Watching "A Different World" was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to attend an HBCU. It was fascinating to watch what Debbie Allen and Bill Cosby did to improve the additional seasons of the show and take on everything from racism to Black Greek life to elitism to black history to relationships. There wasn't a topic that "A Different World" didn't touch, and this show made it cool to be college-educated, married and showed middle-class African Americans in a way that was not done with other shows. African-American singers, artists and even rappers were able to showcase their acting talent on this show, and I don't think there's been a show since that had this many strong, talented, African-American actresses and actors all in one spot (without being a token) since "A Different World" and "Bill Cosby." I think "Living Single" came close, but it just didn't have this massive group of topics. I really wish Universal Studios would release the additional seasons on DVD.
Review of A Different World
