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Little Bill is an animated children's show created by Bill Cosby which aired on Nick Jr from 1999 to 2004. It stars William Glover Jr., or "Little Bill" for short, an inquisitive and imaginative 5-year-old living in Philadelphia. He lives with his father "Big Bill", mother Brenda, and siblings Robert and April. He also has a pet hamster named Elephant. There is also Little Bill's great-grandmother "Alice the Great", who often teaches him life lessons.
The show is animated with a construction paper style, similar to Blue's Clues or South Park.
Tropes, tropes, zoopity zopes![]
- Bill, Bill, Junk, Bill: From "I Got a Letter:"
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Big Bill: Here's one for me, and another for me...and another for me...Oh! Little Bill! Here's one for you! |
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- Chekhov's Gunman: Dr. Winthrop Klinkscales is introduced as Ms. Murray's fiance, and he is said to work at the children's hospital. Guess who is charged with treating Little Bill's broken arm in a later episode.
- Cool Old Lady: They don't call her "Alice the Great" for nothing.
- Creator Cameo: Bill Cosby himself, in the title sequence.
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose In Life: Bill, in one episode: "I'm going to find my thing!"
- Episode Title Card: Someone reads it, and someone else who is with them repeats it.
- Eye Glasses: Bobby, as well as Ms. Murray, Little Bill's teacher.
- First Name Ultimatum: Bobby gets them a lot, and usually because he has spoken out of turn.
- Good Parents
- Happy Birthday to You: Bill Cosby wrote an original birthday song for this show.
- Hot Mom: Brenda
- Inspirationally Disadvantaged: Monty. Unlike most examples of this trope, Monty is introduced in the first episode, and he has a recurring role.
- Known Only By Their Nickname: Little Bill and Bobby. Little Bill signs his library card as "Little Bill Glover."
- Performance Anxiety: "The Stage Trick".
- Sequel Episode: It is normal for this show's two eleven-minute shorts to be directly connected. For instance, one episode covers a ride to the amusement park, and the following episode shows what happens at the park.
- Shout-Out: Captain Brainstorm is a fairly obvious send up of Captain Video.
- Sick Episode: Elephant and Little Bill each get one.
- Stop Helping Me!: Monty joins Little Bill's class, and Little Bill tries too hard to be his "Super Helper."
- Title Drop: In a show with a five-year-old protagonist, it can't always be helped.
- Title Scream: In the Title Sequence, Little Bill's siblings, his classmates, and finally, Little Bill himself.
- Token Trio: Little Bill (African-American), Andrew (Caucasian) and Dorado (Hispanic).
- Token White: Andrew Mulligan and family.
- The Tonsillitis Episode
- Wanting Is Better Than Having: One episode had Little Bill begging his parents for a Captain Brainstorm video game. When he finally got it, he and his friends were rather disappointed at its primitive nature, preferring to use their imaginations to create their own Brainstorm adventures instead.
- Wedding Day: "The Ring Bear"; "Ms. Murray's Wedding".
- World of Snark: Little Bill's whole family.