Crews 
It’s official — we’re going back to Hillman!
Just one week after A Different World made its highly anticipated return, Netflix has officially renewed the beloved franchise’s sequel series for a second season.
The new A Different World introduced viewers to a fresh generation of students at the fictional HBCU Hillman College, led by Maleah Joi Moon as Deborah Wayne, the daughter of original fan favorites Whitley Gilbert and Dwayne Wayne, once again played by Jasmine Guy and Kadeem Hardison.
Season 1 follows Deborah and her crew through their freshman year, mixing college life, relationships, friendship and plenty of Hillman mess with the nostalgia fans loved about the original series.
Joining Moon in Hillman’s new class are Alijah Kai as Rashida, Chibuikem Uche as Kojo, Cornell Young IV as Shaquille, Jordan Aaron Hall as Amir and Kennedi Reece as Hazel.
The sequel also welcomed back a long list of familiar faces from the original series, including Cree Summer, Darryl M. Bell, Dawnn Lewis, Karen Malina White, Charnele Brown, Glynn Turman, Ajai Sanders and Jada Pinkett Smith, among others.
And after the way Season 1 ended, that renewal couldn’t have come at a better time.
What Can We Expect From Season 2?
Season 2 will follow Deborah and her classmates as they return to Hillman for their sophomore year after transformative summers away from campus.
Everyone may be coming back with a “new year, new me” attitude, but they’ll quickly find themselves dealing with the consequences of past decisions, uncertain futures, new relationships, evolving friendships and questions about who they want to become.
Showrunner and executive producer Felicia Pride has also confirmed that the sophomore season will address several of those Season 1 cliffhangers.
And there are a lot of questions waiting to be answered.
Season 1 left several relationships and storylines hanging — while also planting a major connection to Denise Huxtable that immediately had longtime fans talking about where the franchise could go next.
No additional Season 2 casting has been announced yet, which means the possibility of even more legacy characters returning is already one of the biggest things fans will be watching.
A Different World Finds a New Generation
The speedy renewal is another major win for a franchise that originally became groundbreaking television by putting Black college life, HBCU culture, friendship, love and social issues at the center of a primetime sitcom.
Rather than simply recreating the original show, the Netflix continuation has worked to connect that legacy with the experiences of a new generation while still giving longtime viewers plenty of familiar faces and Hillman history.
And viewers clearly showed up.
The series debuted in Netflix’s English TV Top 10, helping secure Season 2 shortly after its premiere.
There is currently no premiere date for Season 2, and production details have not yet been announced.
But one thing is certain:
Hillman is officially back in session for another year.
Season 1 of A Different World is streaming now on Netflix.
Get into the announcement below.
