A Different World (1987)

Name: A Different World
Genre: Comedy
Rating: 7.1
Cast: Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Darryl M. Bell, Cree Summer, Charnele Brown

Comedy

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.

IMDb rating: 7.1 (9,332 votes)
Episode average: 7.5 ↑ +0.4 vs IMDb
Seasons: 6
Streaming (US): Netflix
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

Browse shows by rating shape → Open in Rising Shows app → View on IMDb

Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 6 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1987)

7.09 avg 22 episodes 6.6 → 6.4 24 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Reconcilable Differences	6.6	144
2	Pilot	7.0	119
3	Porky de Bergerac	7.3	102
4	Those Who Can't... Tutor	7.5	95
5	War of the Words	7.2	95
6	Rudy and the Snow Queen	7.6	103
7	Sometimes You Get the Bear, Sometimes the Bear Gets You	7.4	85
8	If Chosen, I May Not Run	6.8	85
9	Romancing Mr. Stone	6.8	83
10	The Gift of the Magi	7.1	81
11	Does He or Doesn't He?	7.4	80
12	Advise and Descent	6.3	84
13	The Prime of Miss Lettie Bostic	6.8	74
14	Wild Child	7.1	86
15	Dr. Cupid	7.6	77
16	The Show Must Go On	7.1	74
17	Mr. Hillman	7.5	76
18	Speech Therapy	7.1	75
19	Clair's Last Stand	7.3	72
20	If Only for One Night	7.8	79
21	Come Back, Little Eggby	6.3	72
22	My Dinner with Theo	6.4	65

Season 2 (1988)

7.63 avg 22 episodes 7.1 → 7.0 23 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Dr. War Is Hell	7.1	74
2	Two Gentlemen of Hillman	7.5	72
3	Some Enchanted Late Afternoon	7.2	66
4	Dream Lover	8.2	81
5	Three Girls Three	8.3	99
6	If You Like Pilgrim Coladas	8.0	77
7	A Stepping Stone	8.3	88
8	Life with Father	7.8	70
9	All's Fair	7.2	66
10	Radio Free Hillman	7.6	68
11	It Happened One Night	7.9	65
12	I've Got the Muse in Me	7.8	64
13	Risky Business	7.8	70
14	Breaking Up Is Hard to Do	7.7	60
15	For She's Only a Bird in a Gilded Cage	7.5	63
16	It's Greek to Me	7.9	63
17	The Thing About Women	7.1	60
18	High Anxiety	6.6	60
19	Take This Job and Love It	6.8	59
20	No Means No	8.7	104
21	Citizen Wayne	7.8	69
22	There's No Place Like Home	7.0	59

Season 3 (1989)

7.44 avg 25 episodes 8.0 → 7.6 23 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Strangers on a Plane	8.0	74
2	The Heat Is On	7.3	60
3	The Hat Makes the Man	6.8	56
4	To Have and Have Not	6.9	56
5	Forever Hold Your Peace	8.0	82
6	Delusions of Daddyhood	7.7	64
7	Wedding Bells from Hell	7.9	67
8	Great Expectations	7.3	62
9	Answered Prayers	7.4	59
10	For Whom the Jingle Bell Tolls	6.8	65
11	Under One Roof	7.1	58
12	Here's to Old Friends	7.4	63
13	The Power of the Pen	7.5	64
14	Pride and Prejudice	8.0	62
15	Success, Lies and Videotape	7.4	65
16	A World Alike	8.1	73
17	That's the Trouble with You All	7.8	61
18	A Campfire Story	7.2	62
19	Hillman Isn't Through with You Yet	7.3	56
20	21 Candles	7.0	64
21	Sweet Charity	6.8	59
22	Soldier Boy	6.9	61
23	Getaway: Part 1	7.9	79
24	Getaway: Part 2	7.9	76
25	Perhaps Love	7.6	60

Season 4 (1990)

7.43 avg 25 episodes 7.6 → 7.8 23 min avg

Season 4 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Everything Must Change	7.6	66
2	How Bittersweet It Is	7.7	67
3	Blues for Nobody's Child	7.1	69
4	Whitley's Last Supper	6.9	61
5	The Goodwill Games	7.1	64
6	Tales from the Exam Zone	6.2	61
7	Good Help Is Hard to Fire	8.4	81
8	Love Thy Neighbor	8.0	72
9	Time Keeps on Slippin'	7.5	61
10	The Apple Doesn't Fall	6.8	59
11	I'm Dreaming of a Wayne Christmas	7.7	70
12	War and Peace	7.8	71
13	Ex-Communication	7.8	67
14	Risk Around the Dollar	6.8	57
15	Love, Hillman-Style	7.6	67
16	A Word in Edgewise	7.0	62
17	Ms. Understanding	7.8	71
18	The Cash Isn't Always Greener	7.1	59
19	How Great Thou Art	7.2	62
20	It's Showtime at Hillman	6.7	71
21	Sister to Sister, Sister	7.3	59
22	Monet Is the Root of All Evil	7.8	60
23	If I Should Die Before I Wake	8.6	93
24	Never Can Say Goodbye	7.5	62
25	To Be Continued	7.8	64

Season 5 (1991)

7.55 avg 25 episodes 7.0 → 8.5 22 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 5 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	We've Only Just Begun	7.0	63
2	The Dwayne Mutiny	6.7	55
3	Home Is Where the Fire Is	6.8	62
4	Almost Working Girl	7.0	57
5	In the Eye of the Storm	7.4	57
6	Rule Number One	7.1	56
7	Baby, I'm a Star	7.2	58
8	Liza Who-Little	7.1	56
9	To Tell the Truth	7.7	66
10	Do You Take This Woman?	7.9	70
11	Mammy Dearest	8.3	79
12	Twelve Steps of Christmas	7.0	59
13	Just Another Four-Letter Word	7.3	63
14	The Cat's in the Cradle	8.9	137
15	Prisoner of Love	7.4	69
16	Bedroom at the Top	7.3	60
17	May the Best Man Win	7.6	63
18	Kiss You Back	7.9	65
19	Conflict of Interest	8.0	63
20	Sellmates	7.0	60
21	Do the Write Thing	7.6	66
22	Love Taps	8.2	81
23	Special Delivery	7.4	64
24	Save the Best for Last: Part 1	8.5	93
25	Save the Best for Last: Part 2	8.5	138

Season 6 (1992)

7.56 avg 25 episodes 7.5 → 8.1 23 min avg

Season 6 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Honeymoon in L.A.: Part 1	7.5	73
2	Honeymoon in L.A.: Part 2	7.3	74
3	Interior Desecration	7.3	62
4	Somebody Say Ho!	8.0	73
5	Really Gross Anatomy	6.8	62
6	Don't Count Your Chickens Before They're Axed	7.3	55
7	The Little Mister	6.5	63
8	Baby, It's Cold Outside	8.4	65
9	Faith, Hope, and Charity: Part 1	8.0	66
10	Faith, Hope, and Charity: Part 2	7.8	65
11	Original Teacher	7.8	80
12	Occupational Hazards	7.5	57
13	White Christmas	7.3	61
14	To Whit, with Love	7.8	64
15	Happy Birthday to Moi	8.0	62
16	Mind Your Own Business	6.9	55
17	Cabin in the Sky	7.5	54
18	Lean on Me	7.0	53
19	Dancing Machines	7.3	55
20	Great X-Pectations	7.8	65
21	Homey, Don't Ya Know Me?	8.0	147
22	A Rock, a River, a Lena	7.5	64
23	College Kid	7.5	66
24	When One Door Closes...: Part 1	8.1	66
25	When One Door Closes...: Part 2	8.1	70