Debbie Allen Movies
African American actress/dancer Debbie Allen had built up a solid reputation as a Broadway choreographer by the time she made her screen debut in The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979). In 1980, she created the role of demanding dance instructor Lydia Grant in Fame (1980), a role she carried over into the long-running TV series of the same name. Each and every episode of this five-season series began with Debbie addressing a roomful of students: "You want fame?...Well, fame costs. And the price is sweat." Practicing what she preached, Debbie not only co-starred in the series but directed several episodes and handled the choreography, winning a brace of Emmies in the process. She went on to be nominated for a Tony award for the 1986 Broadway revival of Sweet Charity. The older sister of Cosby Show co-star Phylicia Rashad, Debbie Allen has herself remained active on the small screen, in the early '90s mapping out the production numbers of the annual Academy Awards telecast and in the mid-'90s co-starring with rapper LL Cool J on the weekly NBC sitcom In the House. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1990
Certain that everyone has forgotten her 21st birthday, a melancholy Whitley (Jasmine Guy) decides to throw a party just for herself. Unbeknownst to Whitley, Kim (Charnele Brown) is arranging a secret birthday celebration, which is supposed to be "for girls only"--at least until Ron (Darryl M. Bell) and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) find out. The ensuing chaos results in a nasty fall for Ron, which surprisingly turns out to be beneficial for Walter (Sinbad) when he meets an attractive hospital medic (Charlayne Woodard). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
In flashback, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Walter (Sinbad) recall their disastrous journey to North Carolina, where they'd hoped to recruit a star basketball player for the Hillman team. The trouble begins when Dwayne is stopped for speeding, and doesn't let up even after the guys inadvertently insult the wife of N.C. coach Cap Connors (Tony Burton). And back at Hillman, Col. Taylor (Glynn Turman) is all bombast and no skill as he tries to repair a broken heater. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Overzealous Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) imposes an impossibly heavy workload on his first calculus class. As a result, the students stage a mass walkout, and Dwayne finds himself in deep doo-doo with his mentor Col. Taylor (Glynn Turman). Elsewhere, the Colonel's new wife Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) opens an employment agency, taking Freddie (Cree Summer) on as her first client. And Ron (Darryl M. Bell) has an ulterior motive when he shows up as to "mourn" at the funeral of a professor he had never met. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Volunteering to choreograph Gilbert Hall's Homecoming "step" contest, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) drives everyone crazy with her manic perfectionism. Ultimately, however, Whitley is forced to swallow a few slices of humble by Ms. Pruitt (Leila Danette), a 92-year-old Hillman alumnus. Elsewhere, the outcome of important football game hinges upon Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison), who must tutor star lineman "Meat Locker" Woodson (Jaime Cardriche) for an upcoming math test. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Serious-minded Kim (Charnele Brown) begins to wonder if her actor boyfriend Matthew (Andrew Lowery) is too frivolous for her tastes. Long-suffering Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) bets motor-mouthed Whitley (Jasmine Guy) that she can't go 24 hours without talking. And four members of the National Theater of the Deaf (C.J. Jones, Mike Lamiola), Cathleen Riddley, Bobbie Beth Scoggins) give a memorable performance for the Community Center outreach program. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Dominic Hoffman makes his first appearance as Julian Day, a handsome exchange student from Georgetown. Though Whitley (Jasmine Guy) is fascinated with Julian, she is somewhat put off by his fierce anti-apartheid activism. Likewise affected by Julian's political fervor is Kim (Charnele Brown), who may lose out on a scholarship funded by a corporation which does business with South Africa (where apartheid was still very much in force when this episode originally aired in 1990). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Whitley (Jasmine Guy) tries to be tolerant of her roommate Kim's all-consuming romance with new boyfriend Robert (Brian Wesley Thomas), but her patience comes to an abrupt end when Kim (Charnele Brown) locks her out of her own room. Meanwhile, Freddie (Cree Summer) turns into a merciless tyrant when assigned to edit the campus poetry magazine. The episode's highlight finds several of the male regulars doing takeoffs of series producer Bill Cosby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Whitley (Jasmine Guy recommends that E.H. Wright engage the services of the new temp agency run by Jaleesa (Dawnn Wright)--and that, boys and girls, is how Freddie (Cree Summer) ends up working as a secretary. Unfortunately, an argument over Affirmative Action gets Freddie fired, and at the same time casts a very negative light on both Whitley and Jaleesa--and also involves Jaleesa's husband Col. Taylor (Glynn Turman) in the brouhaha. Elsewhere, Terrence (Cory Tyler) and Lena (Jada Pinkett) try to make sense of Shakespeare. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Just before midterms, Kim (Charnele Brown) receives word that her policeman father (Richard Roundtree) has been seriously wounded on the job. As Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Freddie (Cree Summer) accompany Kim to the hospital, Freddie does her best to bolster Kim's faith in God. But her well-meaning efforts may prove futile when Kim is told the extent of her father's injuries. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
