OVER THE YEARS HERE I've wondered what happened to the legacy of A Different World, which reminded me of this great article on the subject back in 2013:
The series was heavily retooled between the first and second seasons, however, and the show that existed in its last five years was a better, more daring, and more thoughtful series than its reputation would suggest. What’s more, it may have been one of the most forthright series about the black experience in the United States, digging deep into all sorts of questions about being part of a microcosm in a larger society that didn’t always reflect that microcosm’s needs and wants. And it managed to accomplish all of this while staying a top-10 Nielsen hit.
The series’ boost in quality between seasons one and two also had to do with the fact that Carsey-Werner brought in a figure to serve as a strong, central voice for the show in choreographer Debbie Allen. Allen had gone to Howard University, and she aimed to make Hillman more like that school and other historically black colleges. She incorporated elements of theatrical performance and dance into the show, leading to things like a strange, sixth-season dream-theater episode that depicted a gender-reversed version of the 1992 presidential election, in order to make the argument that women should have a greater presence in the political process. It also led to looks back at things that had been demeaning to blacks in the past, in an attempt to rob, say, blackface of some of its power within the context of a family-friendly sitcom.
Just an incredible show, with an incredible universe built into it; impossible to say enough about it.
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