Fat Albert T-Shirts

The generation that grew up with Fat Albert will never forget the resounding "Hey, hey, hey!" from the cartoon.  And why should they? The popular series from the 70's and 80's was humorous, fresh, and kept kids entertained-- all while teaching children about positive social values.

Fat Albert didn't make his initial debut on television, but as the subject of Bill Cosby's stand-up comedy acts in the 1960's. Albert and various other characters, such as Rudy, Weird Harold, and Russell, were patterned after Cosby's friends in the Philadelphia neighborhood where he lived when he was young.  The topics of the stand-up routines involved all aspects of growing up-from getting your tonsils out to playing football.

On November 12, 1969, Fat Albert made his first animated appearance in a television special titled "Hey, Hey, Hey -It's Fat Albert". The animation style was completely different from the Fat Albert cartoons that followed, but that didn't seem to matter-the Fat Albert phenomenon had begun.  Two years later, the television series, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids premiered on CBS. Each episode was packed with funny antics, at the same time teaching children about important issues such as education, relationships, and peer pressure. Fat Albert and his friends Bill, Rudy, Mushmouth, Weird Harold, Russell, Bucky, and Dumb Donald often had to make difficult, critical decisions and sought guidance from their favorite superhero, the Brown Hornet. Commentaries by Cosby himself appeared at the end of every installment, which reiterated the lesson that was taught that day.  The series ran for twelve years, its title changing to The New Fat Albert Show for the last five years of production.

After the show went off the air in 1984, little was heard from Fat Albert and the gang.  The cartoon was rarely seen in reruns, despite its great success.  But fans of the Cosby Kids will be happy to know that the series has been released on DVD, many Fat Albert t-shirts and other clothing is available, and the gang can now be seen on the big screen in their very own live-action movie.  And you never know, this revival of Fat Albert and his friends may just spark a new generation of "Hey, hey, heys".