[9] After the first season, it came to Cosby's and the producers' attention that the series was not accurately portraying a historically black college and life on campus, so Debbie Allen, an alumna of Howard University, was hired as the chief creative force to revamp the show.
Allen was also in favor of keeping Tomei, as she herself recalled a white student at Howard and wanted to relate that in the show and even had possible premises for her character, such as meeting Dwayne's parents and seeing the other side of racism.
In the online interviews related to the 2006 "Hillman College Reunion", Lewis revealed that her being approached to write the song and to audition were two separate events that occurred within a short time of each other, such that she thought it was a practical joke by her friends.
Three of Phylicia Rashad's four appearances as Hillman alumna Clair Huxtable took place after season one, and in one of these, she brought her younger daughter Vanessa to tour the college.
Martin (Joseph C. Phillips) and Olivia (Raven-Symoné) appear in season 3 episode "Forever Hold Your Peace", along with Phylicia Rashad and Lisa Bonet.
Allen made one guest appearance on The Cosby Show, playing an aggressive aerobics instructor who helps Clair slim down for a special occasion.
A young Kadeem Hardison appeared on The Cosby Show as one of Theo Huxtable's friends in the first-season episode "A Shirt Story", though not playing Dwayne.
Monica Calhoun, who appeared as a guest star on season six episode "Homey Don't You Know Me" co-starred with Patrick Y. Malone (Terrell) on Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit and with Bumper Robinson (Dorian) in the miniseries The Jacksons An American Dream.
Despite strong viewership due to its timeslot, A Different World initially received negative reviews from television critics,[16][17][18] who found it juvenile, unrealistic,[19] humourless,[20] boring,[21] and overly reliant on its parent show.
[17] The first season holds an approval rating of 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 19 reviews; its critical consensus reads: "Relying too heavily on the success of The Cosby Show, A Different World lacks the charisma of its predecessor, while managing to make the collegiate setting predictable and monotonous".
[17][20][23] The Chicago Tribune wrote "it doesn't seem that Bonet is a compelling enough actress to carry a show by herself, but A Different World probably will do well because of its fortuitous time slot, and whoever said that life on television was fair?".
[27] Critics and journalists agree that Allen's involvement and extensive revisions strengthened the quality of the show, and reviews improved from season two onward.
[28] Dino-Ray Ramos of Entertainment Tonight said the sitcom evolved into "a fresh balance of comedy and drama that spoke true to the experiences of young black adults in the early-'90s".
[21] The series also drew acclaim for broaching topics rarely discussed on similar programs at the time, such as HIV, racism, and sexual and physical abuse.
[30] The Hollywood Reporter is quoted as stating that when Debbie Allen became the producer (and usually director) of A Different World after the first season, she transformed it "from a bland Cosby spin-off into a lively, socially responsible, ensemble situation comedy.
[30]Because of Debbie Allen's influence as the producer (and usually director) of A Different World after the first season, African-American youth who watched the show often cite it as a defining reason why many of them decided to attend a historically Black college or university.
Lisa Bonet, Dawnn Lewis, Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Darryl M. Bell, Cree Summer, and Sinbad reunited for short vignettes that provided a glimpse of the current state of their characters.