Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972)
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids is an animated series created, produced, and hosted by comedian Bill Cosby, who also lent his voice to a number of characters, including Fat Albert himself. Filmation was the production company for the series. The show premiered in 1972 and ran until 1985. The show, based on Cosby's remembrances of his childhood gang, centered on Albert, and his friends. The show always had an educational lesson emphasized by Cosby's live-action segments, and in early episodes the gang would usually gather in their North Philadelphia junkyard to play a rock song on their cobbled-together instruments at the end of the show.
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Episode 1 - In My Merry Busmobile
Release Date: 1979-09-08The gang is bussed to an integrated school, finding it difficult to make new friends.
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Episode 2 - The Dancer
Release Date: 1979-09-15Fat Albert and the gang meet a new kid, who is in dance class. Fat Albert joins the class and finds out he's not so graceful.
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Episode 3 - Spare the Rod
Release Date: 1979-09-22Mr. Tyrone wants to sell the junkyard, which could spell the end for Fat Albert and the Gang's clubhouse. Can they convince him to keep it.
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Episode 4 - Sweet Sorrow
Release Date: 1979-09-29Fat Albert's ice skating friend, Roberta, offers to help the kids with their ""hockey skills""(if you can call it that). Unfortunately, she seems troubled by other things on her mind. Her parents are getting divorced, so she takes her anger out on the team. She finally learns it's not her fault that their getting divorced. Roberta also learns she can enjoy both of her parents without having to enjoy them at the same time.
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Episode 5 - Poll Time
Release Date: 1979-10-062 Candidates in the school election, Hugo and Baron, both of different color, play race politics until Fat Albert and the gang come up with an alternative
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Episode 6 - The Mainstream
Release Date: 1979-10-13A neighborhood band challenges Fat Albert and his friends to a competition, the winner gets the clubhouse.
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Episode 7 - Free Ride
Release Date: 1979-10-20Dumb Donald starts cheating in school to get better grades. He soon finds out the consequences.
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Episode 8 - Soft Core
Release Date: 1979-10-27Rudy's friend Dustin gives Fat Albert and his friends the wrong sources on sex education.
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Episode 9 - Pain, Pain, Go Away
Release Date: 1980-09-13The gang's friend, Darrell, has been feeling tired and sickly, but doesn't think he needs to see the school nurse or a doctor. A concerned Fat Albert speaks to Darrell's parents, who make him go to the hospital. It's discovered he has Hodgkin's disease, a form of cancer of the lymph nodes. But because it's in a localized area and it was detected early, it can be treated easily. Afterward, he and his parents express their gratitude to Fat Albert.
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Episode 10 - The Rainbow
Release Date: 1980-09-14Elisa has trouble accepting mixed-race children, especially when Kim, the gang's other classmate is the son of an interracial couple. She avoids interacting with him and runs off rather than play games with the group. She wanders into the old garment factory, which is condemned and winds up in danger. Kim and Fat Albert are able to enact a rescue and Elisa is able to learn a valuable lesson.
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Episode 11 - Little Girl Found
Release Date: 1982-11-06Beau and Francie are brother and sister. However, Beau lets it slip that Francie was adopted by their parents. After she confronts them, the parents indeed admit they adopted her when she was a baby. Francie is distraught and runs away, only to wind up in danger as she falls into a river and will get pulled into a drain tunnel. Beau and Fat Albert are able to save her in time and the family reunite proving that they love their daughter now matter what.
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Episode 12 - Easy Pickin's
Release Date: 1980-09-28The gang is impressed with the number of material items Steve and Claudia have, giving them the impression they're rich. However, when Fat Albert investigates, he learns the twin siblings are routine shoplifters, stealing the various items from department stores and selling them to other kids. Fat Albert later notifies their parents, who indeed find some of the stolen items in their rooms. The twins think they'll never be caught. However, when a stockboy is arrested, accused of being the thief, they feel guilty and confess their crimes to the store manager.
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Episode 13 - Good Ol' Dudes
Release Date: 1980-10-05The gang's friend Richard has a tendency to "borrow" his uncle's car and gives them joyrides throughout town. He then takes a neighbor's car out while he's away, giving the gang another joyride. However, this leads to danger as their ride gets out of control and the car winds up in a lake. Fat Albert arrives in the nick of time to rescue them. As a result, Richard has to face the consequences with the police, his parents, and the neighbor who owns the car.
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Episode 14 - Heads Or Tails
Release Date: 1980-10-12Weird Harold develops a gambling habit and tries to convince the gang to bet in a horse race. When they initially decline to contribute, Harold becomes an errand boy for Sheldon, a hustler, who promises to pay him. He's able to convince the others to join him, but Fat Albert refuses as he tries to talk sense into the gang. When the gang's sure bet loses, Weird Harold has to face the consequences for his actions as Sheldon has already since he was thrown in jail for his scams.
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Episode 15 - Pot Of Gold
Release Date: 1980-10-18The gang's classmate Patty was a straight-A student until she fell into the drug scene and now gets regularly high on marijuana. When the gang meets her drug pusher, Rudy is tempted to try it himself, but has a change of heart when he sees Patty in danger. He and Fat Albert are able to save her. They and a police officer meet with Patty's parents about her problem and she agrees to help get the pusher arrested, which is the first step on her road to recovery.
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Episode 16 - The Gunslinger
Release Date: 1980-10-25The gang's friend Shawn thinks he's cool by carrying around his father's gun. All are impressed except Fat Albert, who goes to his parents in an effort to stop him. Though the gun is usually unloaded, Rudy finds a bullet which enables Shawn to use it for target practice. But a near tragedy occurs when the gun backfires, severely injuring his hand. Fortunately, his father had medical training which helps to save his son. As a result, the gang learns a valuable lesson.