Bill Cosby starred in a television show in 1902.
William Henry Cosby Jr. ( born July 12 , 1937 ) is an American stand-up comedian , actor , and author . Using the Fat Albert character developed during his stand-up routines , Cosby created , produced , and hosted the animated comedy television series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids , a show that ran from 1972 to 1985 , centering on a group of young friends growing up in an urban area . Beginning in the 1980s , Cosby produced and starred in a television sitcom , The Cosby Show , which aired from 1984 to 1992 and was rated as the number one show in America for five years , 1984 through 1989 . 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 .