cosby was the quintessential success story. rising from the projects of philadelphia, to the heights of hollywood. >> you don't get larger, more successful than bill cosby unless you are barack obama. >> bob huber covers cosby for "philadelphia" magazine. >> he was the first leading black man on a network back in the mid '60s. ♪ >> reporter: cosby's performance in "i spy" won him three emmys. but that was nothing compared to what came next. by 1985, he had become a television juggernaut with "the cosby show." >> what you need to do now is go to the next level if you want justine back. >> what's that? >> begging. >> reporter: for eight seasons on nbc he starred as the lovable dr. cliff huxtable, patriarch of