Little Bill

Last updated
Little Bill
Little Bill logo.png
Genre Children's television series
Educational
Created by Bill Cosby [1]
Based on
Little Bill
by
  • Bill Cosby
  • Varnette P. Honeywood
Developed byFracaswell Hyman
Directed by
Creative directorRobert Scull
Voices of
Theme music composerBill Cosby, Don Braden, and Jon Faddis
Composers Stu Gardner and Art Lisi
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2 [2]
No. of episodes52 [3] [4] (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Robert Scull
  • Shawn Cuddy
  • Irene Sherman
  • Fracaswell Hyman
Running time24 minutes
Production companies Nickelodeon Animation Studio New York
(credited as Nick Jr. Productions)
Original release
Network Nickelodeon [a]
ReleaseNovember 28, 1999 (1999-11-28) 
February 6, 2004 (2004-02-06)

Little Bill is an American animated educational children's television series created by Bill Cosby. [1] It is based on the Little Bill book series, written by Cosby with illustrations by Varnette P. Honeywood. [6] Cosby also composed some of the theme music, appeared in live-action in the show's intro sequence, and voiced the recurring character of Captain Brainstorm. [7] It was Cosby's second animated series, after Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids . [8]

Contents

The show's main character, Little Bill, is a fictionalized younger version of Cosby; [8] the show's executive producer, Janice Burgess, described the character as "little Bill Cosby." [9] Each episode features Little Bill learning a lesson while interacting with his large family and group of friends. The show was developed with a panel of educational consultants. [6] The show is set in Philadelphia, Cosby's hometown. [9] Little Bill's personality was inspired by both Cosby himself and his son, Ennis Cosby; Little Bill's catchphrase "Hello, friend!" was originally a greeting that Ennis used. [10]

The series originally ran on Nickelodeon [11] from November 28, 1999 to February 6, 2004, and reruns continued until December 22, 2006. [12] In September 2007, Nickelodeon announced that Little Bill would permanently move to the Noggin channel. [13] [14] It premiered on Noggin on September 10, 2007. [5] Reruns continued to air until 2014, when the show was pulled from the air due to allegations of sexual assault against Cosby. [15]

Premise

Set in Philadelphia, the show centers on Little Bill Glover as he explores everyday life through his imagination. Little Bill lives with his parents, his great grandmother Alice (nicknamed Alice the Great), his older sister April, and brother Bobby. Each episode includes a daydreaming sequence where Little Bill imagines a fantastical scenario. [8] At the end of every episode, he breaks the fourth wall by summarizing his day to the audience by talking to the audience or Elephant, his hamster, before going to bed, and a family member offscreen asks, "Little Bill, who are you talking to?" causing Little Bill to laugh.

Broadcast history

Little Bill was first announced in 1997. [10] It aired on Nickelodeon from November 28, 1999 to February 6, 2004. The first eight episodes debuted on Sunday nights before airing on Nick Jr. at a later date. The series secured a regular weekday timeslot on Nick Jr. beginning on September 4, 2000. Nick Jr. aired reruns until December 22, 2006. The series also aired on Nick on CBS from September 16, 2000 [16] until September 9, 2006. In September 2007, Little Bill was moved to the Noggin channel, [14] which advertised it as a "new series". [5] Noggin aired five "premiere episodes" from September 10 to September 15, 2007. [5]

Reruns of Little Bill were shown on Noggin and the Nick Jr. channel until February 21, 2014, when Nickelodeon removed the show from its services. [15] In addition to pulling reruns, Little Bill was removed from NickJr.com in 2014. [17] Commenting on the show's removal from television, Distractify wrote: "Perhaps Little Bill should be left in the past." [15]

In 2017, the American Library Association said that the Little Bill series was one of the books most often targeted for removal in school libraries due to the sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby. [18] In December 2014, TV Guide noted that Little Bill episodes had become difficult to find after the allegations, since the show was no longer aired on television. [19]

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 26November 28, 1999 (1999-11-28) [8] March 19, 2002 (2002-03-19)
2 26May 7, 2001 (2001-05-07)February 6, 2004 (2004-02-06)

Characters

Glover household

Friends and neighbors

Several episodes were released to VHS and DVD by Paramount Home Media Distribution. A computer game, Little Bill Thinks Big, was released on September 29, 2003 for Windows XP and Macintosh. [23]

