Bill Cosby's First TV Series, I Spy, Leads New Shows on DVD

“I Spy: The Complete Series” 
(Timeless/DVD, 1965-68, 18 discs, 82 episodes; 20-page booklet/episode guide).  

The story goes that actor Robert Culp was developing a secret-agent series to cash in on the James Bond craze and the second lead was to be an older white actor. But when producer Sheldon Leonard saw Cosby’s stand-up act, he suggested the character be changed to accommodate him. Cosby was 27, this was his first acting job and over the course of the show he won three Emmys. (more)