When you think of Bill Cosby's television career, you can't help but think of his many successful series.

Cosby rode out the Sixties with two series, 'I-Spy' (1965 - 1968), which won him three best dramatic actor Emmys three years in a row, followed by the excellent 'Bill Cosby Show' (1969 - 1971), a sitcom featuring Cosby as a high school gym teacher.

In the Eighties, 'The Cosby Show' dominated prime-time, and even the Nineties have brought the actor/comedian acceptance with his new series "Cosby' running for four years on CBS. And who can forget 'Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids', which ran for a whopping twelve years on CBS Saturday mornings, from 1972-1984.

Prime-time success eluded Bill Cosby in the Seventies, however. Debuting September 11, 1972 on CBS, The New Bill Cosby Show was his first high profile failure. It was also Cosby's best series, in my very humble estimation.

Lots of time was given over to Bill Cosby for his smooth and lengthy monologues - they were more stories than jokes, often lasting seven or eight minutes. "I'm only 34 years old", the star was quoted as saying, "My time is now. If it isn't now, it may be never. And I can't afford never. I never could."