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Welcome Back to Hillman
‘A Different World’ returns with familiar faces, fresh stories and a new generation of students finding their way. Showrunner Felicia Pride shares why the time was right to revisit a TV classic.
Kadeem Hardison and Jenifer Lewis in "A Different World."
Quantrell Colbert/Netflix
For the Gen Xers among us, the humorous and heart-tugging A Different World, which ran for six seasons from 1987 to 1993 on NBC, was must-see TV. Set at the fictional Hillman College, the show reflected the richness, complexity and spirit of student life at an HBCU—from Black-centered higher learning and sorority and fraternity step shows to socializing over burgers and fries in the student center. The show still holds a nostalgic place in our collective Cross Colours-wearing memories.
The original A Different World theme song, most notably sung by the late, great Aretha Franklin, still lives in our heads rent-free. For the sequel, premiering on Netflix on September 24th, Brandy picks up the diva torch and puts her raspy, run-filled spin on the catchy tune.
From the moment we saw the trailer, we were hooked. Some of our old Hillman friends are back, joining young students skating, stepping and doing double Dutch on the Yard. They’re studying, partying and living their best young, gifted, Black and talented lives.
And we’re so excited for the new rendition that we just can’t hide it. We’ve got our truffle popcorn, chocolate and other premium snacks on deck, and we’re ready to watch the next generation cast do their thing, as well as welcome the return of original cast favorites and surprise guest stars.
The plot picks up nearly forty years later with Southern belle Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) and her nerd turned Prince Charming Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison), who are still happily married. That’s great news considering how smitten we were with the opposites attract couple, and their epic fifth season finale wedding (“Baby, please!”).
Debbie Allen was a longtime director and executive producer for the original series, and she spearheaded groundbreaking storylines about racism, colorism, HIV/AIDS and sexual consent. Allen reprises her role as no-nonsense school counselor Dr. Langhorne, and serves as an executive producer for the new iteration, which also promises plenty of plot twists and social commentary.
The 10-episode first season follows Whitley and Dwayne’s free-spirited youngest daughter, Deborah Wayne (Maleah Joi Moon), as she enters her freshman year at Hillman and forges her own identity apart from her parents’ legacy. Some may recognize Moon’s fresh face and voluminous curls from her Tony-winning lead role in Alicia Keys’ semi-autobiographical Hell’s Kitchen on Broadway.
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The supporting cast of new characters include Rashida Duvall (Alijah Kai), a criminal justice major from Compton; Shaquille Johnson (Cornell Young IV), a star athlete; Amir Rodale (Jordan Aaron Hall), a sharp psych grappling with his own issues; Hazel Henry (Kennedi Reece), a small-town church girl coming out of her shell; and Kojo Achebe (Chibuikem Uche), a driven Ghanaian‑Nigerian fashion entrepreneur.
Sisters spoke via email with the showrunner, writer and executive producer Felicia Pride about what we can expect (this interview has been edited for clarity).
What inspired you to create the A Different World sequel?
I’ll be 47 this year. I had the pleasure of working with Debbie Allen on Grey’s Anatomy. She called me and told me they were going to bring the show back on Netflix and wanted me to be involved.
At first, I was scared. I was nervous because, having grown up on the show and watching it in real time, it’s a show that’s so precious to me and to so many people. I knew it was a huge undertaking and that it was going to be very difficult. But one thing Debbie said was, the timing is now to hear from young people. I know what the show did for my life, and I wanted to be a part of hopefully doing the same thing for a new generation.
What are your fondest memories of the original show?
I have a specific memory of the show. I think I was 11 or 12. I had moved to a new city and did not have a lot of friends. So, I would record episodes of A Different World, watch the step show episode, and play and pause it on repeat to learn the steps. It was like I was hanging with Whitley and Freddie and Kim and Jaleesa, and they felt like my friends. I was so in awe of seeing stepping, but also of seeing young women who looked like me having a good time and handling their business. It was huge for me.
What should Gen X fans who grew up with the original show expect from the sequel?
Black culture is very intergenerational. We wanted our legacy cast to come back in ways that felt organic and natural, and to have their own storylines that are both about where they are now as mothers, parents and spouses, but also about their relationship to Hillman. It was very important for us to show that as well.
Besides Whitley and Dwayne, which other original characters come back or make appearances?
We also have Freddie [Cree Summer] and Kim [Charnele Brown], who return. We have Jaleesa [Dawnn Lewis], Lena James [Jada Pinkett Smith] and Professor Davenport [Jenifer Lewis]. We have a range of characters who come back.
What impact do you hope the show will have on both younger and older viewers?
It is my dream that folks like me who grew up on the show, our Hillmanites, can watch it with their children, nieces, nephews and the young people in their lives. We created this show to be intergenerational in that way.
I think it will spark those stories from Gen X and beyond about what they did growing up and being in college. That would be one of my biggest joys, and also a bridge to talk about a lot of topics. Like the original, the show still has that consciousness, but it also talks about coming of age and the things impacting young people today. I think it can be a bridge to open up discussions about the realities young people are facing and how we can learn from each other.
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