A Sequel To ‘A Different World’ Is In The Works At Netflix

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T he NBC sitcom A Different World was a spinoff of The Cosby Show, originally intended to showcase a white student at a Black college while extending the character arc of Denise Huxtable, the Cosby’s oldest daughter, played by Lisa Bonet.

But as the show developed, Bill Cosby wanted to more accurately showcase the HBCU experience and Debbie Allen was brought in to revamp it. When Bonet got pregnant with daughter Zoe Kravitz, she left, as did Marisa Tomei who played the white student the show was originally shaped around.

The rest is TV history. A Different World ran for six seasons from 1987-1993 becoming one of the first shows to highlight the Black college experience. The fictional Hillman College and the show’s new focus on Jasmine Guy as Whitley and Kadeem Hardison as Dwayne Wayne is directly credited with inspiring more high school students to attend HBCUs.

Deadline first reported that A Different World would be reconfigured for a new audience and is in development at Netflix. The streamer had no comment, but what is known is that Allen, Gina Prince- Bythewood, and Reggie Bythewood will join Tom Werner as executive producers along with Mandy Summers. All but Summers worked on the original show. It will remain a half-hour sitcom with Felicia Pride of Bel Air and Grey’s Anatomy attached as showrunner.

Sinbad, Glynn Turman, Cree Summer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Charnele Brown, Dawnn Lewis, Darryl M. Bell, Karen Malina White and the late Lou Myers were series regulars on A Different World through its six-year run. No word if they will appear on the revamped version, nor has any casting been announced.

A Different World cast members toured four HBCUs earlier this year to promote Black college attendance. Turman, Summer, Brown, Lewis, Bell, Hardison, Guy and Lewis hit the road, with virtual appearances by Sinbad, who suffered a stroke a few years ago.

“Our mission goes beyond nostalgia,” the actors said via a statement on the website announcing the tour. “We’re on a quest to raise awareness and enrollment for HBCUs nationwide. By leveraging the star power and cultural impact of A Different World , we aim to inspire a new generation to choose HBCUs as their academic homes.”

Watch the second season trailer for A Different World below:

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