MovieChat Forums > The Cosby Mysteries (1994) Discussion > A show ahead of it's time

A show ahead of it's time

posted 11 years ago by blutraine
5 replies | jump to latest

Now bear with me. I am not saying that this was the greatest show ever made. But I am saying that perhaps it was a concept that came on the air too early. Just think about all the crime shows that have aired in the last decade. There are two groups...the die hard dramas such as CSI, Law and Order etc. and the other group which includes shows like Monk, Psych, Castle etc. I am a fan of both types of shows but one has to admit the comedy-crime show has garnered a huge following and great success (Monk for instance). I suggest in some way Cosby's more comedic and "lighthearted" approach to crime mystery foreshadowed all of these shows so many have come to love. Think about the cast of the Cosby Mysteries...it was quite an amazing group of actors when you think about it (even Mos Def shined). Perhaps we need to re-evaluate the show as I think it is better than IMDB users have rated it.

[–] AlanClarke (73) 3 years ago

Hardly. It aired at the same time as the second season of "Diagnosis Murder" and the eleventh season of "Murder, She Wrote". There were many comedic mysteries in the 70s and 80s but the market dried up in the 90s after audiences grew a taste for the "Law & Order" style grit. The above-mentioned lighthearted mysteries were the last of the genre until the interest for it was rekindled in the early 2000s. In that sense, "The Cosby Mysteries" was not ahead of its time but well, well behind it. Also compared with "Diagnosis Murder" it is a lifeless, dull, unfunny show with predictable mystery plots and a shockingly stolid pace. Bill Cosby's listless performance is no match for Dick Van Dyke's comedic energy.

[–] Stratego (30534) 3 years ago

Like the other poster said, there already was Diagnosis Murder. Matlock also had a lot of comedy. The cosy murder mystery genre was falling out of favour in the mid 90s.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8719) 3 years ago

I'm always down for a good cozy murder mystery. It seems like a lost art now, though.

Anything along those lines that I've seen recently just feel like pale imitations of old shows that were actually good. But maybe I just haven't seen the right shows.

[–] Stratego (30534) 3 years ago

I 100% agree with you. I also miss shows like that. I've started watching this show right now on Youtube, because I never really watched it back in the day. I've only seen the first half of the pilot movie, so I can't really comment yet.

[–] AlanClarke (73) 3 years ago

There are a few good ones on right now. I love cosy mysteries and get my fix with shows like "Death in Paradise" (although it was in its prime during the Kris Marshall years) and "Queens of Mystery".