Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids is an animated series created, produced, and hosted by comedian Bill Cosby, who also lent his voice to a number of characters, including Fat Albert himself. The show premiered in 1972 and ran until 1985 (with new episodes being produced on an "on and off" basis during that time frame). The show, based on Cosby's remembrances of his childhood gang, centered on Albert (known for his catchphrase "Hey hey hey!"), and his friends.

Live action bumpers featuring Bill Cosby were set around animated episodes of Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids, a series about a group of urban adolescents growing up in a Philadelphia neighborhood. The show was based on Cosby's '60s stand up comedy monologues about his childhood.

The episodes revolved around the daily life lessons learned by Albert and his friends. Topics ranged from social issues to personal introspection and were blended with humor and music. Among the many great characters that inhabited Fat Albert's world were Rudy, Mushmouth, Donald, Bill, Weird Harold and Russell.

In 1979 the show was re-titled The New Fat Albert Show and featured a new segment called The Brown Hornet, a send-up of superhero cartoons starring a larger-than-life African-American crime fighter in outer space.

In 1984, the show was syndicated and renamed The Adventures of Fat Albert and the Cosby kids. It ended the same year. Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids enjoyed one of the longest careers in Saturday morning cartoon history.

Cast and Characters

Voices

• Bill Cosby as Fat Albert/Mushmouth/Bill/Mudfoot Brown
• Lou Scheimer as Dumb Donald
• Jan Crawford as Russell
• Gerald Edwards as Weird Harold
• Eric Suter as Rudy Davis
• Jay Scheimer as Mrs. Bryfogel/The Brown Hornet
  Junkyard Band
• Fat Albert
• Mushmouth
• Dumb Donald
• Bill
• Russell
• Weird Harold
• Rudy Davis
• Bucky
  Recurring characters
• Mrs. Bryfogel
• Mudfoot Brown
• The Brown Hornet
• Stinger
• Computer (Tweeterbell)
• Legal Eagle
• Margene

Broadcast History

First Telecast:September 9, 1972
Last Telecast: December 14, 1985
Number of Episodes: 109
Original Network: CBS

Theme Song and Opening Credits

>
"Hey, hey, hey! It's Fat Albert!"
And I'm gonna sing a song for you
And Bill's gonna show you a thing or two
You'll have some fun now with me and all the gang
Learning from each other
While we do our thing
Nah, nah, nah -- gonna have a good time (hey, hey, hey!)
Nah, nah, nah -- gonna have a good time
"This is Bill Cosby coming atcha with music and fun
And if you're not careful, you may learn something before it's done! (1984 version: So get ready)
Hey, hey, hey!"
Nah, nah, nah -- gonna have a good time
Nah, nah, nah -- gonna have a good time
Nah, nah, nah -- gonna have a good time

DVDs