A Different World 

A group of students at a historically Black university struggle to make it through college.

Creator:

Bill Cosby

Stars:

Lisa Bonet, Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 16 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Jasmine Guy	...	Whitley Gilbert 141 episodes, 1987-1993
Kadeem Hardison	...	Dwayne Wayne 139 episodes, 1987-1993
Darryl M. Bell	...	Ron Johnson 120 episodes, 1987-1993
Charnele Brown	...	Kim Reese 112 episodes, 1988-1993
Dawnn Lewis	...	Jaleesa Vinson 109 episodes, 1987-1992
Cree Summer	...	Freddie Brooks 105 episodes, 1988-1993
Lou Myers	...	Vernon Gaines 88 episodes, 1988-1993
Glynn Turman	...	Colonel Brad Taylor 68 episodes, 1988-1993
Sinbad	...	Coach Walter Oakes 60 episodes, 1987-1991

Storyline

A group of students at a historically Black university struggle to make it through college.

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Plot Keywords:

sitcom | historically black college | african american | university | college | 

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Taglines:

Big laughs on campus.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 September 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Different World

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bill Cosby, Carsey-Werner Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (142 episodes) 60 min (1 episode)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the party scene during the "Good Help Is Hard To Find" episode, airing November 8, 1990, the song heard in the background is "Try Me" from the debut album of Jasmine Guy.

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Goofs

Throughout the course of the series, Whitley's talents go back and forth between being an accomplished singer/dancer and having little to no singing/dancing skills at all.

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Quotes

Whitley Marion Gilbert Wayne: [after sleeping with Dwayne the night before] Last night didn't mean anything. As far as Dwayne is concerned, that ship has sailed and sunk.
Kim Reese: Not if you can't tell Bryon about it.
Whitley Marion Gilbert Wayne: Why? We're not even an official couple yet.
Kim Reese: Whitley, if you can't tell him, maybe last night meant more than you think.
Whitley Marion Gilbert Wayne: Such pearls of wisdom from one who pines over that swine Ron Johnson.
Kim Reese: Well, at least I've got it numbered down to one.
Whitley Marion Gilbert Wayne: But has he?

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Connections

Referenced in Just Shoot Me!: A Spy in the House of Me (1999)

User Reviews

Got Better As It Went Along

The early episodes of this sitcom were bland, as they focused on Denise Huxtable's (Lisa Bonet) experiences at Hillman College. The show only took off after Denise dropped out of school. The show then focused on the more interesting cast members, most notably, brainy student Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) and snooty Southern belle Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy). I liked that they also had Jalessa, a divorced adult student trying to rebuild her life.

NBC made a mistake during the last season of the show by confusing the audience. They ran a highly touted "series finale" showing the now-married and expectant parents Dwayne and Whitley going off to Japan, where Dwayne had gotten a high-tech job. The network then turned around and aired several more new episodes that focused on newer cast members including Charmaine (Karen Malinka White). They brought in Billy Dee Williams and Leslie Uggams as a landlord, and a college professor, respectively. It appeared that NBC cancelled the show, then made a last-minute effort to revive it.

Jada Pinkett Smith ("Set It Off"), comedian Sinbad and Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei ("My Cousin Vinny"), were three cast members who went on to bigger success.