A Different World, a spin-off of The Cosby Show, was about a group of students attending Hillman ( a fictional historically black university) and their struggles to make it through college life. The series debuting 1987 and ran for six seasons before airing its final episode in July 1993. For many, Hillman was our first look at an HBCU on network television. If you were one of the many fans who tuned in to watch A Different World (or catch the reruns on Netflix) let us know who your favorite character is below.