DVD Review: Complete Set For ‘Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids’

Submitted by BrianTT on July 7, 2013 - 8:29pm

CHICAGO – Bill Cosby’s “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids” was more than mere Saturday morning cartoon. Maybe you didn’t realize it at the time but it was a show, looking back on it now, that really pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable subject matter in children’s entertainment. Most importantly, it didn’t treat its audience like kids, knowing that some were forced to grow up more quickly than the generation before them. It’s a great show to be given the complete series treatment and Shout Factory delivers.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

As Cosby himself (along with other key collaborators from the show’s history) details in the excellent “Hey, Hey, Hey…It’s the Story of Fat Albert,” this was no ordinary cartoon. It came from a true place — Cosby’s own childhood — and it came from people who refused to sugarcoat the increasing danger of life on the other side of the poverty line. “Fat Albert” dealt with smoking, mugging, heart attacks, gang wars, and even death. These were morality tales. Of course, not all the time. They also just had fun, capturing something often akin to “The Little Rascals” for a very different era.

Shout Factory includes all 110 episodes in this box set, spread out over 15 DVDs and running 39 hours. This is a set for serious collectors. “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids” was a more serious program than you remember.

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids: The Complete Series was released on DVD on June 25, 2013
Photo credit: Shout Factory

Synopsis:
Hey, hey, hey! Here it is… every episode of the classic series created, produced and hosted by legendary comedian Bill Cosby. Fat Albert was not only a show that entertained children - it also delivered an educational and moral lesson. The show was based on Cosby’s own childhood experiences growing up in the city of North Philadelphia and originated in his stand-up comedy routine in the late ’60s.

In 2002 Fat Albert ranked #12 on TV Guide’s list of the 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time.

Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids: The Complete Series includes all 110 episodes of the hit show. Join Bill Cosby, Fat Albert, Rudy, Weird Harold, Mushmouth, Dumb Donald, Russell and the Brown Hornet as they sing and laugh their way into television history.

Special Features:
o Hey, Hey, Hey… It’s The Story Of Fat Albert: Documentary

“Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids: The Complete Series” was released by Shout Factory on June 25, 2013.