Debbie Allen discusses why Lisa Bonet left "A Different World" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG

I still remember Debbie Allen from watching Fame back in the day. Loved that show!

I think " A Different World" was not only one of the greatest shows ever in the history of television but it was undisputedely innovative. It was the first television show ever that portrayed Black People in college. We never saw anything like that before on television in America. The show is still and always will be a great inspiration to me and my family and I am forever grateful for it.

It doesn't matter.  You did amazing things with that show!  Different World came alive with Debbie Allen, Sinbad, the humanization of Whitley, and the arrival of Cree Summer :)

Debbie Allen is a phenomenal artist!

I Love Lisa Bonet, but the Show was better after she left. They constantly kept trying to focus the show around her and it was just dry after a while. After she left the show it got better they were able to focus on COLLEGE LIFE not Denise's College life only... so I think it was a bitter sweet change.

I love Debbie Allen sooooooooooo much!!!!!!!! True legend....

Debbie is such a pretty lady.

Debbie incredibly intelligent & gorgeous.

Love this show. I still watch the reruns. Honestly I liked the show better after Liza left. Whitney , Dwayne and the other remaining characters made the show much more entertaining.

I think one of the elements of tv and writing that is missing today from previous generations is role models. Not that we should shame people that end up making a mistake, but that we (more importantly the more influential people) see characters that they want to emulate and be like. That's what was great about The Cosby Show. Bill's sordid story aside, that show was amazing. So was A Different World. It was reported that the number of African Americans in school increased after A Different World was on the air. People ARE influenced by entertainment.

Just LOVE HER !!!!!!!

Always a story behind the story. Great show.

I love anything Mrs. Debbie Allen does she is the Bees Knees..

it was a noble idea that Debbie Allen had, but that's not the kind of show the Cosby Show/universe was. It would've been so stereotypical to have an out-of-wedlock pregnancy for a black character. the message could've come across as, no matter how good the upbringing, black people always "screw up". i can understand why Bill wanted to keep the Huxtables squeaky clean.

I'm glad they didn't add the pregnancy...

I definitely loved "A Different World." It was definitely apart of my upbrining. I was wondering about the character Maggie, and if she would be engaged with a black male on the show. It would have been great to have had an episode where we heard from her about her experiences with regard to race.

I'm sorry but a different world was so much better when Denise and Milly or whatever her name was left.

I'm glad Cosby shot her down on that idea.  He's NO saint by any means!!  But I'm glad he didn't want to glamorize that.  It's tough being a single parent.  And this would have showed Denise having an easier time as a single parent being helped by Doctor/Lawyer parents (which most black women did not have) or it would have showed her parents disowning their child and not helping at all.  Neither scenario would be helpful to the black community watching this show.

Awesome clip!! I am going to share this on my social media pages because it touches on topics that include family dynamics, sociology, and racism/reverse racism.

Debbie is so creative. I would love to have seen Denise as a pregnant college student. The show was better after Lisa left, but it wasn't because Lisa left. It was because of Debbie.