Name: A Different World
Released: 1987-01-01

Seasons & episodes

Season

Reconcilable Differences

1987-09-24

During her first few days at Hillman College, Denise Huxtable finds herself at odds with her new roommate, Jaleesa, a 26-year-old freshman with a mysterious past.

Ep 2

Pilot

1987-10-01

Denise's financial irresponsibility might get her and Jaleesa thrown out of the dorm.

Ep 3

Porky de Bergerac

1987-10-15

Questionable tactics abound when Denise plays dating games and Jaleesa is elected dorm monitor.

Ep 4

Those Who Can't... Tutor

1987-10-22

Denise's calculus tutor Dwayne is caught sneaking out of Whitley's window after curfew.

Ep 5

War of the Words

1987-10-29

Whitley's claim that women can't succeed at both career and family infuriates Lisa and Maggie.

Ep 6

Rudy and the Snow Queen

1987-11-05

Rudy visits Hillman and becomes enchanted by Whitley, who tries to make her into the perfect little lady.

Ep 7

Sometimes You Get the Bear, Sometimes the Bear Gets You

1987-11-19

The girls plan Operation Yogi, a plot to steal the rival school's bear-head mascot, but a visit from Denise's grandfather makes a boo-boo inevitable.

Ep 8

If Chosen, I May Not Run

1987-12-03

In the family tradition of "Combustible" Huxtable, Denise is chosen for Hillman's track team, but after a few practices she starts running out of steam.

Ep 9

Romancing Mr. Stone

1987-12-10

A geology professor has every woman in the class fighting for his attention.

Ep 10

The Gift of the Magi

1987-12-17

Whitley's secret Santa surprises her with a visit from her newly separated daddy, who walks in with his youthful girlfriend.

Ep 11

Does He or Doesn't He?

1988-01-07

Tired of being hit on by men, a grad student decides to turn the tables and seduce Dwayne.

Ep 12

Advise and Descent

1988-01-14

During finals week, Denise's work suffers because she decides to be a peer counselor, and the girls' looks suffer under test stress.

Ep 13

The Prime of Miss Lettie Bostic

1988-01-21

Hillman alumna Lettie Bostic fills in as dorm monitor, but her strongly voiced opinions have the girls considering mutiny.

Ep 14

Wild Child

1988-02-04

Lettie pulls some strings to help a student who has been attending classes without enrolling.

Ep 15

Dr. Cupid

1988-02-11

Dwayne uses his radio persona "Dr. Cupid" to find a Valentine's Day date, and Denise uses Dr. Cupid to reconcile Lettie and an old love.

Ep 16

The Show Must Go On

1988-02-18

Denise and Whitley both think they're the apple of the leading man's eye in a play about the Garden of Eden.

Ep 17

Mr. Hillman

1988-02-25

In the name of sexual equality, Denise convinces Dwayne to run in the Miss Hillman Beauty Pageant against Whitley.

Ep 18

Speech Therapy

1988-03-10

Whitley hides an illegal humidifier; Jaleesa sweats over her fear of oral reports; Maggie steams over the debt Denise owes her.

Ep 19

Clair's Last Stand

1988-03-24

Clair Huxtable visits Denise bearing motherly advice as well as news that conflicts with Denise's summer plans.

Ep 20

If Only for One Night

1988-04-28

Whitley panics about spending the summer alone; Dwayne tries a new tack with Denise; and Maggie holds a yard sale.

Ep 21

Come Back, Little Eggby

1988-05-05

A psychology experiment in parenting calls for egg-doption, but when Jaleesa loses Maggie's "eggby," she and Denise scramble to find it.

Ep 22

My Dinner With Theo

1988-07-07

Denise strains her brain trying to improve her grades, so she invites Theo up for a weekend of family inspiration.

Synopsis

A Different World is a spin-off series from The Cosby Show and originally centered on Denise Huxtable and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional mixed but historically black college in the state of Virginia. After Bonet's departure in the first season, the remainder of the series primarily focused more on Southern belle Whitley Gilbert and mathematics whiz Dwayne Wayne. The series frequently depicted members of the major historically black fraternities and sororities.