I watched A Different World every Thursday night when it aired on NBC, which initially took Denise Huxtable out of her Brooklyn family home and into her own coming-of-age story before it evolved into an ensemble sitcom.
The show gave audiences of all ages a chance to experience college life on screen, and it’s been credited with helping fuel the surge in HBCU enrollment during its heyday on TV. It also had a cultural impact, giving us moments with Dwayne Wayne’s flip-up glasses (and his love story with the bougie Whitley Gilbert), The Pit and depictions of what you’d see on campus from Divine Nine sororities and fraternities.
Netflix‘s A Different World, which drops all 10 episodes on Thursday, serves up similar moments, along with classroom lessons, relatable life issues and socio-political topics. It does so with the edginess and maturity rating you’d expect on the streamer or what you’d expect in series that share similar vibes like Grown-ish or Bel-Air (a series where A Different World showrunner Felicia Pride once worked as a writer).
Is it any good? Yes. And you should add this dramedy to your watchlist, especially if you attended an HBCU, have kids who do/did or are curious because you’re a fan of the original. (While you’re at it, see if you can spot filming locations throughout Morehouse College, Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University.)
Debuting almost 40 years after the original sitcom first touched TV screens on Sept. 24, 1987, the 2026 A Different World features the famous theme sung by Brandy and opening credits that mash up classic cast members with the new ones. The series stars Maleah Joi Moon as Dwayne and Whitley Wayne’s youngest daughter, Deborah (it’s duh-BOR-ah, by the way, a point driven home in the show). Her parents, played by OGs Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy, are heavily involved in Hillman, with Dwayne taking on the role of interim president. It’s a detail that helps set the stakes for this family’s dynamic, Deborah’s social and academic relationships and for Hillman College.
But the series isn’t all about Deborah Wayne. Like the crew in its predecessor, the core cast here is what makes it entertaining, and when done well, there’s strength in having an ensemble of personalities whose multiple perspectives and storylines keep things interesting. Season 1 takes viewers through one dramatic year of school, tackling love triangles, low GPAs, friendship bonds, sexual health, school athletics, old beefs and the fun side of college. Yet, it also touches on budget cuts targeted at HBCUs, present-day political topics and the meaning of community and safety (there’s a scene in episode 5 where everyone sings Tevin Campbell’s Can We Talk that demonstrates this perfectly).
Moon’s talents are showcased as the vocal, artsy, sometimes distracted Deborah, whose lovergirl tendencies shift her focus. Cornell Young IV stars as Shaquille Johnson, a football star who has a history with Deborah and whose dad (the still well-meaning-but-obnoxious Ron) has high ambitions for his career. Alijah Kai as Rashida Duvall is easily a standout — and very likable — in the series as Deborah’s high-achieving, responsible roommate. Kennedi Reece, Jordan Aaron Hall and Chibuikem Uche round out the main gang as Hazel, Amir and Kojo, who all picked Hillman for different reasons and drum roll… come from different worlds.
Today’s fashion and music trends aren’t lost on this series, and viewers get a dose of that during the Hillman’s Homecoming celebration. Songs from artists like BossMan Dlow, Mariah the Scientist and Destin Conrad soundtrack moments throughout the series, reminding us that this version is made for present times.
I like how this show wisely raised the children of the OGs we see in A Different World 2.0 to treat each other as extended family. Whitley and Dwayne’s kids grew up knowing Uncle Ron and his family, and that core group remained tight with other veteran characters like Kimberly Reese, Freddie Brooks (playing a dual role of professor and auntie) and Mr. Gaines. Some pivotal ghosts from the past are only present in name and spirit, and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Lena James fits into the group in a way you may not expect. However, all these ties become important as the show progresses, and packing in so many familiar faces and names doesn’t dismiss the roles of newcomers like Method Man’s Coach Coles.
That doesn’t mean the series doesn’t feel overstuffed with guest appearances at times — while it was nice to see the colonel (played by Glynn Turman), Jaleesa, Gina and Charmaine, I’m not sure they had to show up in season 1. On the other hand, a certain returning character (I won’t spoil it here) served the narrative so well, it made Dwayne Wayne drop a full F-bomb — something we’d never seen the likes of on NBC.
Understandably, reboots often stir up skepticism, and resurrected favorites bank on audiences wanting to see characters and plot threads from the original versions to help them connect with the faces and storylines in the new edition. As a fan, you look for those acknowledgments, and they typically show up as exciting cameos, returning characters or subtle callbacks. A Different World makes it work well, not only letting viewers revisit (or simply visit) Hillman in this modern digital age through its new batch of students, but by planting its odes to the original into this season’s story arc. It works.
