Debbie Allen Movies

Whoopi Goldberg earned an Emmy nomination for her performance as Hillman's forensics professor Dr. Jordan, who assigns her students to write their own eulogies. Among those participating is a young girl named Josie Webb (Tisha Campbell), whose essay reveals that she has contacted AIDs. Ironically, this occurs just as Whitley (Jasmine Guy) is seriously considering going "all the way" with Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison). When originally telecast, this episode opened with a warning from producer Bill Cosby that the children in the audience should watch the show in the company of their parents. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

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

This episode marks the first appearances of Ajai Sanders as Gina Deveaux and Gary Dourdan) as Shazza Zulu (aka Sylvester Simon). The spotlight is on Shazzu, a sixth-year undergraduate who stirs up controversy at Hillman when he publishes a book about the sexist behavior of college men. Before long, all the Hillman girls are mad at all the Hillman guys and vice versa, their mutual animosity climaxing in a wild food fight--while Shazza loftily insists that he was merely trying to bring everyone together in peace and harmony. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Whitley (Jasmine Guy) is convinced that Lena (Jada Pinkett) has a crush on Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison), who is tutoring the girl in calculus. At first pooh-poohing the notion, Dwayne panics and reacts in a churlish fashion when he finds out Lena's true feelings for him--but that's not the end of the story. And Ron (Darryl M. Bell) tries to persuade Kim (Charnele Brown) to help him become a cosmetics entrepreneur. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Before Whitley (Jasmine Guy) can be hired as art buyer for her wealthy aunt's hotel chain, she must first entertain her lookalike cousin Liza (also Jasmine Guy). Unfortunately, Liza is an shameless man-chaser whose latest "quarry" is the Ron (Darryl M. Bell), compelling Whitley to rescue the poor guy from her predatory cousin--with an unexpected assist from Kim (Charnele Brown). Trivia alert: Jasmine Guy's real-life sister Monica Guy is seen as "body double" whenever Whitley and Liza share the same scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

To get over her breakup with Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison), Whitley (Jasmine Guy) focuses all her energy on the African American art exhibit she is organizing for the dedication of a new dorm. Unfortunately, Kim and several other students strongly object to certain controversial "slave" and "mammy" images in the exhibit, making Whitley more defensive than ever. But wait, it gets worse: Just before the exhibit is to open, Whitley discovers to her horror that she is descended from a family of slave-owners. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dr. Taylor (Glynn Turman) invites Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) to join himself and Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) for Christmas dinner. Unbeknownst to both men, Jalessa has also invited Dwayne's former fiancee Whitley (Jasmine Guy). Adding to the confusion, Whitley's psychiatrist Dr. Langhorne (played by episode director Debbie Allen), who is currently having domestic difficulties of her own, is likewise coming to dinner at the Taylors' . With this episode, Bebe Drake-Massey returns to the role of Velma Gaines. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the debut episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, it's difficult to say who is more upset when South Philly teenager Will Smith (played by rap artist Will Smith!) is uprooted from his old neighborhood and shipped off to his wealthy Los Angeles relatives by his concerned mother Vy. Will himself didn't ask to be moved, and has a lot of trouble warming up to his pampered cousins Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro), Hilary (Karyn Parsons) and Ashley (Tatyana M. Ali); meanwhile, his Uncle Philip (James Avery), a prominent attorney, is convinced that Will is a bad influence on his kids--especially after Ashley performs some impromptu rap lyrics in front of Phillip's astonished law partners. It is up to Will's Aunt Vivian (Janet Hubert-Whitten), Vy's sister, to act as mediator--and to convince both Will and Phillip that they've got a lot to learn about patience and tolerance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It's official -- the formerly self-centered Hillman College graduate Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) is definitely in love with her fellow collegiate Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) as A Different World begins its fourth season. Unfortunately, during the summer, Dwayne has met and fallen for someone else: a Japanese-American girl named Kinu. So disconsolate that she forgets to pay her room rent on time, Whitley temporarily moves in with another of her Hillman College confrères, the worldly Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) -- in an apartment right across the hall from Dwayne's! Hoping to make Dwayne jealous, Whitley finally agrees to go out with Dwayne's dweebish roommate Ron (Darryl M. Bell), but the scheme doesn't work. Incidentally, Ron is far more interested in the artistically inclined coed Freddie (Cree Summer), who isn't quite as waif-like as in previous seasons, and is beginning to emerge as something of a social activist thanks to the influence of her Black History professor. Meanwhile, the romance between Jaleesa and local community-center leader Walter (Sinbad) has gone south, with Jaleesa now hitching her star to hard-driving calculus teacher Colonel Clayton Taylor (Glynn Turnan), whose son Terrence (Cory Tyler) is currently driving everyone crazy as a new Hillman freshman. As the season progresses, Whitley lands a marketing job and later becomes assistant to an art gallery curator; Dwayne and Kina split, with Dwayne finally realizing he is as much in love with Whitley as she is with him; Ron is invited to join his dad's car business, but he opts instead to become a drummer in a band ; and Whitley's former roommate Kim is temporarily working at a mortuary. Season four ends with the possibility of Ron failing to graduate from Hillman, Walter accepting a job in Philadelphia; and Whitley laboring under the misapprehension that Dwayne wants to break off their relationship. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Upset over the romance between Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Kinu (Alisa Gyse-Dickens), Whitley (Jasmine Guy) tries to make Dwayne jealous by going out with his pal Ron (Darryl M. Bell)--with startling results. Meanwhile, Freddie (Cree Summer) is nervous about writing an essay explaining why she wants to take an African-American studies class taught by the distinguished Prof. Howard Randolph (Roger Gueneveur Smith). And there's an unpleasantly awkward moment when Freddie's caucasian cousin Matthew (Andrew Lowery) pays her a visit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Whitley (Jasmine Guy) deems it an honor when Dean Hughes (Rosalind Cash) asks her to cohost the annual Freshman Tea. But the honor is somewhat tarnished for Whitley when she finds out that the Dean has asked Freddie (Cree Summer) as well--and this isn't the only unpleasant surprise of the evening. Elsewhere, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) is furious when Ron (Darryl M. Bell) doesn't ask him if it's okay for a friend to stay over at the apartment...especially when the friend shows no signs of leaving. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Whitley (Jasmine Guy) is determined to land the best possible job after graduation, but she may end up sabotaging her chances by aiming too high. Meanwhile, Ron (Darryl M. Bell) overprotects his sister Rachel (Senait Ashenafi), who is thinking of attending Hillman. And Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) is driven to distraction while serving as host to girl-crazy freshman Zach Duncan (played by future Fresh Prince of Bel-Air regular Alfonso Ribeiro), who behaves exactly as Dwayne did two years ago...remember? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide