TV Land pulls 'Cosby Show' from lineup
NEW YORK - NBC has scrapped a Bill Cosby comedy under development and TV Land will stop airing reruns of "The Cosby Show," moves that came a day after another woman came forward claiming the once-beloved comic had sexually assaulted her.
NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks said Wednesday the Cosby sitcom "is no longer under development." A TV Land representative said the shows will stop airing for an indefinite time. "The Cosby Show" was part of a Thanksgiving sitcom marathon.
The NBC sitcom and "Cosby Show" reruns joined a Netflix Cosby standup comedy special, which was indefinitely postponed Tuesday, as mounting evidence of Cosby's faltering career. They occurred a day after actress Janice Dickinson, in an interview with "Entertainment Tonight," became the third woman in recent weeks to allege she'd been assaulted by Cosby - charges strongly denied by the comedian's lawyer.
The developments, which involve allegations that were widely reported on a decade ago as well as new accusations, have gravely damaged the 77-year-old comedian's reputation as America's TV dad at a time when he was launching a comeback. A year ago a standup special - his first in 30 years - aired on Comedy Central and drew a hefty audience of 2 million viewers. His prospective new series was announced by NBC in January.
Cosby has never been charged in connection with any of the allegations. Former Pennsylvania prosecutor Bruce L. Castor Jr., who investigated a woman's claims Cosby had sexually assaulted her in 2004, said Wednesday he decided not to prosecute because he felt there was not enough evidence to get a conviction.