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“A Different World,” the entertaining and engaging ‘90s sitcom originally conceived as a star vehicle for “The Cosby Show’s” Lisa Bonet and her character, Denise Huxtable, ultimately became less about Lisa and more about the superb actors, delightful characters and life lessons to be learned at a historically Black college or university. Now, more than 20 years later, the cast is reunited for a lively episode of “Oprah: Where Are They Now?” airing at 10 p.m., Sunday on OWN.
“A Different World” earned six NAACP Image Awards, a People’s Choice Award and three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and featured guest stars such as Patti LaBelle, Whoopi Goldberg, Diahann Carroll, Joe Morton, Loretta Devine and Kim Wayans. It also launched the careers of talented actors such as Jada Pinkett Smith and Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei.
The cast reunion includes Jasmine Guy (Whitley Gilbert), Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne Wayne), Darryl M. Bell (Ron Johnson) Dawnn Lewis (Jaleesa Vinson Taylor) Cree Summer (Freddie Brooks) and Sinbad (Coach Oakes), all students or faculty at the fictional Hillman College. The show’s executive producer/director, Debbie Allen, who has since gone on to direct hit shows such as “Everybody Hates Chris,” “Girlfriends,” “Grey’s Anatomy” “Scandal” and “How to Get Away with Murder,” was also present.
In discussing “the hit TV show that broke new ground,” Winfrey asks, “Did you all know that you all were trailblazers?” The cast reflects on how “A Different World” addressed important life issues in each episode and also shared their favorite memories of six seasons together. They also considered the impact that the show has on young viewers two decades later.
“To this day, still, I’ll be on Twitter and just say that I’m getting together with these guys and everybody goes crazy. You just get a flood of people saying, ‘I wouldn’t have gone to university if it wasn’t for your show,’” said Summer.
Guy added, “That’s the genius of Dr. Cosby. He understood the power of the medium, so he chose a setting that would influence people as well as make them laugh.”
According to theGrio.com, Allen posted a behind-the-scenes group shot of the cast on her Facebook page and wrote, “Thank you Oprah Winfrey for bringing us together! Reunited and it feels so good! #ADifferentWorld.
The episode also features updates with Brazilian transgender modeling sensation Lea T and “General Hospital’s” Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) as well as Paul Stanley of KISS, who reveals “When I met Gene, I didn’t like him. He was opinionated [and] brash.”
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will ALWAYS think of 
like a "ACT OF GOD"! N another realm. 
