Following widespread rape allegations against Bill Cosby, NBC has reportedly killed a much-hyped sitcom that would have returned the comedian to primetime television for the first time in almost 15 years. "Barring a massive change in the Cosby narrative, his NBC show isn't happening," says Josef Adalian at Vulture.
Over the summer, NBC announced the Cosby-centric sitcom with great fanfare, calling "it an important show for us." Cosby was slated to star as the "patriarch of a multi-generational family who shares his many years of wit, wisdom and experience to help his daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren navigate their complicated modern lives." Under the terms of his contract, Cosby will reportedly earn "a big penalty" for NBC's decision to kill the series.
The numerous rape allegations against Cosby, and his refusal to address them publicly, has led protestors to openly lobby for the cancellation of several planned Cosby-centric projects. Last night, Netflix announced that a Bill Cosby comedy special, originally slated for release next week, would be postponed indefinitely. Their announcement made no direct reference to the allegations against Cosby.