The Cosby Show Episode Ratings Heatmap
1984 · 5 Seasons · 122 Episodes · Overall Score: 8.4/10 (15 rated)
Season 1 holds the highest collective average score across the series.
Season 1 Details →Lowest score variance (σ = 1.28), maintaining an average of 8.4.
Complete Episode Rating Matrix
Interactive score chart by season and episode number. Darker green indicates higher ratings; amber and red denote lower reception.
| Episode | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 1 | 8.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 2 | 9.5 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 3 | 9.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 4 | 5.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 5 | 10.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 6 | 8.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 7 | 8.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 8 | 8.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 9 | 9.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 10 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 11 | 8.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 12 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 13 | 8.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 14 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 15 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 16 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 17 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 18 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 19 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 20 | 8.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 21 | 10.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 22 | 10.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 23 | 7.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 24 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 25 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Season Avg | 8.4 | – | – | – | – |
Ratings Analysis & Trajectory
Across 5 seasons and 122 episodes, The Cosby Show has earned an overall series rating of 8.4 out of 10. The series displays remarkable consistency across its narrative arc, maintaining reliable ratings from premiere to conclusion.
The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 1, Episode 21 ("The Younger Woman"), rated at an extraordinary 10.0/10 with 2 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 1, Episode 4 ("Is That My Boy?"), landing at 5.2/10.
The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 1 between Episode 3 ("Bad Dreams", 9) and Episode 4 ("Is That My Boy?", 5.2), a swing of 3.8 points.
Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of The Cosby Show
| Rank | Episode | Title | Score | Votes | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Season 1, Ep 21 | The Younger Woman | 10.0 | 2 | Mar 14, 1985 |
| #2 | Season 1, Ep 5 | A Shirt Story | 10.0 | 1 | Oct 18, 1984 |
| #3 | Season 1, Ep 22 | Slumber Party | 10.0 | 1 | Mar 28, 1985 |
| #4 | Season 1, Ep 2 | Mr. Fish (a.k.a. Goodbye, Mr. Fish) | 9.5 | 2 | Sep 27, 1984 |
| #5 | Season 1, Ep 3 | Bad Dreams | 9.0 | 2 | Oct 4, 1984 |
| #6 | Season 1, Ep 9 | How Ugly Is He? | 9.0 | 2 | Nov 15, 1984 |
| #7 | Season 1, Ep 1 | Pilot / Theo's Economic Lesson | 8.0 | 3 | Sep 20, 1984 |
| #8 | Season 1, Ep 6 | Breaking With Tradition | 8.0 | 1 | Oct 25, 1984 |
| #9 | Season 1, Ep 7 | One More Time | 8.0 | 1 | Nov 1, 1984 |
| #10 | Season 1, Ep 8 | Play It Again, Vanessa | 8.0 | 1 | Nov 8, 1984 |