The following is a list of episodes for the fifth 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 5 (1988–89)[]
- This season comprises 26 episodes
- The opening sequence in this season features the cast dancing on a veranda in Caribbean-style clothing, to music performed by the Oregon Symphony Orchestra. This opening credit sequence, choreographed by Geoffrey Holder, is the only one during the series' entire run that featured the whole cast dancing together. There is only one version of the theme used for this season, much like in season four. There is no closing theme version of this orchestration of the theme, instead a funk/jazz version of the theme was used as the closing theme this season.
- The closed captioning this season is said to be made possible by MetLife and NBC.
- Producer Gary Kott becomes Co-Supervising Producer.
| No. in
series |
No. in
season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Production
code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | 1 | "Together Again and Again" | Jay Sandrich | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | October 6, 1988 | 0501 |
| As Theo begins his freshman year at New York University, Denise announces that she is dropping out of Hillman College. Sondra is revealed to be pregnant. First mention of Cliff's theory that the children keep returning home because "they want the house." | ||||||
| 100 | 2 | "The Physical" | Jay Sandrich | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | October 13, 1988 | 0502 |
|
Cliff prepares for a physical. Note: Guest appearance by John Amos as Dr. Bradley Herbert, Jr. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf and Geoffrey Owens | ||||||
| 101 | 3 | "Rudy's All-Nighter" | Tony Singletary | Janet Leahy | October 20, 1988 | 0505 |
| Rudy's friend sleeps over, but the two soon begin to argue. Theo gets a D on his first college English paper. | ||||||
| 102 | 4 | "Move It (a.k.a. The Baby Game)" | Tony Singletary | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | October 27, 1988 | 0503 |
| Everyone wants pregnant Sondra and Elvin to find a new apartment. Elvin's surname, Tibideaux, is revealed. | ||||||
| 103 | 5 | "Out of Brooklyn" | Tony Singletary | Carmen Finestra & John Markus | November 3, 1988 | 0504 |
|
Denise leaves Brooklyn for a job in Africa as a photographer's assistant. Note: This is Lisa Bonet's last appearance of season five and the first appearance of Elizabeth Narvaez as Kara. | ||||||
| 104 | 6 | "The Birth" (Part 1) | Tony Singletary | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | November 10, 1988 | 0506A |
|
Sondra goes into labor, and Elvin is a nervous wreck. Guest appearances: Deon Richmond as Kenny, Michelle Thomas as Justine, Naomi Campbell as Julia. This also the first appearance of Reno Wilson as Howard. | ||||||
| 105 | 7 | "The Birth" (Part 2) | Tony Singletary | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | November 10, 1988 | 0506B |
| Sondra gives birth to twins—a boy and a girl—who are named after Nelson Mandela and his then-wife Winnie. Elvin decides to return to medical school. | ||||||
| 106 | 8 | "Cyranoise de Bergington" | Carl Lauten & Chuck Vinson | Gary Kott & John Markus | November 17, 1988 | 0507 |
| Theo wants to date his friend Howard's ex-girlfriend, but he is stunned upon learning who she wants to date. | ||||||
| 107 | 9 | "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?" | Tony Singletary | Janet Leahy | November 24, 1988 | 0508 |
|
Vanessa, Janet and Kara want to be professional singers and they sing the Kylie Minogue version of The Loco-Motion; Russell wins a prize in a sweepstakes, which turns out to be a toaster. Guest appearance: Betty Carter | ||||||
| 108 | 10 | "If the Dress Fits, Wear It" | Jay Sandrich | Carmen Finestra & John Markus | December 8, 1988 | 0509 |
|
Clair secretly goes on a crash diet and exercise program to lose five pounds in a week so she can fit into a dress. Guest appearances: Debbie Allen, voice-over by Ahmad Rashād—Phylicia Rashād's sister and husband. Absent: Sabrina Le Beauf and Geoffrey Owens | ||||||
| 109 | 11 | "Is There a Hamster in the House?" | Tony Singletary | Mark St. Germain | December 15, 1988 | 0510 |
| Rudy takes care of a friend's hamster for the weekend, but it soon dies of disease and Cliff gets a new one. Rudy's friend explains that many others who have taken care of her hamster have reached the same fate and gone to the same solution, so it is her 6th hamster. | ||||||
| 110 | 12 | "Truth or Consequences" | Tony Singletary | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | January 5, 1989 | 0512 |
| Rudy lies to cover for Vanessa, who secretly goes out on a date with her boyfriend, and suffers the consequences when she returns. | ||||||
