A Different World (1987)
TVPG
Sitcom
A spin-off of The Cosby Show that follows Denise Huxtable and a diverse group of students as they navigate the challenges of college life at the fictional historically black college, Hillman.
Cast & Crew
Lisa Bonet Denise Huxtable
Kadeem Hardison Dwayne Cleophus Wayne
Jasmine Guy Whitley Marion Gilbert Wayne
Dawnn Lewis Jaleesa Vinson Taylor
Darryl M. Bell Ronald "Ron" Johnson
Sinbad Walter Oakes
Charnele Brown Kimberly "Kim" Reese
Cree Summer Winifred "Freddie" Brooks
Bill Cosby Creator
Marcy Carsey Executive Producer
Tom Werner Executive Producer
Garvin Eddy Production Design
⨁Full Cast & Crew
Upcoming TV Airings
The airings below are based on a generic national schedule. Times and dates can vary by TV provider.
Thursday, January 22
Under One Roof
Season 3 • Episode 11
Whitley misinterprets an invitation to stay at the dean's house for a weekend.
Thursday, January 22
Here's to Old Friends
Season 3 • Episode 12
Dwayne's friend comes for a visit and tries to convince him to transfer.
Thursday, January 22
The Power of the Pen
Season 3 • Episode 13
Whitley misconstrues Dwayne's beautiful poetry about mathematics as verses intended for her.
Thursday, January 22
Pride and Prejudice
Season 3 • Episode 14
Whitley deals with a sales clerk's (Peggy Walton-Walker) racism.
Thursday, January 22
Dancing Machines
Season 6 • Episode 20
Unrest breaks out at a dance marathon fund-raiser for peace.
Thursday, January 22
Cabin in the Sky
Season 6 • Episode 21
Second honeymooners Dwayne and Whitley must share a cabin with the Gaineses.
Thursday, January 22
Homey, Don't Ya Know Me?
Season 6 • Episode 23
Lena's old boyfriend (Tupac Shakur) from Baltimore comes to visit.
Thursday, January 22
Great X-Pectations
Season 6 • Episode 22
Terrell is caught with a handgun in the classroom; Spencer proposes to Kim.
Thursday, January 22
College Kid
Season 6 • Episode 24
Ex-baseball great Langston Paige (Billy Dee Williams) leases part of his home to the college kids.
Thursday, January 22
College Kid
Season 6 • Episode 24
Ex-baseball great Langston Paige (Billy Dee Williams) leases part of his home to the college kids.
Thursday, January 22
When One Door Closes ...
Season 6 • Episode 17
A Japanese corporation woos Dwayne for his software; Whitley is pregnant.
Thursday, January 22
When One Door Closes ...
Season 6 • Episode 18
A Japanese corporation woos Dwayne for his software; Whitley is pregnant.
Friday, January 23
Reconcilable Differences
Season 1 • Episode 1
Denise begins her sophomore year at Hillman and requests a room change, ending up with Whitley.
Friday, January 23
Pilot
Season 1 • Episode 2
Denise finds out that her dorm payment check bounced and that her checking account is overdrawn.
Friday, January 23
Porky De Bergerac
Season 1 • Episode 3
Denise has to live with the repercussions of breaking one of the monitor's new rules.
Friday, January 23
Those Who Can't ... Tutor
Season 1 • Episode 4
Dwayne tutors Denise in calculus and has to leave the all female dormitory via the fire escape.
Friday, January 23
War of the Words
Season 1 • Episode 5
Maggie and Whitley debate on how women should balance a career and family life.
Friday, January 23
Rudy and the Snow Queen
Season 1 • Episode 6
Denise's little sister Rudy visits Hillman and makes Whitley her new role model.
Friday, January 23
Success, Lies and Videotape
Season 3 • Episode 15
A visit by Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad) prompts the students to think about their career goals.
Friday, January 23
A World Alike
Season 3 • Episode 16
Kim is offered a scholarship by a company with South African ties.
Friday, January 23
That's the Trouble With You All
Season 3 • Episode 17
Whitley's jealousy gets in the way after she pairs Dwayne with a date.
Friday, January 23
A Campfire Story
Season 3 • Episode 18
Dwayne and Walter regale a group of students with tales of recruiting a star basketball player.
Monday, January 26
Hillman Isn't Through With You Yet
Season 3 • Episode 19
Whitley's career planning has fallen a bit short of its intended mark.
Monday, January 26
21 Candles
Season 3 • Episode 20
Whitley is convinced that everyone has forgotten her 21st birthday.
Monday, January 26
Sweet Charity
Season 3 • Episode 21
The students try to help Kim make money to pay for college, Dwayne and Ron appear in a commercial.
Monday, January 26
Soldier Boy
Season 3 • Episode 22
Col. Taylor is roasted at the campus military dinner; Dwayne issues a challenge to Whitley.
Tuesday, January 27
The Getaway
Season 3 • Episode 23
Spring break begins badly when Dwayne and Ron pick up the wrong luggage.
