TV

'We are beyond excited to return to Hillman,' showrunner Felicia Pride said after Netflix renewed 'A Different World' for season 2.

Class will soon be back in session at Hillman College. 

Netflix’s sequel to the groundbreaking sitcom A Different World has taken Netflix by storm. In the days after it premiered on September 24, it quickly climbed to the top of the streamer’s top 10 chart. It earned 4.2 million views and hit the top 10 in 15 countries, according to Deadline. 

Given that impressive start, it’s no surprise that Netflix quickly moved to renew A Different World for season 2. 

“We are beyond excited to return to Hillman and continue to tell meaningful and heartfelt stories that resonate across generations. I am thrilled for our brilliant cast and our hardworking crew,” showrunner and executive producer Felicia Pride told Tudum. “It’s so validating to be bolstered by our amazing audience.”

“It’s because of our incredible fans that we’ve received such a swift Season 2 pickup! … From the passionate pleas for their favorite ’ships to feeling seen by a particular character to uncovering well-laid Easter eggs, the conversations fans have been having are so rich and joyful,” she continued. “And I love that audiences are watching it together — parents with children, college friends, and extended family — all enjoying it in community.”

What’s ahead for Hillman’s students in season 2? Netflix teased that Deborah Wayne (Maleah Joi Moon) and her classmates will return to campus for their sophomore year with a “new year, new me” attitude. But once they’re back at school, they’ll face their past decisions, uncertain future, new loves and friendships, and deeper questions about their purpose, while also “getting themselves into a whole lot of new mess.”

The cast celebrated the news of A Different World season 2 on social media. 

“Did someone say renewal?,” Moon wrote on Instagram. “A different world round deux is on the way.”

“I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it, y’all! Sophomore year here we come,” wrote original A Different World cast member Jasmine Guy, who plays Moon’s on-screen mother Whitley Gilbert-Wayne in the new series. 

“Mama! I made it to sophomore year!!!” wrote Alijah Kai, who plays Rashida Duvall, on her social media. 

“Thank y’all for streaming. Thank y’all for keeping the conversation going,” said Shaquille Johnson actor Cornell Young IV in a video he shared on Instagram. “Thank y’all for all the love and support that y’all have shown us. We could not have done this without y’all. … I appreciate y’all deeply. Season 2, let’s get it. We can’t wait to put these characters back on. We can’t wait to craft a beautiful and amazing season two. So y’all stay tuned for that.”

A Different World is streaming on Netflix.  

For more​​ news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram.