Spin-off of The Cosby Show, the original premise of the series was abandoned after the first season due to Lisa Bonet's exiting the show.
Even after Lisa Bonet had left the series, there was still a certain amount of interplay between this show and "The Cosby Show" (1984). Phylicia Rashad, Lisa Bonet and Joseph C. Phillips appear on an episode during the 1990-1991 season when Dwayne comes to visit Denise. Rashad is also the sister of frequent episode director Debbie Allen. In the 1987-1988 season, Rudy Huxtable(played by Keshia Knight Pulliam)came to Hillman College to visit Denise. In 1992, a character from the late years of The Cosby show (Charmaine Brown, played by Karen Malina White) joined the cast of A Different World, as a new student at Hillman College.
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.
The visuals of the campus buildings and entrance to the fictional Hillman College were of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Lisa Bonet left the show because she was pregnant and the writers could not write around this or exclude her from many scenes or episodes, as she was supposed to be the main character.
Originally, the character of Whitley was to only appear in just the pilot. However, she became so popular that not only did she become a regular, but it helped to make Jasmine Guy the star of the show.
Darryl M. Bell inherited a large sum of money and controlling interest in a Fortune 500 company; however, he blew through the cash in a matter of months buying friends ridiculously expensive gifts and was forced to declare bankruptcy soon thereafter.
The show's theme was sung by Phoebe Snow in the first season. It was sung by from season's two through five was sung by Aretha Franklin. In the final season, it was sung by Boyz II Men.
Dawnn Lewis, who played Jaleesa on the show, was one of the songwriters of the show's theme.
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