Tuesday, January 27
The Getaway
Season 3 • Episode 24
Spring break is further complicated for Dwayne and Ron by drug dealers who are pursuing them.
Tuesday, January 27
Perhaps Love ...
Season 3 • Episode 25
Whitley finds comfort with Dwayne at his place -- until she mistakes his mother for the maid.
Tuesday, January 27
Everything Must Change
Season 4 • Episode 1
Whitley plans to tell Dwayne that a relationship is possible -- but it may be too late.
Wednesday, January 28
How Bittersweet It Is
Season 4 • Episode 2
In an effort to make Dwayne jealous, Whitley accepts a date with Ron.
Wednesday, January 28
Blues for Nobody's Child
Season 4 • Episode 3
An orphaned waif (T.J. Evans) plans to make Freddie's dorm room his new home.
Wednesday, January 28
Whitley's Last Supper
Season 4 • Episode 4
Whitley's father (Ron O'Neal) puts her on a budget; Kim can't relax before an exam.
Wednesday, January 28
The Goodwill Games
Season 4 • Episode 5
Dwayne is in the middle as Whitley and Kinu (Alise Gyse Dickens) compete on rival academic teams.
Thursday, January 29
Tales From the Exam Zone
Season 4 • Episode 6
Walter is the host for a "Twilight Zone"-type look at students cramming for midterm exams.
Thursday, January 29
Good Help Is Hard to Fire
Season 4 • Episode 7
Dwayne's visiting mom lands in the middle of a melee involving Dwayne, Kinu and Whitley.
Thursday, January 29
Love Thy Neighbor
Season 4 • Episode 8
Dwayne and Whitley finally commit themselves to a relationship.
Thursday, January 29
Time Keeps on Slippin'
Season 4 • Episode 9
Dwayne's preoccupation with Whitley affects his grades; Ron and Freddie plan a video.
Thursday, January 29
Sometimes You Get the Bear ... Sometimes the Bear Gets You
Season 1 • Episode 7
Denise's grandfather comes for a visit during homecoming weekend.
Thursday, January 29
If Chosen, I May Not Run
Season 1 • Episode 8
Like her father and grandfather before her, Denise joins the Hillman track team.
Thursday, January 29
Romancing Mr. Stone
Season 1 • Episode 9
Denise has a crush on her geology professor.
Thursday, January 29
Does He or Doesn't He?
Season 1 • Episode 11
Jaleesa takes bets on how Dwayne will act when a graduate student tries to seduce him.
Thursday, January 29
Advise and Descent
Season 1 • Episode 12
Denise volunteers as a counselor during final exams to get out of writing a major research paper.
Thursday, January 29
The Prime of Miss Lettie Bostic
Season 1 • Episode 13
Former Hillman student Lettie Bostic returns and assumes the role of dorm director.
Thursday, January 29
Wild Child
Season 1 • Episode 14
Denise leads a campaign to get her streetwise study partner enrolled at Hillman.
Thursday, January 29
Doctor Cupid
Season 1 • Episode 15
Dwayne, alias "Dr. Cupid," takes to the airwaves to get a Valentine's Day date.
Friday, January 30
The Show Must Go On
Season 1 • Episode 16
Denise and Whitley both appear in a play, and each believes the leading man is interested in her.
Friday, January 30
Mr. Hillman
Season 1 • Episode 17
Denise enters Dwayne in a campus beauty pageant.
Friday, January 30
Speech Therapy
Season 1 • Episode 18
Jaleesa gets help from her roommates in overcoming her stage fright in speech class.
Friday, January 30
Clair's Last Stand
Season 1 • Episode 19
Clair disapproves of Denise's vacation plans.
Friday, January 30
Come Back, Little Eggby
Season 1 • Episode 21
Maggie cares for an egg as part of a psychology class assignment on parenting.
Friday, January 30
My Dinner With Theo
Season 1 • Episode 22
Theo pays an unforgettable visit to his sister Denise at Hillman College.
Friday, January 30
The Apple Doesn't Fall
Season 4 • Episode 10
Ron considers a career decision; Terrance thinks his father should reject an offer.
Friday, January 30
War and Peace
Season 4 • Episode 12
Emotions run high as Dwayne's classmates send their friend Zelmer to the Persian Gulf.
Friday, January 30
Ex-Communication or Fiance What?
Season 4 • Episode 13
Whitley consults a counselor for help in coping with her feelings about her ex-fiance.
Friday, January 30
Risk Around the Dollar
Season 4 • Episode 14
Whitley needs to replace the rent money she spent; Terrance wants to become a Muslim.
Monday, February 2
Love, Hillman Style
Season 4 • Episode 15
Whitley and Dwayne argue over her scheme to publish a "Hillman hunks" calendar.
Monday, February 2
A Word in Edgewise
Season 4 • Episode 16
Deaf actors perform at the outreach center; Whitley bets she can zip her lips for a day.
