The Cosby Show Wiki
Register
Advertisement

The following is a list of episodes for the third season of the NBC-TV sitcom The Cosby Show. The series aired from September 20, 1984 to April 30, 1992 with 201 episodes produced spanning eight seasons.

Series overview[]

Season Episodes Originally aired DVD set release dates
Season premiere Season finale Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
1 24 September 20, 1984 May 9, 1985 August 2, 2005
January 21, 2014 (re-release)
May 19, 2008 October 4, 2006
2 25 September 26, 1985 May 15, 1986 March 7, 2006
January 21, 2014 (re-release)
August 25, 2008 February 7, 2007
3 25 September 25, 1986 May 7, 1987 June 5, 2007 October 13, 2008  April 4, 2007
4 24 September 24, 1987 April 28, 1988 June 5, 2007 February 9, 2009 November 7, 2007
5 26 October 6, 1988 May 11, 1989 November 6, 2007 -- March 5, 2008
6 27 September 24, 1989 May 3, 1990 November 6, 2007 -- July 9, 2008
7 26 September 20, 1990 May 2, 1991 April 8, 2008 -- January 13, 2010
8 25 September 19, 1991 April 30, 1992 April 8, 2008 -- January 13, 2010

Season 3 (1986-87)[]

41cuin9iXYL
  • This season comprises 25 episodes
  • This season's opening sequence featured the cast dancing to Latin jazz in a gray/blue room. Once again, Bill Cosby is seen at the end of the credits dancing to the music as the production credits appear and at the end, he quickly turns his head and looks into the camera before the sequence fades to black. Two versions of this theme were used. However, the season three theme's long version had some parts cut, instead of a differently composed version of that theme.
  • Phylicia Rashād was pregnant throughout much of this season, so the crew hid her stomach for most of the season, using such devices as staging the character standing behind the kitchen counter or lying in bed under the covers.
  • Producer Carmen Finestra becomes Supervising Producer, as Matt Williams is now listed in the opening credits, as the new Producer.
No. in

series

No. in

season

Title Directed by Written by Original air date Production

code

50 1 "Bring 'Em Back Alive" Jay Sandrich Matt Williams September 25, 1986 0301

The Huxtable house is thrown into chaos after Rudy finds a snake in the basement.

Note: Sabrina Le Beauf does not appear in this episode.

51 2 "Food for Thought" Jay Sandrich John Markus October 2, 1986 0302
Clair challenges Cliff to not eat any salty or fatty foods for the day. Denise leaves for her freshman year at Hillman College. 
52 3 "Golden Anniversary" Jay Sandrich Carmen Finestra October 9, 1986 0303

Russell (Earle Hyman) and Anna's (Clarice Taylor) 50th wedding anniversary. The family performs James Brown's "I Got the Feelin'".

Guest appearance: by Frank Foster and the Count Basie Orchestra

53 4 "Man Talk" Jay Sandrich John Markus October 16, 1986 0305
Though he already has a steady girlfriend, Theo wants to start dating someone else.

 Note: Sabrina Le Beauf and Lisa Bonet both do not appear in this episode.

54 5 "Mother, May I?" Jay Sandrich Susan Fales October 23, 1986 0304
After Clair specifically forbids Vanessa from wearing make-up till she turns 15, she does it anyway behind her mother's back.

Note: Sabrina Le Beauf and Lisa Bonet both do not appear.

55 6 "The March" Tony Singletary Gary Kott October 30, 1986 0306

Theo writes a report on the March on Washington, but gets a poor grade and is asked to redo his project. Much to his surprise he learns more about the march from his family than he did from books. Meanwhile Vanessa is worried about asking a boy to the turn-around dance.

Note: This is the first episode in the series not to be directed by Jay Sandrich. 

56 7 "Theo's Flight" Tony Singletary Gary Kott November 6, 1986 0307

Theo and Cockroach decide they want to learn to fly, but Cliff doesn't want to waste his money on another dream of his son's.

Note: This is the first appearance of  Deon Richmond as Kenny, a.k.a. "Bud". Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf and Lisa Bonet 

57 8 "Vanessa's Rich" Tony Singletary Margaret Beddow Hatch November 13, 1986 0308
Vanessa gets into a fight with a classmate who calls her a stuck-up rich girl (Essence Atkins).

Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf and Lisa Bonet both do not appear.

58 9 "Denise Gets a D" Jay Sandrich Matt Geller November 20, 1986 0309

Denise's college career starts with a D, but Denise is too scared to show her parents. Clair needs to rest in bed because of a pinched nerve. Rudy portrays "the wind" in a school play.

Note: Rosiland Cash guest stars as Dr. Hughes. The episode is preceded by a 30-second anti-drug public service announcement featuring Bill Cosby). 

59 10 "A Girl and Her Dog" Jay Sandrich Chris Auer December 4, 1986 0312

Rudy and Peter find a dog and attempt to take care of it without her parents knowing.

