Malcolm-Jamal Warner: ‘The Cosby Show’ deserves to return to TV

Ever since Bill Cosby was accused by over 50 women of sexual assault, reruns of the popular ’80s family sitcom The Cosby Show have been removed from multiple networks. Once almost unavoidable in syndication, the show has virtually disappeared off TV in Canada.

One-time Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played teenager Theo Huxtable, believes the show “deserves to return to television.” He told The Huffington Post that many people were inspired by the show, and it’s a disservice to the viewing public to keep it off the air. Warner also told the website that comments he made in October 2015 about the show’s legacy being “tarnished” were misinterpreted.

“The legacy of the show being ‘tarnished’ was not my words,” said Warner. “That was the word that the interviewer used. The legacy could never really be tarnished, because there are generations of young people who went to college and became doctors and lawyers because of The Cosby Show and [sequel show] A Different World.”

Currently, The Cosby Show streams on Hulu, which is only available in the U.S.

Bill Cosby was booked on a sexual assault charge on Dec. 30, marking the start of criminal proceedings against the 78-year-old actor after more than 50 women accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting them. He was charged with aggravated indecent assault, punishable by five to 10 years behind bars and a $25,000 fine.