“The Cosby Show” is truly upbeat and hilarious. I laughed so hard at times I had to go back to see if I missed anything as I recovered! Bill Cosby does an amazing job finding humor in day to day child rearing. Whether the topic is mediating minor squabbles or discussing the seriousness of drug use the Huxtables handle their children with firm authority, love, and humor. I found this series to be refreshing in that the children really displayed respectful and positive attitudes, something sorely lacking in many TV shows today.

Although this first season of “The Cosby Show” takes the viewer back to a time of parachute pants and break dancing, the subject matter is timeless. I was amazed to find the most basic of lessons taught through these episodes. Some of the themes included to always do your best, honesty, respect and charity. Although many of the episodes were lighthearted and fun like the episode about Denise not wanting Cliff to give her new boyfriend a hard time, some episodes dealt with more serious issues like Theo wanting to prove he is trustworthy. The best thing about this series is that even in the serious situations, the humor never seems to take away from the importance of the message.