To enhance the popularity of his new band X-Pression, Ron (Darryl M. Bell) hires Kim (Charnele Brown) as vocalist. Unfortunately, this tantalizing brush with success and stardom turns Kim into a prima donna--and worse, Ron can't fire her without losing his gig at a local club. Meanwhile, Col. Taylor (Glynn Turman) tries to prove that he's "young" enough for wife Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) by buying a motorcycle and taking dance lessons...but this isn't nearly as startling as the news Jaleesa has for him. Series regular Charnele Brown sings "With You I'm Born Again". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Freddie (Cree Summer) takes it upon herself to find a permanent home for Alex Webb (T. J. Evans), a foster child she's met at the Community Center. When it becomes painfully obvious that most adoptive couples prefer babies, Alex runs away. The boy is provided temporary shelter by Ron (Darryl M. Bell) and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison), an act of generosity that may get them in hot water with Walter (Sinbad). The episode comes to a surprising conclusion thanks to the prickly Prof. Randolph (Roger Guenveur Smith). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
It promises to be a dismal Valentine's Day when Dwayne's marriage proposal to Suzanne (Tracy Lee Harrison) is turned down flat. Turning to Whitley (Jasmine Guy) for comfort and advice, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) ends up taking her to a movie. Elsewhere, Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) suffers mightly when her prank on Walter (Sinbad) backfires, while Kim (Charnele Brown) receives some bad news about her boyfriend Robert. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Rev. Jesse Jackson arrives at Hillman College to deliver a lecture, taking time out to encourage Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) in his bid for Student Council president. Meanwhile, Dwayne's opponent Ron (Darryl M. Bell) attempts to "win dirty" by fraudulently claiming to have Rev. Jackson's endorsement. Elsewhere, Freddie (Cree Summer) proves to be very difficult to surprise as she approaches her 18th birthday. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
To cut down on costs, Lena (Jada Pinkett, Gina (Ajai Sanders), Charmaine (Karen Malina White), Dorian (Bumper Robinson) and Terrell (Patrick Y. Malone) all move into the same apartment. Almost immediately, they clash with their landlord Langston Paige (Billy Dee Williams), who turns out to be a former big-league baseball star. Gradually the kids grow to like Paige, and even encourage him to enroll in college--where he is reunited with his ex-girlfriend, Professor Redding (Leslie Uggams). Elsewhere, Gina's abusive former boyfriend Dion (Edafe Blackmon) breaks the rules of his probations in a desperate effort to win her back. Originally scheduled to air July 1, 1993 as the pilot for a spinoff series starring Billy Dee Williams, this final episode of A Different World was not shown on NBC, though it was included in the syndication package. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Whitley (Jasmine Guy) had wanted an opera company to perform at an upcoming charity concert, but Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) has booked the rap group Heavy D & The Boys. Outraged, Whitley organizes a protest--only to humiliate herself when she expresses her anger to the wrong person. Meanwhile, Ron (Darryl M. Bell) falls for his new study partner Elizabeth (Theresa Randle), who has quite a surprise in store for him. Heavy D & the Boys sing "Somebody for Me". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) is outraged that her fiance Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) has been dating an attractive science professor, and never mind that it was Whitley's own bad attitude that drove Dwayne away from her. At the same time, Whitley's mom Marion (iahann Carroll) and Dwayne's mom Adele (Patti LaBelle) meet for the first time--and detest each other on sight. Eventually, Marion and Adele negotiate a temporary detente...which, alas, is more than can be said for Whitley and Dwayne. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
