‘Modern Family’ Enters Series Finale, And That Is Just What ‘The Cosby Show’ Did In 1992.
Emmy-winning sitcom “Modern Family” will enter it’s finale on Wednesday night while offering a potential welcome distraction from unsettling current events.
Another famous family comedy show, “The Cosby Show”, did the same almost 30 years ago.
“Modern Family” will air a final episode on Wednesday night and the episode will last one hour, following a retrospective of the show 11-year, 250-episode run — with viewers staying indoors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Cosby” aired its finale amid a more localized event, the outbreak of the Los Angeles riots in the wake of acquittal of police officers charged with the beating of motorist Rodney King. For Los Angelenos, the scenario of temporarily escaping bad news by watching a long-running comedy has clear parallels.
On April 30, 1992, “The Cosby Show” aired its 201st episode. But the program also included a special message recorded by its star, Bill Cosby, which played on KNBC-TV in Los Angeles, telling viewers, “Let us all pray that everyone from the top of the government down to the people in the streets . . . would all have good sense. And let us pray for a better tomorrow, which starts today.”
Cosby actually taped two messages, one to be broadcast in case the episode didn’t air, amid the violence occurring across the city and a locally imposed curfew.