The Cosby Show's star Malcolm-Jamal Warner remarked that he is "proud" to have been a part of "an iconic show"

Star Malcolm-Jamal Warner acknowledged how The Cosby Show impacted the game more than 30 years after it came to an end. In this week's issue's Black History Month special, 52-year-old Warner told PEOPLE: "What made it so groundbreaking was its universality. NBC initially saw it as a show about an upper-middle-class Black family. Mr. [Bill] Cosby diligently impressed upon them that the show was about an upper-middle-class family that happened to be Black." Additionally, the Accused actor, who portrayed son Theo Huxtable, explained the minute variation: "Prior to The Cosby Show, Black sitcom humor was predicated on being Black, the specificity of the 'Black' experience. Though the Huxtables were clearly Black — reflected quite obviously by their dress, the Black art on the walls, the music — the family issues all were universal. And though Cliff [Cosby] was a doctor and Claire [Phylicia Rashad] was an attorney, the family dynamic was one that practically every family — no matter the ethnicity, socio-economic status, or even family makeup — could find something to relate to." Furthermore, star Bill Cosby's legal troubles have changed several fans' memories of the program. Cosby, 85, was given a term of three to ten years in jail in 2018 for accusations of drugging and molesting another woman. In addition, the actor was freed after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his sexual assault conviction in 2021. And in December, five more women sued Cosby for sexual assault, and one more for sexual battery the following month. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="634"] Image credit: E! Online[/caption] According to Warner, "Regardless of how some people may feel about the show now. I'm still proud of the legacy and having been a part of such an iconic show that had such a profound impact on — first and foremost, Black culture — but also American culture."

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Malcolm-Jamal Warner also acknowledged that the program attracted criticism, but praises Cosby for having "broadened the perspective of how the world viewed Black people." Also read: Drew Starkey stated that his ‘Outer Banks’ character isn’t totally the show’s villain "While one of the initial criticisms of the show was that Black people didn't live like the Huxtables, I was getting thousands of letters on the regular saying, 'Thank you for this show. Our family is the Huxtables, my dad is a doctor, and my mom is a lawyer,'" Warner remembered. "The show shed light on the previously ignored Black middle class, which has always existed." He went on: "And people in Cliff and Claire's generation were often the first in their families to ever go to college, many of them becoming doctors and lawyers, like Barack and Michelle Obama. There's even an argument that the show laid the groundwork for having a Black President of the United States." On another note, The Cosby Show aired for eight seasons between 1984 and 1992 and was the recipient of six Emmy Awards. Additionally, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and a few of the show's co-stars continue to have great things to say about the program and its history in spite of the accusations against Cosby. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Image credit: NPR[/caption] Warner remarked, "I know I can speak for all the cast when I say The Cosby Show is something that we are all still very proud of. We share a unique experience that keeps us lovingly bonded no matter how much time goes between seeing or hearing from each other."