| 111 | 13 | "Cliff Babysits" | Tony Singletary | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | January 12, 1989 | 0511 |
|
While the family attends a Michael Jackson concert, Cliff babysits his grandchildren Nelson and Winnie. First mention of Cliff's younger brother James, who died of rheumatic fever as a child Note: Bill Cosby's actual brother James died of the same illness at the age of six. | ||||||
| 112 | 14 | "Mrs. Huxtable Goes to Kindergarten" | Carl Lauten & Chuck Vinson | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | January 26, 1989 | 0514 |
|
Clair appears as a panelist on a local Sunday morning talk show entitled Retrospective, but quits when she is exploited by being asked to talk about the Great Depression from a "black woman's point of view". At home, Clair buys a new couch, and Cliff tries to keep the old one. Clair's law firm is identified as Greentree, Bradley & Dexter. Guest appearance: Austin Pendleton | ||||||
| 113 | 15 | "The Lost Weekend" | Tony Singletary | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | February 2, 1989 | 0513 |
|
With the rest of the family gone for the night, Theo throws a "small" party that gets out of control, eventually climbing to 200 participants and destroying a good fraction of the house. Note: This is the first appearance of Alex Ruiz as Lou. Cameo appearance by Joie Lee. Phylicia Rashād (Clair), Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Theo), Tempestt Bledsoe (Vanessa), and Elizabeth Narvaez (Kara) appeared on the episode of A Different World which aired later that evening. | ||||||
| 114 | 16 | "No Way, Baby" | Tony Singletary | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | February 6, 1989 | 0517 |
|
Cliff tracks down the grandfather of one of his patients: an expectant teenage mother with no other family. Clair deduces that the charming man is illiterate. Guest appearances: Sammy Davis, Jr. and Arnold Stang | ||||||
| 115 | 17 | "Can I Say Something, Please?" | Tony Singletary | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | February 9, 1989 | 0516 |
|
Rudy wants to change some of her rules, so Cliff and Clair experiment by letting her stay up as late as she wants, and Rudy learns the valuable lesson that doing what you want has its drawbacks. Guest voice-over: Ed McMahon | ||||||
| 116 | 18 | "The Dead End Kids Meet Dr. Lotus" | Tony Singletary | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | February 16, 1989 | 0515 |
|
Theo consults a voodoo shopkeeper for advice on winning his girlfriend back, but the attempt fails with the ridiculously high prices. Guest appearances: Moses Gunn and Harold Perrineau | ||||||
| 117 | 19 | "The Boys of Winter" | Tony Singletary | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | February 23, 1989 | 0519 |
|
Cliff's old basketball coach comes to visit, and a recent hospital basketball game with doctors vs. attractive young lab workers is recalled on video tape. Guest appearance: U.S. Senator and former NBA basketball player Bill BradleyAbsent: Sabrina Le Beauf | ||||||
| 118 | 20 | "It Comes and Goes" | Jay Sandrich | Gary Kott & John Markus | March 9, 1989 | 0518 |
| Sondra bemoans taking care of the twins. | ||||||
| 119 | 21 | "Theo's Women" | Tony Singletary | Mark St. Germain | March 16, 1989 | 0520 |
|
After catching Theo kissing another woman (Vanessa A. Williams) in the lounge of her dormitory, Justine breaks up with him. Desperate to win her back, Theo turns to Cliff for advice. Note: This is the first appearance of Vanessa A. Williams as Jade. | ||||||
| 120 | 22 | "Birthday Blues" | Jay Sandrich | Carmen Finestra & Gary Kott | March 30, 1989 | 0521 |
|
Clair's 46th birthday arrives. Guest appearance: Plácido Domingo | ||||||
| 121 | 23 | "A Room With No View" | Tony Singletary | Gary Kott & John Markus | April 13, 1989 | 0522 |
| Vanessa and Rudy argue and fight. After the sisters do physical damage to the house, Cliff exiles them to the basement. | ||||||
| 122 | 24 | "What He Did for Love" | Carl Lauten & Chuck Vinson | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | April 27, 1989 | 0523 |
| Theo's friend Denny finds an expensive watch and gives it to his girlfriend, but it is soon revealed to be stolen merchandise. | ||||||
| 123 | 25 | "Day of the Locusts" | Chuck Vinson | Carmen Finestra & John Markus | May 4, 1989 | 0524 |
| Sondra comes down with strep throat, prompting her mother Clair and Elvin's mother Francine to "steal" the babies. Sondra then gets highly upset at both her and Elvin's mother. | ||||||
| 124 | 26 | "57 Varieties" | Chuck Vinson | Carmen Finestra, Gary Kott & John Markus | May 11, 1989 | 0525 |
| Theo wants to go to Egypt for an archaeological dig. | ||||||
| Previous: Season 4 |
Next: Season 6 |
| The Cosby Show | |
| Seasons | |
| Seasons: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 | |