Barton_Keyes Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 In a new interview detailing the development of TCM's Guest Programmer series (http://www.yourtvlink.com/joan-collins-picks-a-nights-worth-of-tcm-movies/), Robert Osborne seems to be conveniently rewriting TCM's history. He says in this interview that "the first [guest programmer] was Stephen Sondheim." I suspect that R.O. and everyone else at TCM would prefer to forget that, in fact, Bill Cosby holds that distinction. Osborne goes on to mention Cosby's name in passing in this interview, but there's no getting around the now-troublesome bit of trivia that Cosby was the first guest programmer in the network's history. Indeed, a TCM press release from January of 2005 (archived at: http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/86668%7C0/Guest-Programmer-Bill-Cosby-.html), states plainly that: "Our first guest programmer is Bill Cosby." I just don't understand why Robert Osborne would misrepresent such an easily verifiable fact, unflattering as it now may seem. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Interesting you mention this. I was just updating the Guest Programmer list in that sub-forum, adding Nathan Lane's name in the slot for October. At the top of the post, I see the very first one and it's Bill Cosby. I thought, wow, I bet they wish they didn't have him on. But back then, nobody really suspected him of doing the things these women are accusing him of doing. So of course, TCM is not to blame-- in 2005, Cosby was still very reputable. But I agree that acting like they never had Cosby on is definitely misleading. Bad move, guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 In a new interview detailing the development of TCM's Guest Programmer series (http://www.yourtvlink.com/joan-collins-picks-a-nights-worth-of-tcm-movies/), Robert Osborne seems to be conveniently rewriting TCM's history. He says in this interview that "the first [guest programmer] was Stephen Sondheim." I suspect that R.O. and everyone else at TCM would prefer to forget that, in fact, Bill Cosby holds that distinction. Osborne goes on to mention Cosby's name in passing in this interview, but there's no getting around the now-troublesome bit of trivia that Cosby was the first guest programmer in the network's history. Indeed, a TCM press release from January of 2005 (archived at: http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/86668%7C0/Guest-Programmer-Bill-Cosby-.html), states plainly that: "Our first guest programmer is Bill Cosby." I just don't understand why Robert Osborne would misrepresent such an easily verifiable fact, unflattering as it now may seem. Did the films that Cosby selected give any clue to his proclivities? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alliehharding Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Rewriting history is nothing new. It has become so common place with regards to what is dished out for local consumption. Turkey didn't commit genocide against the Armenians, Japan didn't invade China, Texas took out all reverences to slavery being the cause of The Civil War in text books, George Orwell would be smiling me thinks. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovieMadness Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Sounds fishy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SansFin Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 It may be that taping of Stephen Sondheim's segments were performed before the taping of Bill Cosby's segments. Many things happen in post-production which might affect date of airing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LsDoorMat Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Ironically, like the Confederate Flag, Bill Cosby is destined to be exorcised from entertainment history because of his foul deeds. On one hand, Bob could have been following a corporate directive not to mention Cosby. On the other hand, Bob IS 83 years old, so give the fellow a break considering all of the things he DOES remember correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Ironically, like the Confederate Flag, Bill Cosby is destined to be exorcised from entertainment history because of his foul deeds. On one hand, Bob could have been following a corporate directive not to mention Cosby. On the other hand, Bob IS 83 years old, so give the fellow a break considering all of the things he DOES remember correctly. Temple University is trying to remove all mentions of Cosby on campus and in print, and they are many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phroso Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Did the films that Cosby selected give any clue to his proclivities? One of Cosby's choices was *MONSIEUR VERDOUX*, Chaplin's dark comedy about an ostensibly charming millionaire who murders women for their money. In one scene, Verdoux picks up a homeless woman as part of an experiment to see if the poison that he slips into her wine would show up in her autopsy report. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 One of Cosby's choices was *MONSIEUR VERDOUX*, Chaplin's dark comedy about an ostensibly charming millionaire who murders women for their money. In one scene, Verdoux picks up a homeless woman as part of an experiment to see if the poison that he slips into her wine would show up in her autopsy report. Gee, I'm glad he didn't select THE BOSTON STRANGLER. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Ironically, like the Confederate Flag, Bill Cosby is destined to be exorcised from entertainment history because of his foul deeds. On one hand, Bob could have been following a corporate directive not to mention Cosby. On the other hand, Bob IS 83 years old, so give the fellow a break considering all of the things he DOES remember correctly. I wonder whether the trivia question, "Who was the first black man to star in a TV series?" will now have a different answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phroso Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I wonder whether the trivia question, "Who was the first black man to star in a TV series?" will now have a different answer. . . . And the number 1 sitcom of the mid-1980s will henceforth be known simply as "The Show." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 One of Cosby's choices was *MONSIEUR VERDOUX*, Chaplin's dark comedy about an ostensibly charming millionaire who murders women for their money. In one scene, Verdoux picks up a homeless woman as part of an experiment to see if the poison that he slips into her wine would show up in her autopsy report. I remember another choice was the Joan Crawford version of The Last of Mrs. Chaney. (Dunno why I remember that particular one and not the others, probably as I had the station on when they were introducing it....