{"id":2741,"date":"2009-10-29T08:37:54","date_gmt":"2009-10-29T14:37:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/npt08.wordpress.com\/?p=2741"},"modified":"2009-10-29T08:37:54","modified_gmt":"2009-10-29T14:37:54","slug":"bill-cosbys-mark-twain-prize-and-long-history-with-pbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.wnpt.org\/mediaupdate\/2009\/10\/29\/bill-cosbys-mark-twain-prize-and-long-history-with-pbs\/","title":{"rendered":"Over and Under: Bill Cosby`s Mark Twain Prize and History with PBS"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BillEarlier this week, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in D.C., legendary comedian, actor, author, television producer and activist Bill Cosby <\/strong>was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor<\/a><\/strong>. Honoring Cosby that night were Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Sinbad, Carl Reiner<\/strong> and Cosby Show <\/em>alums Phylicia Rashad<\/strong> and Malcolm-Jamal Warner<\/strong>, among others. NPT and PBS stations nationwide will broadcast the ceremony on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. <\/strong> with an immediate encore at 8:30-11:00 p.m. ET, on PBS. The program, which recognizes the life and achievements of the beloved comedian also includes an assortment of classic film clips from Cosby\u2019s career.<\/p>\n

That the program is airing via PBS makes perfect sense. Cosby’s connections to PBS go way back, into the early 70s. He was a cast member of The Electric Company<\/em><\/strong>, where he was going up against himself long before Stephen Cobert would do so in his “Formidable Opponent” segments, and a frequent guest on Sesame Street<\/em><\/strong>, where his certainly-improvised “over and under” skit remains legendary in its perfect simplicity.<\/p>\n

Over and Under on Sesame Street<\/strong><\/p>\n