Review of Bill Cosby's Fatherhood- the TV Series
by Penny Powell
In Bill Cosby's book, "Fatherhood,"
he says: "....Nothing I've ever done has given me more joys and
rewards than being a father to my five. In between these joys and
rewards, of course, has come the natural strife of family life, the
little tensions and conflicts that are part of trying to bring civilization
to children. The more I have talked about such problems, the more
I have found that all other parents had the very same ones and are
relieved to hear me turning them into laughter..."
Turning parenting challenges into laughter is precisely what Cosby
has mastered once again via his new animated television series, "Fatherhood,"
which airs every Tuesday on Nick at Nite.
"Fatherhood," the TV show, portrays the Bindlebeep family,
a family of five. Although the father of the household, Dr. Arthur
Bindlebeep, teaches communications to high school students, his daily
interactions with his own children, ages 16, 12 and 6, prove that
he's really learning about real-life communications all of the time
-- including realizing new discoveries about himself and the journey
of being a good father.
In one episode, Dr. Bindlebeep basks in the thought of having a day
all to himself, only to have his marathon of "Me" time interrupted
continuously with kid requests and more. After numerous twists and
turns that day, including getting locked in his attic where he stumbled
upon old family pictures, Dr. Bindlebeep realizes that his family
-- and being with them -- (in spite of how overwhelming his family
life can sometimes feel) is truly what makes him happiest of all.
Actor Blair Underwood plays the voice of Dr. Bindlebeep
while Actress Sabrina LeBeauf is that of Dr. Bindlebeep's wife, Norma,
who helps balance his parenting role in "Fatherhood." The
voices of Dr. Bindlebeep's parents are played by Lou Rawls and Ruby
Dee.
Penny Powell is a freelance writer from Bermuda who resides in
Florida with her husband, Collin, and their 8-year-old son, Caleb.
Penny primarily writes about parenting and is Senior Editor for MommyToo.com,
a web site for at-home and home schooling mothers of color.
July 10, 2004
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