Bill Cosby Decides To Return To Work

Thu., Jan. 23, 1997

New York Times

Bill Cosby has decided to return to work next week, resuming taping of his sitcom, “Cosby,” while the Los Angeles police continue to investigate the slaying of his son, Ennis, last week. Several people connected with the CBS show said Cosby made the decision out of concern for those who work on it and out of a sense that his son would want him to do so.

This week’s show, a rerun in which Cosby’s character, Hilton Lucas, tries to win a basketball-shooting contest, attracted more viewers than a rerun normally would, with a 12.7 rating that was the fourth-highest for “Cosby” since its debut in September.

That means about 12.3 million households were tuned in, compared with slightly more than 11 million the week before, for an original episode. The “Cosby” ratings had been climbing steadily since the last installment of “Monday Night Football,” which ran against the show in the West.

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