Alexander "A.J." James (
Malcolm-Jamal Warner) is a recent college graduate who majored in psychology now attending post graduate school. He returns to his old neighborhood in
Harlem to become a counselor at a local youth center. While working at the center he is living with Sidney (
Charles Brown), his non-biological uncle who works as a doorman for a living. The series co-stars included
S. Epatha Merkerson as Ms. St. Marth as the head of the youth center (Brenda Pressley played the role in the pilot episode),
Daryl "Chill" Mitchell as T, a former delinquent now working at the center,
Rachael Crawford as Danielle, Sidney's daughter, A.J's "cousin" and occasional love interest and Jessica Stone as Amy a fellow post grad student attending the same school as A.J., also working at the center. Pee Wee Love and
Shaun Weiss also co-starred as A.J.'s counselees, Randall and William respectively. The series bore many similarities with Warner's previous series
The Cosby Show, mostly in relation to Warner's characters.
Theo Huxtable on
The Cosby Show and A.J. on this series were both psychology majors and worked at youth centers. Warner stated that difference between A.J. and Theo was that A.J. was "more hip and street wise". ==Cast==