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barton_Keyes Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 I remember another choice was the Joan Crawford version of The Last of Mrs. Chaney. (Dunno why I remember that particular one and not the others, probably as I had the station on when they were introducing it....) Cosby also selected THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE. Given Cosby's [alleged] morally corrupt, greedy and secretive pattern of behavior over the years, it seems he missed the point John Huston was trying to make with that film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lydecker Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I produced the kids' show "Picture Pages" with Cosby when he was post "I Spy" and pre "The Cosby Show." He would show up once a month, we would shoot several of the shows and he would go away. On every occasion he brought a new "girlfriend" with him. So much for the great family man. He had a habit of saying some very weird things to the kids on the set. The shows were aimed at pre-schoolers and we were generally shooting anywhere from 1 - 5 kids per show with Cosby. One time he told a 4 year old that the ice cream he was eating had "rat poison" in it causing the child to totally flip out. (And, me too.) Very, very disturbed guy! Anyone who ever worked with him professionally knew he was A: A serial cheater and B: A legend in his own mind. When all of these stories came out about drugged and raped women I thought: "Sounds like Cosby to me." Lydecker 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LornaHansonForbes Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Why in the hell would anyone request THE LAST OF MRS. CHEYNEY? The only reason I can think of for wanting someone to watch it would be to put them in a coma. ... ... Oh. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NipkowDisc Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I produced the kids' show "Picture Pages" with Cosby when he was post "I Spy" and pre "The Cosby Show." He would show up once a month, we would shoot several of the shows and he would go away. On every occasion he brought a new "girlfriend" with him. So much for the great family man. He had a habit of saying some very weird things to the kids on the set. The shows were aimed at pre-schoolers and we were generally shooting anywhere from 1 - 5 kids per show with Cosby. One time he told a 4 year old that the ice cream he was eating had "rat poison" in it causing the child to totally flip out. (And, me too.) Very, very disturbed guy! Anyone who ever worked with him professionally knew he was A: A serial cheater and B: A legend in his own mind. When all of these stories came out about drugged and raped women I thought: "Sounds like Cosby to me." Lydecker that would certainly explain Leonard Part 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NipkowDisc Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 In a new interview detailing the development of TCM's Guest Programmer series (http://www.yourtvlink.com/joan-collins-picks-a-nights-worth-of-tcm-movies/), Robert Osborne seems to be conveniently rewriting TCM's history. He says in this interview that "the first [guest programmer] was Stephen Sondheim." I suspect that R.O. and everyone else at TCM would prefer to forget that, in fact, Bill Cosby holds that distinction. Osborne goes on to mention Cosby's name in passing in this interview, but there's no getting around the now-troublesome bit of trivia that Cosby was the first guest programmer in the network's history. Indeed, a TCM press release from January of 2005 (archived at: http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/86668%7C0/Guest-Programmer-Bill-Cosby-.html), states plainly that: "Our first guest programmer is Bill Cosby." I just don't understand why Robert Osborne would misrepresent such an easily verifiable fact, unflattering as it now may seem. because it is inconvenient to acknowledge it and because tcm doesn't want to highlight their thought processes (whatever they might be) that go into who tcm asks or chooses to be a guest programmer. was cosby asked or chosen and surely only RO knows for sure. thankfully, bill cosby has never been on a tcm classic cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Why in the hell would anyone request THE LAST OF MRS. CHEYNEY? The only reason I can think of for wanting someone to watch it would be to put them in a coma. ... ... Oh. LOL. Probably why I remembered it!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Cosby also selected THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE. Given Cosby's [alleged] morally corrupt, greedy and secretive pattern of behavior over the years, it seems he missed the point John Huston was trying to make with that film. LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LornaHansonForbes Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 this is turning into quite the fascinating little thread, I hope it stays up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
film lover 293 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Maybe the characters in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre were social models? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovieMadness Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Isn't what goes up must come down also a Hollywood saying? Or maybe I am thinking of casting couches, whatever those are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoldenIsHere Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I produced the kids' show "Picture Pages" with Cosby when he was post "I Spy" and pre "The Cosby Show." He would show up once a month, we would shoot several of the shows and he would go away. On every occasion he brought a new "girlfriend" with him. So much for the great family man. He had a habit of saying some very weird things to the kids on the set. The shows were aimed at pre-schoolers and we were generally shooting anywhere from 1 - 5 kids per show with Cosby. One time he told a 4 year old that the ice cream he was eating had "rat poison" in it causing the child to totally flip out. (And, me too.) Very, very disturbed guy! Anyone who ever worked with him professionally knew he was A: A serial cheater and B: A legend in his own mind. When all of these stories came out about drugged and raped women I thought: "Sounds like Cosby to me." Lydecker Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They used to show PICTURE PAGES on Nickelodeon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 "Wellington the wiggly worm" ... just a wonderful image ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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