Note: Sabrina Le Beauf and Lisa Bonet both do not appear.

60 11 "War Stories" Jay Sandrich Matt Robinson December 11, 1986 0310
Cliff, Russell, and two of his friends play a game of pinochle and share World War II stories. Vanessa prepares to go to a skating party with date Tyrone Baxter, but soon finds a very cute guy crossing her path. 
61 12 "Cliff in Charge" Jay Sandrich Matt Williams December 18, 1986 0311
Cliff is in charge when Clair leaves for ten days. 
62 13 "Monster Man Huxtable" Jay Sandrich Gary Kott January 8, 1987 0313

Elvin helps Theo with some wrestling moves, although he and Sondra have made plans for the weekend, and reveals that he is thinking of marrying her.

Note: Lisa Bonet and Phylicia Rashād both do not appear in this episode.

63 14 "Rudy Spends the Night" Jay Sandrich Carmen Finestra January 15, 1987 0314
Cliff establishes the Huxtable Men's Club when the women are away to help Theo get over his sadness of a lost date. Vanessa is very excited that big sister Denise is letting her go to theVillage with Denise's college friends. Rudy spends the night with Cliff's parents.

Note: Sabrina Le Beauf and Phylicia Rashād both do not appear.

64 15 "Say Hello to a Good Buy" Tony Singletary John Markus, Carmen Finestra, Matt Williams January 22, 1987 0315

Cliff buys a new car. Rudy cuts some animal pictures out of Cliff's expensive books for school.

Note: Guest appearances by Gilbert Gottfried and Sinbad. Watched by almost 65 million viewers when it originally aired, it is the highest-rated episode of the series. 

65 16 "Denise Gets an Opinion" Tony Singletary Gary Kott February 5, 1987 0316

Denise has a blind date, but is really scared. So she asks Theo to grade him for her, but this soon leads to a big hilarious mix-up.

Note: Sabrina Le Beauf does not appear in this episode.

66 17 "Calling Doctor Huxtable" Jay Sandrich Chris Auer February 12, 1987 0317

Cliff is called to the hospital for three deliveries.

Guests:  Malinda Williams and Patricia Richardson

67 18 "You Only Hurt the One You Love" Jay Sandrich John Markus & Carmen Finestra February 19, 1987 0318

Rudy gets hurt from Theo's rough games. She cries, and Theo gets punished. Clair goes to a doctor and gets the same advice that Cliff gave her. Cliff learns that the woman who cleans up the doctors' lounge at the hospital (Rita Moreno) has been fired.

Note: Sabrina Le Beauf and Lisa Bonet both do not appear in this episode.

68 19 "The Shower" Jay Sandrich Matt Williams February 26, 1987 0319

Denise holds a bridal shower for her pregnant and bride-to-be friend Veronica (Lela Rochon), but finds out some disturbing information.

Note: Sabrina Le Beauf does not appear in this episode.

69 20 "Cliff's 50th Birthday" Carl Lauten & Regge Life Gary Kott March 12, 1987 0320

Cliff's 50th birthday has all kinds of surprises.

Guest: Gates McFadden from Star Trek:TNG (credited as "Cheryl McFadden") 

70 21 "I Know That You Know" Jay Sandrich John Markus, Carmen Finestra, Matt Williams March 19, 1987 0321

When Sondra and Elvin announce their engagement, Clair and the children use the news to play a practical joke on Cliff, who launches a counter-offensive of his own.

Note: Lisa Bonet does not appear in this episode.

71 22 "Andalusian Flu" Jay Sandrich Janet Leahy April 2, 1987 0322

While Cliff and Clair have the flu, Theo tries to keep the house going.

Note: Sabrina Le Beauf and Lisa Bonet both do not appear in this episode.

72 23 "Bald and Beautiful" Tony Singletary Gary Kott April 9, 1987 0324

Cliff's Navy friend, Scott Kelly (Robert Culp), comes to visit. Cockroach shaves his head to be in a rock video, but is thrown into humiliation when he is not selected, and Theo is glad he didn't shave his own head yet

Note: Robert Culp was Bill Cosby's co-star in the 1960s TV series I Spy

73 24 "Planning Parenthood" Jay Sandrich Elizabeth and Oliver Hailey April 30, 1987 0326
Clair's sister decides she wants to be a mother. Cliff takes Rudy and her friends out to eat at a fancy restaurant—but it is nothing short of disaster, and they end up eating at a fast food restaurant, dressed in formal clothing
74 25 "Hillman" Jay Sandrich Matt Robinson May 7, 1987 0325

The Huxtable family goes to Hillman College to attend a ceremony in honor of retiring president Zachariah J. Haynes (Joe Seneca).

Note: Filmed at Spelman College in AtlantaGeorgia. The episode serves as a backdoor pilot for the spinoff series A Different World, which premiered next season. 

Advertisement