What if ‘A Different World’ were set in the Trump era? We’re about to find out

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — When “A Different World” premiered on September 24 back in 1987, the president was a lame- duck conservative Republican who was dealing with Middle East issues.

Thirty-nine years later, a Netflix sequel to the hit NBC series set at the fictitious historically Black Hillman College is premiering on the same date and while some things remain the same, much more has changed.

“A Different World,” like “The Cosby Show,” which it spun off from, was hailed for centering Black characters and culture as part of the American dream, not as victims of it.

Looking to build on the love of the original series, the new iteration features many returning cast members and introduces a new generation of characters, including Deborah (the daughter of Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert) and Shaquille (the son of Dwayne’s bff, Ron Johnson).

Over ten episodes, they navigate a world where diversity, equity and inclusion have been under attack and the rights for people of color have been rolled back amid a rise in incidences of racism and xenophobia.

“Because of the extreme unfairness, the extreme racism, extreme cruelty, the odds stacked against us, how overwhelming it can be, it’s so easy to feel bad and scared,” Cree Summer, who reprises her role as Winifred “Freddie” Brooks, said in an interview. “And to look at a TV show where you have young Black people invested in their future, it gives you, dare I say, almost a dirty word: hope.”

The first episode features Kadeem Hardison, who reprises his role as Dwayne Wayne, noting that the new generation is living in a “watershed moment” in which “this country that we built is trying to erase our Black history, our gains, our culture.”

“They want to demoralize us. They want to deport us, they want to jail us, they want to shoot us down in the streets,” Dwayne says in the show. “But you, you all are their greatest threat. You future leaders who care about justice and community and each other. I know you will stand up, I know you fight, build and you will change the world.”

The new show centers on Deborah (pronounced “Duh-bore-ah,” played by Maleah Joi Moon) and her journey at her parents’ beloved alma mater.

“I think it’s pressure and excitement at the same time,” Moon said about audience expectations of a show that plays a storied role in Black American culture. “The pressure to live up to expectation and this subconscious thing that you want to satisfy what the original viewers want to see, but then at the same time, just being excited to share what I have to offer as a new person to the role as part of the family and the legacy. It’s iconic.”

The original series was enormously successful over its six seasons, drawing in millions of viewers weekly, particularly after Debbie Allen took over as a producer and director after the first season. (Allen also serves as an executive producer and cast member of the new series and directs the first episode).

The 1990s version tackled difficult issues head on: racism, domestic violence, HIV awareness.

“The reason ‘A Different World’ has remained evergreen is because it dealt with issues that are still present today,” said Darryl M. Bell, who returns as the character Ron Johnson. “Our classic episodes, from racist student protests, financial troubles, relationships, all those things are the same,” he said. “For a long time the only thing that was really different was social media, then the internet. Now it’s AI that’s taking it up a notch more so it’s just a brand new world for these young folks trying to navigate not only college life, but what the future looks like.”

Felicia Pride, the show’s creator, executive producer and showrunner said she wants the new series to both elicit nostalgia for fans of the original as well as excitement for a new audience to culminate in what feels like “a warm hug.”

“I want young people to feel seen and I want people to be able to watch with their parents, their friends, your crew and your boo,” she said. “I want young people to feel like what they’re going through matters, and I want older people like myself to feel seen and to feel like coming of age never ends.”

Class is now in session.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.