BILL COSBY'S BEARD

I've been watching my Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids Volume Two DVD and got through half of the first disc when something came on the screen that I thought I would never see! Bill Cosby with a beard! But not just any beard, a super ugly beard!



I thought that maybe he was sporting a beard to teach the lesson of that episode, but then I went on to the next episode, and the next, and the next. It appeared that the beard would stay! I don't know if this lasts the whole rest of the series, but I sure hope not.

Though all his various TV shows, The Cosby Show, I-Spy, Kids Say The Darndest Things, Cosby, never have I ever seen Bill Cosby with a beard. I think it scares me.

THE FAT ALBERT CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Fat Albert and the gang are going to be kicked out of their junkyard clubhouse by the junkyard owner, cranky old Tyrone. But when a young boy named Marshall shows up with his parents, who have just moved to town with no job and a wife who's expecting a child any minute, the crew set out to save the clubhouse so that their new friends can have a place to stay on Christmas!

This special is a cross between A Christmas Carol and the Nativity story bringing together the most uber-Christmas tale you could ever tell. It has everything: A mean old Scrooge, a Christmas pageant, presents, cute kids, Santa (sort of), a puppy, a down and out family in dire need of Christmas cheer and an assortment of Fat Albert style funk Christmas tunes!

The Fat Albert Christmas Special aired on December 18th, 1977, at the height of Fat Albert's popularity. It even got an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Children's Special in 1978.

This show offers no surprises in terms of animation quality and voice work. The animation is just as limited as any other Filmation cartoon and Bill Cosby does most of the voices. In fact, a few new characters are introduced in this special with voices so similar that you wouldn't be able to tell who was speaking if you closed your eyes!

These days the only Fat Albert you will see on tv is this special at Christmas time so watch if you can. It is a great treat if you remember the old show, and it is a great Christmas special. It is also available on DVD.