Main video releases

NameRelease DateNumber of EpisodesEpisode Titles
Me and My FamilyJune 5, 20014
  • "Are We There Yet?"/"Super Family Fun Land!"
  • "The Neighborhood Park"/"The Magic Quilt"
Big Little BillJune 5, 20014
  • "Big Kid"/"Just a Baby"
  • "The Bills Go to Work"/"Miss Murray's Wedding"
What I Did at SchoolAugust 21, 20014
  • "Picture Day"/"Copy Cat"
  • "The Snack Helper"/"The Stage Trick"
I Love Animals!February 5, 20024
  • "The Zoo"/"My Pet Elephant"
  • "Wabbit Worries"/"Wabbit Babies"
Merry Christmas, Little Bill!September 24, 20023
  • "Merry Christmas, Little Bill!"
  • "Summertime in the Wintertime"/"Snowracer"

Episodes on Nick Jr. compilation DVDs

NameRelease DateNumber of EpisodesEpisode Titles
Nick Jr. HolidaySeptember 24, 20021
  • "Merry Christmas, Little Bill!"
Nick Jr. Celebrates Spring!March 2, 20042
  • "The Skating Lesson"/"Mr. Moth"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 1May 24, 20051
  • "Little Bill's Adventure with Captain Brainstorm"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 2October 18, 20051
  • "Little Bill's Giant Space Adventure"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 3February 7, 20062
  • "Same Moon, Same Sun, Same Star"/"All Together Now"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 4June 6, 20062
  • "Racing Time"/"All Tied Up"
Nick Jr. Favorites HolidaySeptember 26, 20061
  • "Merry Christmas, Little Bill!"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 5March 13, 20072
  • "The Zoo"/"My Pet Elephant"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 6August 7, 20072
  • "Ready, Set, Read!"/"I Got a Letter"

Awards

Emmy Awards

Peabody Award

Footnotes

  1. On September 10, 2007, Little Bill was moved to the Noggin channel, which billed it as a "new series" and labeled episodes as "premieres." [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Cosby Show</i> American television sitcom (1984–1992)

The Cosby Show is an American television sitcom created by and starring Bill Cosby that originally aired on NBC from September 20, 1984, to April 30, 1992, with a total of 201 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons, including an outtakes special. The show focuses on the Huxtables, an upper middle-class Black-American family living in Brooklyn, New York; the series was based on comedy routines in Cosby's stand-up comedy act, which in turn were based on his family life. The series was followed by a spin-off, titled A Different World, which ran from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993, with a total of six seasons consisting of 144 episodes.

<i>Cosby</i> (TV series) American television series

Cosby is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 16, 1996, to April 28, 2000. The program starred Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad, who had previously worked together in the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992). Madeline Kahn portrayed their neighborly friend, Pauline, until her death in 1999. The show was adapted from the British sitcom One Foot in the Grave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Jr.</span> Programming block on the Nickelodeon television channel

Nick Jr. is an American morning programming block that airs on Nickelodeon every weekday. It was launched on January 4, 1988. Nick Jr. features a lineup of shows aimed at children aged 2 through 8.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phylicia Rashad</span> American actress (born 1948)

Phylicia Rashad is an American actress. She was most recently dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University before her three-year contract ended in May 2024. She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992) which earned her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations in 1985 and 1986. She also played Ruth Lucas on Cosby (1996–2000).

<i>Oswald</i> (TV series) American-British animated childrens cartoon series

Oswald is a preschool educational children's animated television series created by Dan Yaccarino and developed by Lisa Eve Huberman. The show was co-produced by HIT Entertainment and Nickelodeon. The main character is a thoughtful blue octopus named Oswald who lives in an apartment complex.

<i>Oobi</i> (TV series) American childrens television show

Oobi is an American children's television series produced by Little Airplane Productions for the Noggin channel. The show's concept is based on a training method used by puppeteers, in which they use their hands and a pair of glass eyes instead of a full puppet. The main character is a bare hand puppet named Oobi. The first season was a series of two-minute shorts. For its second and third seasons, it became a long-form series, with episodes lasting 13 minutes each. The show originally aired from 2000 to February 11, 2005, with reruns continuing until March 18, 2013.

<i>Maggie and the Ferocious Beast</i> Canadian animated childrens television series created by Michael and Betty Paraskevas

Maggie and the Ferocious Beast is a Canadian animated children's television series created by Michael and Betty Paraskevas. The program was based on the 1996 book The Ferocious Beast with the Polka-Dot Hide and its sequels, which were also written by the Paraskevas. Two years later, the show started off as a series of shorts aired on the Canadian channel Teletoon in 1998. The first full-length episode first premiered on Nickelodeon as part of the Nick Jr. programming block on June 5, 2000, in the United States before premiering on Teletoon on August 26 of that same year in Canada. The series ran for three seasons, airing its final episode on June 9, 2002.

<i>Pelswick</i> Canadian-Chinese animated television series

John Callahan's Pelswick is a Canadian-Chinese animated television series created by John Callahan for CBC. It was co-produced by Nelvana Limited and Suzhou Hong Ying Animation Company Limited. The series is about the title character, a paraplegic who uses a wheelchair, emphasizing that he lived a normal life. It was based on Callahan's comics. Callahan's dark humor was toned down somewhat, allowing the show to have a positive and life-affirming attitude appropriate for its audience. The show was groundbreaking for its portrayal of physically disabled people. The show aired on Nickelodeon in the United States and was billed as the network's original programming, despite not being a Nicktoon.

<i>Cousin Skeeter</i> American sitcom

Cousin Skeeter is an American sitcom, that originally aired on Nickelodeon from 1998 to 2002. It starred Robert Ri'chard as Bobby, a young boy whose life is changed when his strange cousin, Skeeter, comes to stay with his family. With Skeeter's help, Bobby learns life lessons and tackles the ups and downs of growing up. The show also included Meagan Good as Bobby's friend Nina, Rondell Sheridan as Bobby's father Andre, and Angela Means as Bobby's mother Vanessa. Skeeter is portrayed by a hand puppet with Bill Bellamy providing his voice, and Drew Massey performing the puppetry, assisted by Alice Dinnean. Within the show, Skeeter is treated like a regular human and no mention of him being a puppet is made. Although the series was shot in a single-camera format, the show used a laugh track.

<i>Cro</i> (TV series) 1993 American TV series or program

Cro is an American animated television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop and Film Roman. It was partially funded by the National Science Foundation. Every episode has an educational theme, introducing basic concepts of physics, mechanical engineering, and technology. The show's narrator is an orange woolly mammoth named Phil, who was found frozen in ice by a scientist named Dr. C and her assistant, Mike. After they defrost him, Phil tells both of them about life in the Ice Age, including stories about his friend Cro, a Cro-Magnon boy.

<i>Phred on Your Head Show</i> American childrens television series

Phred on Your Head Show is an American children's television series produced for Noggin, a cable channel co-founded by MTV Networks and Sesame Workshop. The first episode aired on June 6, 1999. Noggin aired encore showings of the first episode throughout June and started airing the show regularly on July 26, 1999. The show stars a small green character named Phred, voiced by Doug Preis, who has his own variety show. In each episode, Phred hops across different people's heads to find a host, who then chooses a selection of Noggin programs to play.

<i>Jacks Big Music Show</i> American musical television series

Jack's Big Music Show is an American musical children's television series produced for the Noggin channel. It was created and executive produced by David Rudman, Todd Hannert, and Adam Rudman through their company Spiffy Pictures. The premiere episode was simulcast on both Noggin and its sister channel, Nickelodeon, on September 12, 2005. The show ran for two seasons and 26 episodes in total, which finished airing on October 13, 2007.

<i>Little Bear</i> (TV series) Childrens animated television series

Little Bear, also known as Maurice Sendak's Little Bear, is a Canadian children's animated television series co-produced by Nelvana Limited in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is based on the Little Bear series of books, which were written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. In the United States, the show premiered on Nickelodeon as part of the Nick Jr. block on November 6, 1995, until the final episode aired on June 1, 2001. The show also aired on CBS on Saturday mornings from September 16, 2000, until September 15, 2001.

<i>Holly Hobbie & Friends</i> 2006 American TV series or program

Holly Hobbie & Friends is a series of American animated specials produced by Nickelodeon and American Greetings. It is the first series to star the Holly Hobbie doll, albeit redesigned from her traditional look. The specials aired on both Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block and the separate Noggin channel.

