Debbie Allen Movies

There were those in 1989 who bellyached that Disney Television's Polly was a far from faithful adaptation of Eleanor Porter's classic novel Pollyanna. What they meant was that Polly did not resemble the 1960 Hayley Mills movie version of Pollyanna, which itself played fast and loose with the source material. In Polly, The Cosby Show's Keshia Knight Pulliam portrays the "Glad Girl" who brings along a satchelful of happiness and optimism when she visits her wealthy aunt one summer. Tranposing Porter's all-white story to a middle-class black community in the Alabama of the 1950s (Celeste Holm is the only white costar) isn't nearly as self-conscious or gimmicky as it seems on paper. Nor is any damage done to the original by adding musical numbers, especially when taking into consideration that the film was directed by renowned choreographer Debbie Allen (the sister of Phylicia Rashad, who plays Polly's aunt--and who in 1989 was costarring with Keshia Knight Pulliam on a weekly basis on The Cosby Show). Polly scored a boffo ratings hit, prompting Disney TV to assemble a 1990 sequel, Polly: Comin' Home! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When Whitley (Jasmine Guy) announces plans to attend her father's wedding in New York, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) offers to drive her there. Actually, Dwayne's primary misison is to visit his former classmate Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet, in her first series appearance after leaving A Different World in 1987), hoping to persuade her to return to Hillman College. Ultimately, a depressed Whitley and a disheartened Dwayne find themselves trapped in a blizzard--a crisis that forces them to draw closer together than ever before. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

Campus discipline is the issue when Walter (Sinbad) temporarily lightens up on the rules governing the male residents of Gilbert Hall, whereupon Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) accuses him of exercising a double standard. Before long, all of the dorm residents have taken sides in the argument, divided strictly along gender lines. Meanwhile, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Freddie (Cree Summer) team up for a research paper, only to find that two heads are not always better than one as the deadline rapidly approaches. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

Defying the wishes of her policeman father (guest star Richard Roundtree), Kim (Charnele Brown) attends the Freaknic music festival--only to be caught in the act when dear old dad shows up for the Hillman homecoming celebration. Kim is outraged by her father's strictness, but Whitley (Jasmine Guy) is curiously unsympathetic to her plight. Meanwhile, the phrase "four's a crowd" takes on a whole new meaning when Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Ron (Darryl M. Bell) bring their respective dates home on the same night. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) has been avoiding the Hillman dating scene because she has an out-of-town boyfriend. Even so, she agrees to go out with the persistent Walter (Sinbad), but only after making it clear that this isn't really date. Walter agrees: it's isn't really a date. Both Jalessa and Walter insist over and over that it isn't a date. Honest, it's isn't a date. Oh yes, it is. Meanwhile, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Ron (Darryl M. Bell) try to pick up extra money by inagurating a student "wake-up" service, making certain that no one will ever be late for class (yeh, sure). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Clair (Phylicia Rashad) hopes to lose several pounds within a handful of days in order to fit into a fancy dress for an upcoming benefit. Thus, she submits herself to the merciless regimen of aerobics instructor Emma Neuhausen--played by dancer-choreographer Debbie Allen, the real-life sister of Phylicia Rashad. Clair must also keep her reducing efforts a secret from Cliff (Bill Cosby), who has a perverse habit of throwing culinary temptation in her path. Watch for a cameo appearance by another member of Phylicia Rashad's family (so to speak). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season two of A Different World finds the overall quality of the series improving immensely, which many insiders attributed to the fact that the multi-talented Debbie Allen had taken over as producer-director. Originally intended as a vehicle for former Cosby Show co-star Lisa Bonet in her familiar role as college student Denise Huxtable, the series would be forced to undergo a major format change when Bonet dropped out of the series due to her real-life pregnancy. Also gone from the cast is Marisa Tomei, who had played Denise's naïve white college roommate Maggie Lawton. With Bonet and Tomei gone, the emphasis shifts to Denise's former dorm-mates at Hillman College's Gilbert Hall: streetwise 27-year-old divorcée Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) and spoiled, haughty Whitley (Jasmine Guy). Likewise carried over from the first season are Gilbert Hall's worldly dorm director Lettie (Mary Alice), self-styled campus Romeo Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison), Dwayne's irresponsible roomie Ron (Darryl M. Bell), and local community-center leader Walter Oakes (Sinbad). New to the series are Whitley's new roommate, the iron-willed, slightly promiscuous pre-med student Kim Reese (Charnele Brown); fashion-challenged but cute and artistically gifted student Freddie Brooks (Cree Summer); and tough-as-nails calculus professor Col. Clayton "Dr. War" Taylor (played by Glynn Turnan, the husband of Aretha Franklin, who this year takes over from Phoebe Snow as the singer of the series' catchy theme tune). Major season two plot developments include the growing attraction between Whitley and Dwayne, although both continue dating others; the budding romance between Walter and Jaleesa; and the many benighted business schemes cooked up by Ron and Dwayne. Also, the characters begin spending more and more of their spare time at a local eatery called The Pit, presided over by philosophical chef Vernon Gaynes (Lou Myers). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

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

Although the weekly, one-hour musical drama series Fame was still one of the most popular syndicated series in America as it entered its sixth season, the show's budget was beginning to outstrip its profits, and thus the difficult decision was made to end production once the season wrapped. This, however, didn't stop the producers from continuing to infuse the cast with new blood, nor from staging spectacular singing and dancing numbers, frequently with top guest stars taking part in the proceedings. The season opener "Back to Something New" brings us up to date on two recently departed regulars: Ms. Elizabeth Sherwood, longtime English teacher at New York's High School for the Performing Arts, has become a successful author of racy romantic novels, while dance major Christopher Donlon has graduated and gone on to professional work. New students include brash British-born musician Ian Ware (Michael Cerveris), spunky Maxie (Olivia Barasch), and neurotic Miltie Horowitz (Robert Romanus). Likewise, the faculty is increased by one when Mr. Paul Seeger (Eric Pierpoint), a disillusioned actor turned cab driver, signs on as the new drama teacher. And in one of the season's most surprising and disturbing developments, gifted musical student Nicole Chapman (Nia Peeples) is killed in a car accident. Inarguably the series' most celebrated episode is "Reggie and Rose", in which student Reggie Higgins (Carrie Hamilton) encourages the school's recently laid-off cafeteria lady Rose to enroll as a student. Rose is played by Carol Burnett, real-life mother of Carrie Hamilton, with whom she duets in a rousing rendition of Irving Berlin's "We're a Couple of Swells). And in the series finale "Baby, Remember My Name", several former series regulars are reunited for a gala production number with the current students and faculty members: among these returnees are Erica Gimpel, Cynthia Gibb, Carol Mayo Jenkins, Valerie Landsburg, P.R. Pauland Lee Curreri. And on this high note, Fame comes to a close, but not before collecting its seventh Emmy award, bestowed upon costumer Nanrose Buchman for her contributions to the episode "All Talking, All Singing, All Dancing." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After twenty-five years, a trio of old high school friends are held responsible for a rape incident they have, until now, kept secret in this television miniseries based on Thomas Thompson's novel. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide