It’s A Different World – How A TV Show 30 Years Later Still Effects A Generation

In the era of ShondaLand and Empire, A Different World’s impact is still felt.

Creator of Love & Basketball’s Gina Prince-Bythewood and husband, co-creator of FOX’s Shots Fired were both staff writers on this show.

Papa Morton from Scandal was first Byron Douglas who was infamously interrupted by Dwayne’s impassioned speech to convince Whitley to run off with him instead.

Debbie Allen is the mother of Jesse Williams’ character and now executive producer for Grey’s Anatomy and when rumors surfaced of a Blackish spinoff centered around Yara Shahidi’s character going off to college an outcry of consumers wanted ADW reincarnated.

The Resurgence: A look at Black Hollywood from Stepin Fetchit to ShondaLand

Blacks have been portrayed in media since cinema has begun. 

Starting from minstrel shows, complete with blackface, working actors like Mantan Moreland & Stepin Fetchit kept working by taking the only roles available but even with the degrading roles their talent shone throughout. 

Decades after the groundbreaking Beulah & controversial Amos & Andy the birth of The Jeffersons, spinning off from All In The Family, was arguably one of the first examples of a black American family prospering on television. This Emmy award winning show is one of the longest running shows in American television history.