As a project for her sociology class, Charmaine (Karen Malina White) follows Whitley (Jasmine Guy) around at her place of employment. As it turns out, Charmaine couldn't have picked a worse time: Whitley is laid off after the company suffers a setback, and as Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) tries to cheer up his wife, he ends up in his own deep funk upon discovering that their apartment has been burglarized. Elsewhere, Kim (Charnele Brown), Ron (Darryl M. Bell), Freddie (Cree Summer) and Shazza (Gary Dourdan) have a disastrous time trying to patch up their various romantic travails. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Although original series star Lisa Bonet is nowhere to be seen in the opening episode of A Different World's second season, stalwart costars Jasmine Guy (Whitley Gilbert) and Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne Wayne) do a nice job taking up the slack. As a bonus, former recurring characters Walter Oates (Sinbad) and Ron Johnson (Darryl M. Bell) have been promoted to "regular" status. As the trendy Whitley begins her junior year at Hillman College, she finds herself saddled with new roommate Kim Reese (Charnele Brown), a nerdy, fashion-challenged medical student. Meanwhile, Ron develops a crush on free-spirited freshman Winifred "Freddie" Brooks (Cree Summer), who unfortunately only has eyes for Dwayne--who in turn finds himself facing a new and terrifying academic challenge in the form of much-feared calculus professor Col. Clayton Taylor (Glynn Turman), better known as "Dr. War." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Much to his own surprise, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) is attracted to Whitley (Jasmine Guy) at a midterm dance--far too attracted, as it turns out when he makes a crude pass at her. Though Whitley is outraged by Dwayne's behavior, she begins to have erotic dreams about him, providing a rich source of amusement for the taunting Kim (Charnele Brown). Meanwhile, Dwayne is receiving mysterious gifts which he assumes are from Whitley, but are actually being sent by his new "secret admirer"...Freddie (Cree Summer). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
As Season Four of A Different World gets under way, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) has concluded that Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) is the man with whom she wants to spend the rest of her life. Imagine her dismay when Whtiley discovers that, during the summer break, Dwayne has fallen in love with Japanese-American girl Kinu Owens (Alisa Gyse-Dickens in her series debut). And elsewhere at Hillman College, Colonel. Taylor's wacky son Terrence (Cory Tyler) enrolls as a student, wasting no time in driving everyone crazy--especially the Colonel (Glynn Turman). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Upset by the news that Julian (Dominic Hoffman) is engaged, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) begins fantasizing about the luxurious lifestyle she would have had if she and Julian were wed--much to the dismay of Dwayne, who breaks off their relationshp. Ultimately, Whitley tries to pull herself out of her funk by consulting a psychiatrist (played by episode director Debbie Allen). Meanwhile, Ron (Darryl M. Bell) and Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) are both bedeviled by sports-related issues. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In the first episode of a two-part story, Whitley's overbearing mother Marion (Diahann Carroll) visits Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison). It's bad enough that Whitley is unable to admit that she's lost her job; it's even worse when she meets Marion's much-younger boyfriend Malik (Nestor Carbonell). But the fur doesn't really begin to fly until Dwayne's mom Adele (Patti LaBelle) shows up, still unable to forgive her son for marrying Whitley without her O.K., and absolutely unprepared to make nice-nice with Marion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Thanksgiving dinner at the home of Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Whitley (Jasmine Guy) degenerates into a slapstick food fight, thanks to the couple's respective mothers Adele (Patti LaBelle) and Marion (Diahann Carroll). Later on, the two warring moms land in jail after getting involved in a rally-turned-riot for starving Haitians, organized by the well-meaning Freddie (Cree Summer) and attended by Marion's new "boy toy" Malik (Nestor Carbonell). Fortunately, Adele and Marion finally settle their differences when they discover that Dwayne and Whitley are flat broke; unfortunately, the bungled rally causes a rift between Freddie and her activist boyfriend Shazza (Gary Dourdan). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Diahann Carroll earned an Emmy nomination for her first appearance as Marion Gilbert, overbearing mother of Hillman student Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy). Convinced that Whitley is "wasting" herself in college, Marion tries to persuade the girl to forego her studies and start looking for a husband. Meanwhile, Freddie (Cree Summer goes overboard--as usual--when she inaugurates a campus-wide recycling program. Supporting player Dominic Hoffman (Kent Souje) later appeared in the recurring role of Julian Day. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Upset that her mother Marion (Diahann Carroll) would rather jet to Paris for Christmas than spend the holidays at home, Whitley takes out anger on her best friends. Thus the stage is set for a Diffreent World spin on "A Christmas Carol", as the Scroogelike Whitley is made to see the foolishness of her wrath during an elaborate Yuletide dream. On this occasion, Mr. Gaines (Lou Myers) is seen as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Walter (Sinbad) shows up as Christmas Present, and Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) impersonates Christmas Future. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