<i>Allegras Window</i> American childrens television series

Allegra's Window is an American musical children's television series that aired on Nickelodeon during its Nick Jr. block from October 24, 1994, to December 8, 1996, with reruns being shown until February 5, 1999; it was later shown on Noggin from February 2, 1999, to April 6, 2003. The series deals with the daily life of a precocious, imaginative puppet character named Allegra, and featured live actors, puppets and animation, that was the similar to Sesame Street. The show was created by Jan Fleming, John Hoffman and Jim Jinkins, the latter of whom is also the creator of Doug. Two of the puppeteers, Kathryn Mullen and Anthony Asbury, would later work together on the PBS series Between the Lions as the performers of Lionel and Leona Lion.

<i>The Upside Down Show</i> Childrens television series

The Upside Down Show is a children's television series produced by Blink Films and Sesame Workshop. It was made for Noggin, a channel co-founded by Sesame Workshop. The series is set in a strange apartment building where the doors lead to a variety of unusual rooms. It is presented by brothers David and Shane, who live in the apartment building with their sidekick Puppet, their neighbor Mrs. Foil, and a group of fuzzy creatures called the Schmuzzies. In each episode, David gives the viewers an imaginary remote control that affects the characters and their surroundings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noggin (brand)</span> American childrens edutainment brand (1999-2024)

Noggin was an American edutainment brand that launched on February 2, 1999. It was co-founded by MTV Networks and Sesame Workshop. It started out as a cable television channel and a website, both centered around the concepts of imagination, creativity, and education. From 2015 to 2024, Noggin was a streaming service.

References

  1. 1 2 Zurawik, David (November 28, 1999). "Cosby's 'Little Bill' sends the right message to kids". The Baltimore Sun .
  2. "Little Bill, Episode 224". NickJr.com . 2004. Archived from the original on July 6, 2016.
  3. "Little Bill episodes". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  4. "Little Bill". IMDb .
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Shows - Little Bill". Noggin . Archived from the original on September 1, 2007.
  6. 1 2 "Little Bill". noggin.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  7. "'Little Bill' Has a Brainstorm". Tulsa World . June 4, 2000.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Owen, Rob (November 29, 1999). "'Little Bill' takes aim at kids, not merchandise". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Based on the books by Bill Cosby, "Little Bill" won't remind viewers of Cosby's "Fat Albert."
  9. 1 2 3 "Met Him on a Fun Day and His Name Is Bill". The New York Times . May 6, 2001. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. 'Little Bill is, in a way little Bill Cosby,' said Janice Burgess
  10. 1 2 3 Mehren, Elizabeth (December 12, 1997). "Cos and Effect". Los Angeles Times.
  11. "Nickelodeon's 'Little Bill' Debuts as First African American Balloon In 76th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade". PRNewswire.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  12. "Nick Jr. TV Schedule: Week of December 18, 2006". NickJr.com . December 18, 2006. Archived from the original on December 19, 2006.
  13. "PR: Bill Cosby's 'Little Bill' Starts on Noggin on September 10, 2007". PR Newswire . 6 September 2007. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022.
  14. 1 2 "Little Bill NOGGIN Release" (PDF). Nickelodeon Press . September 5, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 12, 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 Piazza, Bianca (January 21, 2022). "'Little Bill' Boasts a Darker Energy Today Than It Did in 1999 — Is Bill Cosby the Protagonist?". Distractify .
  16. Shrivastava, K M (2005). Broadcast Journalism in the 21st Century. New Dawn Press Group. p. 56. ISBN   9788120735972 . Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  17. "NickJr.com". Archived from the original on December 14, 2014.
  18. Grinberg, Emmanuella (April 10, 2017). "Bill Cosby's 'Little Bill' books targeted for censorship, library group says". CNN .
  19. Schneider, Michael (December 1, 2014). "How Bill Cosby's Tarnished Legacy Impacts His Business". TV Guide .
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Meet the Characters of Little Bill". NickJr.com . 2009. Archived from the original on June 5, 2013.
  21. Bill Cosby. "Bill Cosby - June 15, 2014". All of the characteristics of Little Bill include Ennis and Big Bill (I am Big Bill - my memories of around that age).
  22. Goldberg, Lesley (February 29, 2012). "'The Cosby Show's' Phylicia Rashad Joins NBC Drama Pilot". The Hollywood Reporter .
  23. "Little Bill Thinks Big". Amazon. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  24. 61st Annual Peabody Awards, May 2002.