With reboots and “legacy revivals” of TV shows from the ‘80s and ‘90s around, it was likely only a matter of time before A Different World got the treatment. Netflix just released the teaser trailer and description for the new take on the old show, which is set to hit the streamer on Thursday, September 24, which is exactly 39 years after the original debuted on NBC.
The show isn’t a reboot but a continuation, as it follows Deborah Wayne (Maleah Joi Moon), the daughter of original series stars Dwayne Wade (Kadeem Harrison) and Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy), who enrolls in her family’s alma mater of Hillman College to seek her own life.
Tumdum shared the announcement at Netflix’s Celebration of Black Television at the American Black Film Festival with showrunner/executive producer Felicia Pride and executive producer/director Debbie Allen.
“It is such an honor to be a part of bringing back this iconic show, one that I grew up on and which had a profound impact on my life,” Pride said. “I am so proud of the work we’re doing to reimagine A Different World for beloved fans and new generations alike.”
For Allen, this is a return to A Different World, as she produced 122 episodes of the original and directed 83. She confirmed she’ll direct the first episode of the series and at least two more.
“There couldn’t be a better time than now to reboot A Different World,” Allen stated. “Our show changed lives, tripled the enrollment of historically Black colleges, and gave a strong voice and platform for young Black America. The incredible fresh young talent we have discovered paired with the lovable audience favorite OGs makes this much-anticipated return a must-see on Netflix.”
The teaser itself showed Moon in a Hillman jacket while wearing the same flip-on glasses her dad made iconic.
It looks like a fun take on the original series that remains beloved by a generation.
What is A Different World about?
Premiering in 1987, A Different World was a spinoff of The Cosby Show, following Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) enrolling in Hillman College. The first season was more of a typical sitcom of the time with a cast that included a then-unknown Marisa Tomei.
Some behind-the-scenes turmoil led to Bonet and Tomei being let go at the end of the first year. The series not only continued but thrived, addressing issues of race, class, sexual matters, and more in a way you didn’t see on late 80s network comedies. It ended in 1993 after six seasons and 144 episodes and has become a mainstay in syndication.
The new version follows Deborah and a new class, but plenty of old faces will return.
“When Deborah, Dwayne Wayne, and Whitley Gilbert's free-spirited, well-intentioned, yet rebellious youngest child, enters her freshman year at Hillman College, she finds the shadow of her parents difficult to escape as she sets out to build her own legacy, while having the time of her life, alongside a whole new generation of Hillman's best and brightest. "Along the way, she's joined by a new generation that reflects the breadth of Black life on campus: Rashida Duvall (Alijah Kai), a first-generation criminal justice major; Shaquille Johnson (Cornell Young IV), a five-star athlete choosing legacy; Amir Rodale (Jordan Aaron Hall), a sharp psych major better at fixing everyone else's problems than facing his own; Hazel Henry (Kennedi Reece), a church-raised small-town girl defining her own values; and Kojo Achebe (Chibuikem Uche), a Ghanaian-Nigerian fashion entrepreneur finding the courage to follow his vision."
Also co-starring are Vincent Jamal Hooper as Ellington, Elijah J. Roberts as Jalen, Renee Harrison as Candace, Famecia Ward as Nellie Gaines, and Dasan Frazier as Xavier.
As for returning faces, obviously, Hardison and Guy will be back as Dwayne and Whitley. Joining them are Cree Summer as Freddie Brooks, Darryl M. Bell as Ron Johnson, Charnele Brown as Kimberly Reese, Jenifer Lewis as Dorothy Dandridge Davenport, Glynn Truman as Colonel Bradford Taylor, and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lena James.
The original show was a multi-camera sitcom, while the reboot will be single-camera instead. Given the original’s major following, it’s little surprise this is getting buzz as fans old and new will be tuning in to see if A Different World lives up to its title.
A Different World premieres Thursday, September 24 on Netflix.
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