We Need to Talk About Cosby

Last updated

We Need to Talk About Cosby
We Need to Talk About Cosby.jpg
Genre Documentary
Directed by W. Kamau Bell
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
  • W. Kamau Bell
  • Andrew Fried
  • Katie A. King
  • Dane Lillegard
  • Jordan Wynn
  • Sarina Roma
  • Vinnie Malhotra
Running time58-60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Showtime
ReleaseJanuary 30 (2022-01-30) –
February 20, 2022 (2022-02-20)

We Need to Talk About Cosby is an American documentary miniseries directed and produced by W. Kamau Bell. It explores the life and career of Bill Cosby up to his sexual assault cases, through conversations with comedians, journalists, and survivors. It premiered on January 30, 2022, on Showtime. [1]

Contents

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byOriginal release date  [2] U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Part 1" W. Kamau Bell January 30, 2022 (2022-01-30)0.166 [3]
While discussing the world Cosby began performing in, it notes how Cosby went from a performer who talked about race in the vein of Dick Gregory into somebody declared "raceless" by the media. It also covers his time on I Spy , especially his fight to get non-white stuntmen, and his early obsession with Spanish Fly. Victoria Valentino recounts her alleged experience of being sexually assaulted by Cosby.
2"Part 2"W. Kamau BellFebruary 6, 2022 (2022-02-06) [a] 0.184 [5]
Cosby's successful career as a children's educator, specifically in the form of Picture Pages and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids , causes many to take note of him, while his attempts at becoming a movie star result in little success. Bill Cosby: Himself brings Cosby back to the world of stand-up comedy, and its status as a massive hit not only provides a new persona for Cosby as a middle-aged fatherly figure, but also allows him to create The Cosby Show .
3"Part 3"W. Kamau BellFebruary 13, 2022 (2022-02-13) [b] 0.126 [6]
The Cosby Show has a successful run on television, launching Cosby to a super-stardom he would spend many years with. African-American viewers in particular gravitate towards the show as an escapist program that presents a world where race doesn't matter. The Murder of Ennis Cosby creates a new Cosby, eventually leading to the Pound Cake speech, which happened at the same time as Andrea Constand's allegations against him.
4"Part 4"W. Kamau BellFebruary 20, 2022 (2022-02-20) [c] 0.145 [7]
Hannibal Buress brings the allegations against Cosby to light through his stand-up comedy, and the black community--along with America in general--have to figure out what they think of somebody once thought of as "America's Dad."

Release

The series had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2022. [8] [9] It was released on January 30, 2022, on Showtime. [10]

Reception

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 99% of 69 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10.The website's consensus reads: "W. Kamau Bell deftly unpacks the Cosby scandal by allowing the conversation to be uncomfortable, yielding a robust examination of the disgraced entertainer and the culture that enabled him." [11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 83 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [12]

Cosby's response

A representative for Cosby issued the following statement days prior to the premiere:

Mr. Cosby has spent more than 50 years standing with the excluded; made it possible for some to be included; standing with the disenfranchised; and standing with those women and men who were denied respectful work because of race and gender within the expanses of the entertainment industries, continues to be the target of numerous media that have, for too many years, distorted and omitted truths... intentionally. Mr. Cosby vehemently denies all allegations waged against him. Let's talk about Bill Cosby. He wants our nation to be what it proclaims itself to be: a democracy. [13] [14]

BBC Airing Controversy

Following the documentary's airing on BBC, many took issue with a statement from one of the film's contributors, Sonalee Rashatwar which saw her claiming a consensual way to do what Cosby did existed and that "sex negatively" is largely responsible for these situations, which many condemned as promoting rape culture. [15] [16]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
2022
 Peabody Awards Documentary honoreeWe Need to Talk About CosbyWon [17]
Black Reel Awards for Television Outstanding Television Documentary or Special We Need to Talk About CosbyWon [18]
Cinema Eye Honours Outstanding Nonfiction SeriesNominated [19] [20]
Outstanding Broadcast EditingMeg RamsayWon
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards Best Limited Documentary SeriesWe Need to Talk About CosbyNominated [21]
Gotham Independent Film Awards Breakthrough Nonfiction Series Won [22]
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Streaming Docuseries or Non-Fiction SeriesWon [23]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series W. Kamau Bell, Andrew Fried, Katie A King, Vinnie Malhotra, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma, Jordan Wynn, Geraldine L. Porras, and Erik AdolphsonNominated [24]
Outstanding Narrator W. Kamau Bell (for "Part 1")Nominated
Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program Nominated
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program Meg Ramsay and Jennifer Brooks (for "Part 1")Nominated
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in News and Information We Need to Talk About CosbyNominated [25] [26]

