July 7, 1969-July 14, 1972 (SYNDICATED). During the three-year run of his American talk show, David Frost taped the show (approximately 750 programs) each week, Monday through Thursdays. The series was syndicated by Westinghouse.
Thiry three year old Bill Cosby is the solo guest and does most of the talking about his life, and philosophy of comedy. Topics include...his favorite comedians in film, television and stand-up. His admiration is expressed for Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny, Jerry Lewis, Willie Best, and especially Jonathan Winters. Cosby reflection the perception of children including his five year old daughter Erica. Bill states that he waited long and hard to finally have a son, his third child.
Bill remembers his years at Temple University at a time when he wanted to become a teacher. But overshadowing such ambition was his love for stand up comedy, listening incessantly to records by comics and remembering what he felt was funny. He parodied routines by Lenny Bruce and Bob Newhart, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner.
Cosby reflects on working his first jobs in dinky bars and doing a routine about an 80 year old infirmed man who insisted on rolling his own cigarettes. He recalls working in Greenwich Village at the Gaslight for $100 a week.
Bill discusses what his motivation was creating his famous routine of Noah and the Ark.
We are introduces to a clip from a Bill Cosby Show to be aired. Noted is Bill's love of sports in his life from the time he was a youngster, growing up poor and having no Christmas tree, his dislike for reading books, never doing homework, and living on welfare.
Bill taks to David Frost about his own children and the trials raising them with many humorous "father" anecdotes revealed.
Also remembered are his extended family and confrontations he had with his mother and father.
Another clip is shown from a Bill Cosby Show, a routine about quitting smoking with Herb Edelman. A Youngster brought to the show, Brian Vernell, does the "Chicken Heart" routine verbatim right from a Bill Cosby comedy album.
Frost is shocked to hear that Bill Cosby is planning to retire from show business, leaving his series after two seasons. Cosby states that he and his wife Camille plan to move to Massachusetts where he will be enrolling in the University of Massachusetts. He would love to work with children as a teacher...his way.
Note: Some slight transmission noise on track when originally broadcast, which while present does not diminish the clean direct line recording.
