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By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged
Oh no, not Theo.
That was my first thought — and that of millions of Generation Xers — when the news broke this week of Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s accidental drowning death in Costa Rica at age 54.
From 1984 to 1992, Warner starred as Theodore “Theo” Huxtable on “The Cosby Show.” For years, NBC’s Thursday night sitcom about an upper-middle-class Black family reigned as America’s most popular TV program.
The fictional family — with only son Theo sandwiched between two older and two younger sisters — became a must-see cultural phenomenon. While not overtly religious in nature, the hit show promoted values that resonated strongly with people of faith.
“America’s family,” some called the endearing Huxtables. And Theo was a major reason for the appeal. At a time when prime-time network TV remained appointment viewing (read: pre-streaming era), the final episode drew 44 million viewers.
Everyone, it seemed, loved “The Cosby Show.”
“It didn’t matter what race or religion you were,” recalled Clemente Lisi, a Gen Xer and Religion Unplugged’s executive editor.
But for African American teens in the 1980s, the positive portrayal of a family who looked like them — and ate dinner together and did their best to make proper choices — was especially thrilling.
For Shay Cathey, it didn’t hurt that Theo was a heartthrob.
“He was the boy crush that never broke your heart because he was a really good guy,” said Cathey, 52, a mother of three sons and the senior adviser to a Texas county judge.
This column appears in the online magazine Religion Unplugged.
Photo via NBC
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 