In writers Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky's original script for "Bart the Daredevil", Hibbert was a woman, named "Julia Hibbert", who they named after comedic actress Julia Sweeney (Hibbert was her married last name at the time). When Fox moved "The Simpsons" to prime time on Thursdays against NBC's top-rated "The Cosby Show", the writing staff decided to make Dr. Hibbert a parody of Bill Cosby's character Dr. Cliff Huxtable. Dr. Hibbert is usually shown wearing sweaters when not on duty, a reference to Huxtable. Like the Cosby character, Dr. Hibbert laughs inappropriately, at pretty much everything. He is one of the few competent characters in the show, and was originally shown as being sympathetic to his patients' conditions, but that was eventually changed to him being less caring about his patients.