I grew watching shows like ‘A Different World’, and that was part of the reason I chose to attend an HBCU (Shout out Clark Atlanta University!) For the youngins that don’t know what this is all about, let me school you. The show started off as a spin off from The Cosby Show. Denise Huxtable, played actress Lisa Bonet, attends college at Hillman University in Virginia. The show followed Denise and her friends and the things they experienced being out on their own trying to become an adult in this crazy world. Denise ended up leaving the show, but the seasons continued. As they went on, we grew to have favorites like Whitley Gilbert, Dwayne Wayne and Ron Johnson just to name a few characters. The show touched on subjects like racism and abusive relationships. It was even one of the first American network television shows to really shed light on the HIV/AIDS epidemic. They definitely touched subjects that writers of the Cosby Show would not have dreamed to touch. Read more below.
Now, 25 years later, Oprah has put together a “Where Are They Now” special to air on OWN. I live for moments like this because growing up, television shows played a big role of my childhood. I felt like I knew them as silly as it may sound, so I enjoy these little follow up segments that happen years later. Oprah was able to catch up with Jasmine Guy (Whitley), Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne), Dawnn Lewis (Jaleesa), Darryl M. Bell (Ron Johnson Jr.), Cree Summers (Freddie) and Debbie Allen for the show. They also brought out Sinbad who played the lovable Walter Oaks.
Debbie Allen revealed that she is hard at work trying to reboot the show.
I have been trying with some very powerful people behind me [to reboot A Different World]. The difficulty is that it’s very convoluted when you’re mixing old writers and new writers. I just wanted to have the name so that I could get started again. Bill Cosby wanted to see this happen. Right now we’re kinda at a stand still. I got really far up that ladder, and then I got stopped. So we’re going to re-investigate it again because it’s such a good idea.
I think it would be a great idea to bring back the show. They would definitely have to have some great writers to bring back the great story lines they once had. I think it would be great for the old cast mates to be teachers or mentors to the new students on the show.
The show was positive and showed that kids of color were able to go to school and graduate and become successful. Take a look down memory lane and view some picks and episodes of one of the greatest shows to be aired.
Remember when 2Pac guest starred?
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