Monday, February 2
Ms. Understanding
Season 4 • Episode 17
The battle of the sexes heats up at Hillman, fueled by an article on campus sex roles.
Monday, February 2
The Cash Isn't Always Greener
Season 4 • Episode 18
Dwayne debates going for the big bucks in business or another degree after graduation.
Tuesday, February 3
How Great Thou Art
Season 4 • Episode 19
Whitley ignores her boss and buys a painting; Freddie hosts a radio talk show.
Tuesday, February 3
Showtime at Hillman
Season 4 • Episode 20
Walter hosts a telethon for the community center, but fails to get the phones ringing.
Tuesday, February 3
Sister to Sister, Sister
Season 4 • Episode 21
Kim decides to pledge a sorority and finds that Whitley is the pledge mistress.
Tuesday, February 3
Monet Is the Root of All Evil
Season 4 • Episode 22
Whitley sponsors an art show that is labeled obscene by an outside group.
Wednesday, February 4
If I Should Die Before I Wake
Season 4 • Episode 23
An oratory professor (Whoopi Goldberg) gives her class a unique assignment.
Wednesday, February 4
Never Can Say Goodbye
Season 4 • Episode 24
Ron pleads with the dean (Robert Guillaume) about graduating; a "roast" is in the works for Walter.
Wednesday, February 4
We've Only Just Begun
Season 5 • Episode 1
Dwayne buys a ring; Whitley eyes another gem.
Wednesday, February 4
The Dwayne Mutiny
Season 5 • Episode 2
Dwayne is not getting any support when Whitley threatens to walk out and his algebra class mutinies.
Thursday, February 5
Home Is Where the Fire Is
Season 5 • Episode 3
Bickering distracts Whitley and Kim from a hazard in Lena's (Jada Pinkett) room.
Thursday, February 5
Almost Working Girl
Season 5 • Episode 4
When Jaleesa sends Freddie on a temporary job at Whitley's workplace, she insults an executive.
Thursday, February 5
In the Eye of the Storm
Season 5 • Episode 5
Ron and Freddie argue and get stuck in the radio studio.
Thursday, February 5
Rule Number One ...
Season 5 • Episode 6
Dwayne fails to foresee the consequences of his tutoring Lena; Ron goes into the cosmetics business.
Thursday, February 5
If Only for One Night
Season 1 • Episode 20
Dwayne's date with Denise is interrupted when a despondent Whitley shows up.
Thursday, February 5
Dr. War Is Hell
Season 2 • Episode 1
Jaleesa and Whitley have new roommates; Dwayne tries to avoid a dreaded course.
Thursday, February 5
Two Gentlemen of Hillman
Season 2 • Episode 2
Dwayne and Ron's friendship is strained when they work together on a research paper.
Thursday, February 5
Some Enchanted Late Afternoon
Season 2 • Episode 3
Walter and Jaleesa are apprehensive about starting a romantic relationship.
Thursday, February 5
Dream Lover
Season 2 • Episode 4
Whitley is upset by the romantic dreams she has been having about Dwayne.
Thursday, February 5
Three Girls Three
Season 2 • Episode 5
Jaleesa and Whitley are given the chance to become back-up singers for Gladys Knight.
Thursday, February 5
If You Like Pilgrim Coladas
Season 2 • Episode 6
Whitley takes a homesick Kim to a restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner.
Thursday, February 5
A Stepping Stone
Season 2 • Episode 7
Whitley wants to be the team leader in an interdormitory step competition.
Friday, February 6
Life With Father
Season 2 • Episode 8
Dwayne falls for his calculus teacher's (Glynn Turman) daughter.
Friday, February 6
All's Fair
Season 2 • Episode 9
Whitley is squeezed out when Kim's boyfriend (Brian Wesley Thomas) monopolizes their room.
Friday, February 6
Radio Free Hillman
Season 2 • Episode 10
Whitley is caught in the middle when Dwayne stages a sit-in at the dean's (Rosalind Cash) office.
Friday, February 6
It Happened One Night
Season 2 • Episode 11
Whitley offers her support to Kim when she fears that she may be pregnant.
Friday, February 6
I've Got the Muse in Me
Season 2 • Episode 12
Freddie turns to alcohol when she lacks inspiration in her writing.
Friday, February 6
Risky Business
Season 2 • Episode 13
Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad) gives a business etiquette seminar at Hillman.
Friday, February 6
Baby, I'm a Star
Season 5 • Episode 7
Kim's new-found arrogance loses her a spot in Ron's band; Col. Taylor frets over his age.
Friday, February 6
Liza Who-Little
Season 5 • Episode 8
Whitley's wealthy cousin Liza (Jasmine Guy in a dual role) goes husband-hunting at Hillman.
Friday, February 6
To Tell the Truth
Season 5 • Episode 9
Dwayne gets into hot water when he is spotted holding hands with a woman other than Whitley.
Friday, February 6
Do You Take This Woman?
Season 5 • Episode 10
Dwayne gets cold feet, then the potential mothers-in-law clash.
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