoy school. His report cards often described him as "disruptive force" or as not being focused on school. He repeated the tenth grade, then dropped out and finished through a correspondence course while in the U.S. Army. Cosby enrolled at Temple University after leaving the Army, but he dropped out to pursue comedy. At one of his first "stage" performances - For which he earned five dollars a night. He hand to climb over the bar and perform his act sitting on a chair perched on a table. The bar could not afford a regular stage and used a table instead. Because Cosby was too tall to stand on top of the table, as other comedians did, he had to sit on the chair to perform.
Eventually, Cosby got bigger and better gigs, including several performances on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. Following one of his appearances on The Tonight Show, television producer Sheldon Leonard contacted Cosby about playing one of the lead roles in a new series he was producing on NBC, I Spy. As co-star in the show, Cosby became the first African-American actor in a lead role on American television drama.
After the show left the air, Cosby put together his own show, The Bill Cosby Show. Although somewhat successful - at one point it was eleventh in the ratings - the show was cancelled after two seasons. Cosby then moved to motion pictures, but his first film, Hickey and Boggs, was poorly received. In 1972, Cosby moved back to television with a comedy/variety show. Unfortunately, The New Bill Cosby Show was pulled from the line-up after only one episode. This left Cosby open to work on an animated television series, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, which soon became a fixture on Saturday morning television. Cos, Cosby's next television series, a variety show for kids, attracted little attention and was cancelled after only two months on the air.
For the next few years, Cosby stayed away from television, except for serving as guest host on The Tonight Show, appearing on several segments of the Electric Company, and hosting Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and the "Picture Pages" segment of the Captain kangaroo show. During this time, Cosby earned a master's degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and in 1977 obtained his doctorate degree in education.
In 1984, Cosby returned to television, starring in a sitcom based on his comedy monologues. NBC executives, wary of Cosby's mixed television success, almost did not put it on the air. The show's producers tried NBC decided to go with the show, but only for a pilot and five episodes. The network extended Cosby's contract when, during its first season, The Cosby Show rose to third place in the ratings. For the next four seasons, it remained number one. After reaching the top twenty, the sitcom remained among the top shows until it went off the air in 1992. Although none of his movies has ever done well at the box office, Cosby earns an estimated $60 million a year from his television shows and commercials, making him one of the most highly paid television personalities in America.
By examining the evidence, It appears that Cosby would had continued to receive compensation as long as "The Cosby Show" remained on the air. It seems that someone decided to cut their business partner out of a deal by attempting to slander his character in the media. I am not pointing the finger at NBC but this is a tactic employed by those who are in high places to gain control over the masses.
Eventually, Cosby got bigger and better gigs, including several performances on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. Following one of his appearances on The Tonight Show, television producer Sheldon Leonard contacted Cosby about playing one of the lead roles in a new series he was producing on NBC, I Spy. As co-star in the show, Cosby became the first African-American actor in a lead role on American television drama.
After the show left the air, Cosby put together his own show, The Bill Cosby Show. Although somewhat successful - at one point it was eleventh in the ratings - the show was cancelled after two seasons. Cosby then moved to motion pictures, but his first film, Hickey and Boggs, was poorly received. In 1972, Cosby moved back to television with a comedy/variety show. Unfortunately, The New Bill Cosby Show was pulled from the line-up after only one episode. This left Cosby open to work on an animated television series, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, which soon became a fixture on Saturday morning television. Cos, Cosby's next television series, a variety show for kids, attracted little attention and was cancelled after only two months on the air.
For the next few years, Cosby stayed away from television, except for serving as guest host on The Tonight Show, appearing on several segments of the Electric Company, and hosting Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and the "Picture Pages" segment of the Captain kangaroo show. During this time, Cosby earned a master's degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and in 1977 obtained his doctorate degree in education.
In 1984, Cosby returned to television, starring in a sitcom based on his comedy monologues. NBC executives, wary of Cosby's mixed television success, almost did not put it on the air. The show's producers tried NBC decided to go with the show, but only for a pilot and five episodes. The network extended Cosby's contract when, during its first season, The Cosby Show rose to third place in the ratings. For the next four seasons, it remained number one. After reaching the top twenty, the sitcom remained among the top shows until it went off the air in 1992. Although none of his movies has ever done well at the box office, Cosby earns an estimated $60 million a year from his television shows and commercials, making him one of the most highly paid television personalities in America.
By examining the evidence, It appears that Cosby would had continued to receive compensation as long as "The Cosby Show" remained on the air. It seems that someone decided to cut their business partner out of a deal by attempting to slander his character in the media. I am not pointing the finger at NBC but this is a tactic employed by those who are in high places to gain control over the masses.