Time FLIES when you’re HAVING FUN getting an EDUCATION, right? Can you believe that it has been 35 years of ‘A Different World’!??
“A Different World” premiered on NBC on Sept. 24, 1987, and was set at the fictional historically black Hillman College. The show navigated through many subjects that most shows wouldn’t even talk about, including HIV, racism and sexual and physical abuse. The show also embraced topics like self-acceptance and black love.
The show was created by Bill Cosby as a spinoff to “The Cosby Show” but immediately achieved its own success, running for six seasons with its final episode airing in 1993. The first season centers around Denise Huxtable, played by Lisa Bonet, then shifts focus to characters Whitley Gilbert and Dwayne Wayne, played by Jasmine Guy and Kadeem Hardison, respectively. Debbie Allen was brought on during the second season as executive producer as part of the show’s revamp after the departure of Bonet.
Allen was praised for bringing popular aspects to the show to light, such as dance and fashion, which was mostly associated with Whitley Gilbert’s sense of style. She also raised awareness about certain topics in the black community. Another part of the show’s popularity was the relationship between Whitley and Dwayne. The show portrayed the ups and downs of their relationship and was one of the first realistic African-American relationships seen on a television show.
The rest of the main cast included Charnele Brown (Kim Reese), Cree Summers (Freddie Brooks), Darryl M. Bell (Ron Johnson) and Dawnn Lewis (Jaleesa Vinson Taylor). A later addition to the cast was Jada Pinkett-Smith who portrayed Lena James during the fifth and sixth season. The show also featured various iconic guest stars, including Patti LaBelle, Diahann Carroll and the late rapper Tupac Shakur.
“A Different World” was and still is popular among millennials who identify with the show’s portrayal of African-American students at a historically black college learning to navigate their way through various growing pains.
“It exposed the public to real world issues the black community faced that were pretty much swept under the rug,” senior risk management and insurance major De’mero Miller said. “It showcased the importance of young black men and women attending college, figuring out their lives.”
Miller also stated that “A Different World” was vital during its time because there aren’t many shows like it today.
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