A docuseries investigates the comedian’s downfall and quizzes fans as they wrestle with their feelings towards the TV legend after he was accused of sexual assault.
A new documentary series about Bill Cosby is making headlines ahead of its US premiere.
We need to talk about CosbY explores the comedian’s descent from “America’s father” to alleged sex offender. The focus of the program is the question of whether fans of The Cosby Show Star can separate the art from the artist?
Director and comedian W. Kamau Bell discussed the four-part docuseries on PeopleTV’s entertainment news program People, available to stream on Flash.
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“I think Bill Cosby wanted us to be confused with Heathcliff Huxtable,” the filmmaker said People.
“We’re not saying Cliff Huxtable was America’s father, we’re saying Bill Cosby was America’s father.
“And I think Bill Cosby spearheaded this confusion of blurring that line, we think because someone does a good job, but they have to be a good person, and that’s proving more and more to be not true.”
Bell pointed out how becoming the TV character as an OBGYN made his stomach turn.
“That’s something I always expected when you remind people, and it’s happened a number of times,” he said.
“There are so many things when you look at Bill Cosby’s career that they’re breadcrumbs where he kind of told us to watch out or be careful with what we’re seeing here.
“And this is one of them. It’s a big, bright room.”
Bell has spoken to actors, academics and other comedians, but he also sat down with numerous women who say they have been sexually assaulted by Bill Cosby.
A spokesperson for Cosby released a statement on the feature.
“Mr Cosby continues to be the target of numerous media outlets who have been deliberately distorting and omitting truths for too many years,” the statement said.
“Despite the media’s repeated reports of allegations against Mr Cosby, these have never been proven in court.
“Mr Cosby vehemently denies all allegations against him. He wants our nation to be what it says it is, a democracy.”
In 2018, Cosby was convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He served more than two years of a three to 10 year sentence.
Last year his conviction was vacated after the state Supreme Court found that an agreement with a previous prosecutor prevented him from being charged with allegedly drugging and drugging Andrea Constand in 2004.
The first episode of We need to talk about Cosby Premieres this week on US cable network Showtime. An Australian release has not yet been announced.