According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix announced that the comedy-drama series A Different World has been renewed for second season a week after the premiere of the first season. The renewal for the show, a sequel to the 1980s-90s NBC sitcom, was a quick one.
“It’s so validating to be bolstered by our amazing audience. We are beyond excited to return to Hillman and continue to tell meaningful and heartfelt stories that resonate across generations,” creator and showrunner Felicia Pride said in a statement via The Hollywood Reporter. “I am thrilled for our brilliant cast and our hard-working crew.”
As per The Hollywood Reporter, the series gained 4.2 million views and 23 million hours of watch time worldwide in its first four days of release, according to Netflix’s internal data. A Different World centers on Moon’s Deborah, the youngest child of Whitley Gilbert and Dwayne Wayne, as she follows in her parents’ footsteps.
“Halleluja! The people and Netflix have spoken,” said director and executive producer Debbie Allen via The Hollywood Reporter. “A Different World brought something everybody needed: joy, romance, relevance, authenticity, and heart.”
Added Tracey Pakosta, Vice President of comedy series at Netflix via The Hollywood Reporter, “We are so excited to see how audiences around the world have embraced the next chapter of this beloved series. We believed in this incredible team from day one, and can’t wait to see what unfolds next year at Hillman College.”
Pride told The Hollywood Reporter that she grew up with the original series and wanted to “capture and imbue the spirit” of it in the Netflix show. “The feeling that it gave you, which for me, was warmth,” she said. “The feeling of having this community of students and friends and mentors and elders, also the texture and the culture of HBCUs, and then the political consciousness of the show. Those were the sides of the square.”
A Different World is available to stream on Netflix.