I am an absolute sucker for tv shows, books, and movies based in college. While being a college student now, I particularly enjoy watching these college-based shows and drawing parallels between fiction and reality.
Here are a few of my faves:
A Different World
A Different World was one of the first shows I watched that took place at a university. This late 80s / early 90s sitcom was a spinoff to The Cosby Show that followed Denise Huxtable as she embarked on a new journey at Hillman College. Hillman College, being a Predominantly Black Institution (PBI) was a new experience for Denise as she met people from different backgrounds and navigated what it was like to be in college. This show is one of my favorites because it featured some iconic black actors and actresses like Lisa Bonet, Debbie Allen, Jada Pinkett- Smith, and Kadeem Hardison. If you like classic black sitcoms like The Cosby Show or Family Matters, you would definitely like A Different World!
The Sex Lives of College Girls
The Sex Lives of College Girls follows four roommates: Leighton, Kimberly, Whitney, and Bela as they exercise their sexual freedom at the ivy-esque Essex University. What I like the most about this risqué yet hilarious show is the one liners. After watching the first two seasons and doing a bit of post-watch stalking, I found out that it was co-created by Mindy Kaling. Finding that out made watching the show much funnier and special. Looking for a laugh? I definitely recommend it.
All American: Homecoming
All American: Homecoming is a spinoff from the CW show All American. It follows main character Simone Hicks as she transitions from sunny Beverly Hills to Atlanta Georgia to attend HBCU, (Historically Black College / University) Bringston University to play tennis. What I love most about this show is how diverse and how real it is. Instead of the typical football / cheerleader trope that is common in most young adult dramas, the main characters in the show play tennis and baseball. I also really love how it focuses on the systemic issues HBCUs face such as discrimination and police brutality. I attend a PWI, so watching All American: Homecoming every Monday brings a sense of home that I miss sometimes.
(CW if you’re reading this…please renew All American: Homecoming. Thanks)
Dear White People
I’m gonna be honest. The last season of this show completely disappointed me. But, this show was too special for me not to mention it. Dear White People is a comedy / satire show that follows a group of black students as they fight against the racial injustices within their ivy league institution, Winchester University. Main character, Samantha “Sam” White pioneers the movement with her Radio Show “Dear White People” that calls out the racists on her college campus. Ignoring the last season, what I like the most about the show is the satire aspect. The exaggerated notions used in the show really amplify the issues that lie in society, painting a bigger message to the racism that constitutes in PWIs (Predominantly White Institutions). I watched this show well before I came to college but now that I’m here, as a black woman at a PWI, I often find myself thinking back to Dear White People and some of the parallels that exist today.
Scream Queens
This show is such a classic to me. Scream Queens was (sadly) a show that took place at the prestigious Wallace University where their biggest sorority, Kappa Kappa Tau is violently targeted by an anonymous red devil serial killer. I remember when the trailer for the show came out in 2015. Imagine my face when I saw my mother, Ariana Grande on the trailer for the show. To my dismay, she only had a small cameo but she was there! What I love about this show the most is what it did for the culture. The angst, the suspense, the rude humor, I couldn’t stop watching no matter how bad the plot got. If you like shows that are really bad but really good at the same time, check out Scream Queens! Unfortunately, it got canceled after the second season but it’s still worth the watch!
What every single of these shows have in common is how relatable they are. Whether it’s a character, scene or line of dialogue, I always find a connection from a show to my real life experience being a college student.