The Huxtables of "The Cosby Show" lived on in "A Different World," the NBC comedy's 1987 spinoff that followed Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair's (Phylicia Rashad) daughter Denise (Lisa Bonet) to the fictional historically black Hillman College.

"A Different World" went on for six seasons (though it saw Bonet, Marisa Tomei and Loretta DeVine depart after its debut season) and ended on July 9, 1993, 20 years ago today. Despite the shake-up, the show lived on with leading man Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) and his flip-up glasses and Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) and her whiny southern drawl.

The series ended with Dwayne and Whitley getting married and announcing that they were expecting their first child in the finale. When asked where they thought the happy couple would be now, Guy told Essence in late 2012, "I think they’d still be married. I think they’d have a son and he’d be in early adulthood ... A happy marriage ... but after 20 years, I think some conflict coming up now that their son is gone and they’re less focused on him." Hardison added, "I think four kids in. Still married. Still fighting. Upper middle class probably. Still in love."

Wayne and Guy have both continued to act in the two decades that have passed since the show ended. Guy can currently be seen on The CW's "The Vampire Diaries" as Bonnie's (Kat Graham) bewitching grandma and Hardison is finishing up his run as an actor playing an LAPD detective on The CW's show-within-a-show "Cult."

But aside from the ups and downs of Whitley and Dwayne's relationship, "A Different World" tackled important racial issues and saw a bevy of now famous faces in the process. From Halle Berry to Tupac to Dean Cain, check out "A Different World's" legendary guest stars...

Full story with photo slideshow HERE

One of fav shows of all-time.

[Edited 7/11/13 5:56am]

Tootie was my favorite.

Visionnaire said:

It was a so-so show

Visionnaire said:

My favorite show ever. Still watch the re-runs on TVOne religiously.

Graycap23 said:

One of fav shows od all-time.

Absolutely.

kpowers said:

It was a so-so show

Did the Riddler break into the batcave again?

I can't believe it's been TWO DECADES since it ended.



Man, I'm old.

tinaz said:

I never really cared for it... It was one of those, there is nothing else on so I will watch this shows...

(payback for the yoga one!)

PurpleJedi said:

I can't believe it's been TWO DECADES since it ended.



Man, I'm old.

THIS!

PurpleJedi said:

kpowers said:

It was a so-so show

Did the Riddler break into the batcave again?

Yes........And A Different World was a so-so show.

I used to watch it when it was airing on prime time back in the day. It was okay, but I liked the Cosby Show better, especially Rudy imitating the Rayetts, and Claire dressing down Elvin.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...pEj00g9CyE

http://www.youtube.com/wa...8nV81QWd4M

[Edited 7/12/13 7:31am]

I missed most of the latter part of the series after Macy's changed my schedule at the time, and I worked every freakin' Thursday evening.


I need to get this show on Hulu or something.

The show lost its appeal to me as seasons progressed, but it was fantastic in that it showcased, perhaps for the first time ever on prime-time American TV, the truly broad range of individual personalities that make up middle-class Black America.

The show also took on some pretty important social issues, which I found personally enriching. At the time, I, like the show's characters, was newly graduated from high school, and I appreciated this sort of "virtual cohort" facing formative challenges, topics, crises and victories at the same time as me.

[Edited 7/14/13 8:23am]

Lammastide said:

The show lost its appeal to me as seasons progressed, but it was fantastic in that it showcased, perhaps for the first time ever on prime-time American TV, the truly broad range of individual personalities that make up middle-class Black America.

This is pretty much exactly what I was going to say

I loved this show. I fell in love with Denise, then Freddie then Whitley. And that episode where

D'Wayne Wayne strolled down aisle while Whitley was getting ready to marry Byron, pleading

for her to be with him...the entire school was talking about it! At least, all the ninjas in the school

were talking about it.

thekidsgirl said:

Lammastide said:

The show lost its appeal to me as seasons progressed, but it was fantastic in that it showcased, perhaps for the first time ever on prime-time American TV, the truly broad range of individual personalities that make up middle-class Black America.

This is pretty much exactly what I was going to say

Ditto.

Lammastide said:

The show lost its appeal to me as seasons progressed, but it was fantastic in that it showcased, perhaps for the first time ever on prime-time American TV, the truly broad range of individual personalities that make up middle-class Black America.

The show also took on some pretty important social issues, which I found personally enriching. At the time, I, like the show's characters, was newly graduated from high school, and I appreciated this sort of "virtual cohort" facing formative challenges, topics, crises and victories at the same time as me.

[Edited 7/14/13 8:23am]

Although it's one of my favorite shows in sitcom history, I only like seasons 2-5....season 1 with Denise was just unfunny and season 6 was completely stale. Honestly, the show should have probably ended after double episode wedding finale when Dwayne crashed Whitley and Byron's wedding and married Whitley.

[Edited 7/16/13 4:24am]

duccichucka said:

I loved this show. I fell in love with Denise, then Freddie then Whitley. And that episode where

D'Wayne Wayne strolled down aisle while Whitley was getting ready to marry Byron, pleading

for her to be with him...the entire school was talking about it! At least, all the ninjas in the school

were talking about it.

Hell yes. Even though I was in elementary school during this episode, it was still talked about us youngsters.