Bill Cosby appeared in a show that aired on television.
Bill Cosby . His start in stand-up comedy began at the hungry i in San Francisco and was followed by his landing a starring role in the 1960s television show I Spy . The Electric Company is an American educational children 's television series created by Paul Dooley and directed by Bob Schwartz , Henry Behar ( 1972 -- 1975 ) and John Tracy ( 1975 -- 1976 ) ; written by Dooley , Christopher Cerf ( 1971 -- 1973 ) , Jeremy Steven ( 1972 -- 1974 ) and John Boni/Amy Ephron ( 1972 -- 1973 ) ; and produced by the Children 's Television Workshop ( now called Sesame Workshop ) for PBS in the United States .