Netflix is eying A Different World as its next shot at a hit reboot series.
Per Deadline, the streaming giant is currently set to produce a pilot for a sequel series to 1987’s A Different World. The follow-up will focus on Deborah, the daughter of Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert-Wayne, portrayed by Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy in the original series.
Related
Oscar-Winning DCU Star Viola Davis Pitches the MCU Role She Could Play
Academy Award-winner and DCU icon Viola Davis offers an original character she could portray if she were to step into the MCU.
Like the original, the A Different World will follow its cast of characters as they navigate life at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities). The sequel will be written by Felicia Pride and directed by Debbie Allen. The pair will both executive produce alongside Mandy Summers, Tom Werner, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Bythewood. This marks a partial reunion, as Allen, Werner, Prince-Bythewood and Bythewood all worked together on the original series, with Allen having directed 83 of the series 144 episodes. Casting is currently underway for the part of Deborah and other leading and featured roles.
The Original Show Debuted in 1987
A Different World premiered in September 1987 on NBC. A spinoff of The Cosby Show, the first season of A Different World followed Lisa Bonet’s Denise Huxtable as she embarks upon her academic career at Hillman College. The series also starred Marisa Tomei as Maggie Lauten, Loretta Devine as Stevie Rallen, Dawnn Lewis as Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor, Mary Alix as Leticia “Lettie” Bostic, Darryl M. Bell as Ronald “Ron” Johnson, and Sinbad as Coach Walter Oakes. After Bonet, Tomei, and Devine departed from the series after its first season, the series’ main cast expanded, with the focus shifting to the iconic romance between Whitley and Dwayne.
Related
‘Better Than [Season 1]’: Gen V Season 2 Gets an Exciting Update From The Boys Showrunner
The Boys’ showrunner Eric Kripke tells fans that the second season of Gen V is nearing the end of post-production, calls it “better than Season 1.”
A Different World ran for 144 episodes across six seasons, coming to a close in July 1993. Over the course of the series, fans watched as the core cast came into their own, fell in love, and learned how to be the best versions of themselves. Towards the end of the series, Whitley and Dwayne revealed that they were expecting a child, with the couple moving to Japan to start a new life in a new country. Discussions surrounding a sequel series have cropped over multiple times in recent years, with Netflix originally confirming development on A Different World back in 2024.
A Different World is streaming on Netflix.
Source: Deadline
- Release Date
-
1987 – 1992
- Directors
-
Henry Chan, Glynn Turman, Kadeem Hardison, David Blackwell, Kim Friedman, Michael Peters, Peter Werner, Christopher Hibler, Jasmine Guy, Jay Sandrich, John Whitesell, Matthew Diamond
- Writers
-
Yvette Lee Bowser, Thad Mumford, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Judi Ann Mason, Adriana Trigiani, Scott S. Gorden, Jeffrey Duteil, Orlando Jones, Bill Cosby, Matt Williams, Steven Peterman, Karen Kennedy, Joe Gannon, Gary Dontzig, Carmen Finestra, Susan Fales-Hill
-
-
Jasmine Guy
Whitley Gilbert
-
Kadeem Hardison
Dwayne Wayne
-
Darryl M. Bell
Ron Johnson
