stand-up special next week
NBC has halted development on its Bill Cosby sitcom. In the wake of
mounting rape allegationsagainst the legendary comedian, the
broadcaster has shelved its plan to returnThe Cosby Showstar to
primetime.
The move follows Netflix"postponing" its plan to stream a Cosby
stand-up special next week.
NBC first announced an untitled family sitcom starring Cosby last
January, with a pilot to be written by formerGleestar Mike O'Malley
and sitcom veteran Mike Sikowitz. NBC intended to potentially debut a
series next fall.
Despite the traditional media and social media tempest, Cosby has
never been convicted with a crime related to the allegations. The
allegations accuse Cosby of crimes during the 1970s and '80s. Cosby
has also declined to answer questions about the accusations.
The sitcom news first put Cosby's name back in the headlines and some
media outlets began to report on past allegations against the star,
where women have accused Cosby of drugging and sexually abusing them.
When asked about the issue at NBC's press tour in July, entertainment
president Jennifer Salke told reporters, "We're very committed, and
that's an important show for us." While NBC's entertainment chairman
Bob Greenblatt told reportersafter the network's panel: "All I do is
try to put on shows that I think are good, with extraordinary talent.
I think he's extraordinary. And I think the show will be good. All the
other things will sort of sort themselves out."
The allegations significantly spiked in media attention last month
after a video of stand-up comic Hannibal Buress calling Cosby a rapist
went viral. A few weeks later, a meme-generating social stunt on
Cosby's website backfired when users took the opportunity to mock the
comic for the allegations. Then late last week, Cosby canceled a
planned appearance on David Letterman's CBS late-night talk show.
On Sunday, after Cosby refused to answer questions about the
allegations during an NPR interview, Cosby's attorney John P. Schmitt
released this statement: "Over the last several weeks, decade-old,
discredited allegations against Mr. Cosby have resurfaced. The fact
that they are being repeated does not make them true. Mr. Cosby does
not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment. He would
like to thank all his fans for the outpouring of support and assure
them that, at age 77, he is doing his best work. There will be no
further statement from Mr. Cosby or any of his representatives."
Yet on the heels of the statement, another woman surfacedwith a new
allegation of sex abuse by Cosby when she was 19 years old. Then on
Wednesday,Entertainment Tonightbroke the story of formerAmerica's Next
Top Modeljudge Janice Dickinson also accusing Cosby of rape when he
was onThe Cosby Show.
This week, the media has swiveled to focus intensely on NBC's project,
as well as a Cosby stand-up special,Bill Cosby 77, which Netflix plans
to stream on the day after Thanksgiving.Variety took a polland found
72 percent surveyed said NBC should cut ties with Cosby over the
allegations.
For NBC, the situation represented a tough spot: Cosby was the star of
the network's top rated sitcom, which aired for eight seasons. His
return was touted by the current executive brass. And essentially
nothing has changed since most of the allegations have been around for
years.
Yet as the media din increased, it became clear NBC had little choice
--the Cosby brand has turned toxic, at least for now. As Cosby's
disastrous meme-generating stunt proved, any effort to market a show
starring the comedian would be met with considerable criticism. Still,
this rejection by the network that became synonyms with the actor's
success and brand represents a key moment in the fall of "America's
dad.
--Time.com
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