Notes

  1. ↑ Part 2 was released on Showtime's on-demand and streaming platforms on January 30, 2022, ahead of its weekly premiere. [4]
  2. ↑ Part 3 was released on Showtime's on-demand and streaming platforms on January 30, 2022, ahead of its weekly premiere. [4]
  3. ↑ Part 4 was released on Showtime's on-demand and streaming platforms on January 30, 2022, ahead of its weekly premiere. [4]

References

  1. ↑ Grobar, Matt (January 19, 2022). "Showtime Unveils New 'We Need To Talk About Cosby' Trailer Ahead Of W. Kamau Bell Docuseries' Sundance Premiere". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  2. ↑ "We Need to Talk About Cosby". The Futon Critic . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  3. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (February 1, 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Sunday 1.30.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "We Need to Talk About Cosby". Showtime . January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  5. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (February 8, 2022). "Showbuzz Daily's Sunday 2.6.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  6. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (February 15, 2022). "Showbuzz Daily's Sunday 2.6.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  7. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (February 23, 2022). "Showbuzz Daily's Sunday 2.20.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  8. ↑ "We Need to Talk About Cosby". Sundance Film Festival . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  9. ↑ Lang, Brent (December 9, 2021). "Sundance Unveils 2022 Feature Lineup, Including Films From Lena Dunham, Amy Poehler and Netflix's Kanye West Doc". Variety . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  10. ↑ Yuma, Jennifer (December 20, 2021). "Showtime Documentary Films Announces 'We Need To Talk About Cosby' Premiere Date (TV News Roundup)". Variety. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  11. ↑ "We Need to Talk About Cosby: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  12. ↑ "We Need to Talk About Cosby: Season 1". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  13. ↑ Legaspi, Althea (January 26, 2022). "Bill Cosby Responds to 'PR Hack' W. Kamau Bell on Damning New Series". Rolling Stone . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  14. ↑ Towers, Andrea (January 26, 2022). "Bill Cosby responds to accusations in We Need to Talk About Cosby docuseries, rep calls director a 'PR hack'". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  15. ↑ Badshah, Nadeem (March 7, 2023). "Bill Cosby documentary: BBC under fire over therapist comments". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  16. ↑ Corless, Blathnaid (March 7, 2023). "BBC under fire for documentary calling for women to be 'paid to be drugged before sex'". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  17. ↑ Voyles, Blake (September 6, 2023). "83rd Peabody Award Winners" . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  18. ↑ Tinoco, Armando (August 15, 2022). "Black Reel TV Awards: Quinta Brunson & 'Abbott Elementary' Lead Winners List". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  19. ↑ Carey, Matthew (October 20, 2022). "Cinema Eye Honors: 'Four Hours At The Capitol,' 'The Beatles: Get Back' Lead First Round Of Nominations For Documentary Awards Show". Deadline . Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  20. ↑ MacCary, Julia; Shafer, Ellise (January 12, 2023). "'All That Breathes,' 'Fire of Love' Lead Cinema Eye Honors". Variety . Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  21. ↑ Davis, Clayton (October 17, 2022). "'Fire of Love' and 'Good Night Oppy' Lead Critics Choice Documentary Award Nominations". Variety . Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  22. ↑ Shanfield, Ethan (October 25, 2022). "'Tár' Leads Gotham Awards Nominations: Full List". Variety . Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  23. ↑ Verhoeven, Beatrice (July 7, 2022). "'This Is Us,' 'Succession,' 'Severance' Lead 2022 HCA TV Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  24. ↑ Moreau, Jordan (July 12, 2022). "Emmys 2022: Complete Nominations List". Variety . Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  25. ↑ Cordero, Rosy (June 16, 2022). "'Abbott Elementary' Scores Most TCA Award Nods; 'Squid Game' & 'Only Murders In The Building' Also Among Honorees". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  26. ↑ Hailu, Selome (August 6, 2022). "'Abbott Elementary' Tops 2022 TCA Awards". Variety . Retrieved August 6, 2022.
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