I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much from "Cosby." I figured it was going to be a take-off of "The Cosby Show." But when I sat down to watch, I got a pleasant surprise.

The show's funky theme song is similar to "The Cosby Show," but Hilton, Bill Cosby's character, turns out to be nothing like Dr. Huxtable. Hilton is more middle class and less sophisticated. His family, unlike the Huxtables, actually has to worry about finding enough money to buy a new washing machine. Hilton is a refreshing change from Cliff Huxtable.

"Cosby" finds humor in different places than "The Cosby Show" did. It focused mainly on the family for jokes, but "Cosby" relies on other sources for humor as well (i.e. Hilton's antique shop which is actually a brothel, complete with men in drag, about which Hilton knows nothing). There is more use of sexual innuendo than

"The Cosby Show" ever had, giving the show a totally different flavor. The only thing that bothers me about the show is Phylicia Rashad, who played Cliff's wife on "The Cosby Show" and is back on "Cosby" playing Hilton's wife. She still looks and acts like Claire Huxtable, at times causing the viewer to forget that they aren't watching "The Cosby Show." But other than that, I was really impressed. It's nice to see that Bill Cosby is able to portray a different character after playing Dr. Huxtable for so many years