The most acclaimed black sitcom of the 1980s was The Cosby Show, which ran from 1984 to 1992. This show was popular for all American viewers and its success remains undeniable yet controversial. Many believed it portrayed the assumed idealized sense of the black upper-middle class family, while others saw it as a colorized version of the stock American family. In spite of these viewpoints, the show brought a new perspective of the black family. Another show that offered a view into black culture was A Different World, which aired from 1987 to 1993, and featured college students at a historically black college.