Programme Index

Discover 11,128,835 listings and 279,896 playable programmes from the BBC

Bill Cosby: Fall of an American Icon

Duration: 1 hour

First broadcast: on BBC Two ScotlandLatest broadcast: on BBC Two Northern Ireland

This film tells the fascinating story of how one of Hollywood's brightest and wealthiest stars finally came to face a criminal trial for sexual assault a decade after the accusations were made. On June 5th 2017, Bill Cosby faced trial charged with sexual assault. A mistrial was declared after the jury was deadlocked.

From the start of his career in 1960s, Cosby was on a trajectory to become one of the biggest television stars in the world. The eponymous Cosby Show, with Bill's alter ego Cliff Huxtable as the lead, was his career's crowning glory. With its affluent, happy black family at its heart, it redefined the way African-American families were represented on television. During this period, Cosby also became a huge philanthropist, donating millions to African-American causes.

But throughout his career, Bill was allegedly privately drugging and raping women with impunity. This film explores why it took so long for allegations about Bill Cosby to be taken seriously, and hears extraordinary testimony from the journalists, co-stars and the accusers who fought for years for this dark side of the Cosby story to be heard.

Containing interviews with those who knew Cosby professionally and personally, such as Richard Pryor's widow Jennifer Lee Pryor, actor Joseph C. Phillips as well as accusers, fellow Cosby actor Lili Bernard, and former actor and Playboy Bunny, Victoria Valentino.

After this film was first transmitted Cosby faced retrial in April 2018. He was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault. Show less

Contributors

Executive Producer:
Lucy Pilkington
Interviewed Guest:
Victoria Valentino
Interviewed Guest:
James Poniewozik
Interviewed Guest:
Joseph C Phillips
Interviewed Guest:
Lynn Norment
Interviewed Guest:
Jennifer Lee Pryor
Interviewed Guest:
Robert Huber
Interviewed Guest:
Rebecca Traister
Interviewed Guest:
Lili Bernard
Interviewed Guest:
Maryclaire Dale
Interviewed Guest:
Beth Ferrier
Interviewed Guest:
Dan McQuade
Interviewed Guest:
Gloria Allred
Production Company:
Sugar Films

About this data

This data is drawn from the data stream that informs BBC's iPlayer and Sounds. The information shows what was scheduled to be broadcast, meaning it was/is subject to change and may not be accurate. More