Netflix has officially set a premiere date for the long-awaited A Different World sequel, announcing that the new series will debut on September 24, 2026. The date marks exactly 39 years since the original NBC comedy first aired in 1987. The announcement was made Friday at Netflix’s Celebration of Black Television during the American Black Film Festival in Miami, where showrunner and executive producer Felicia Pride, executive producer and director Debbie Allen, and series lead Maleah Joi Moon revealed the news alongside the show’s first teaser trailer.

The sequel is a 10-episode single-camera comedy filmed in Atlanta. It centers on Deborah Wayne, played by Tony Award winner Maleah Joi Moon, the youngest daughter of original series fan favorites Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert, who enrolls as a freshman at Hillman College, her parents’ alma mater. The teaser shows Deborah arriving on campus wearing a pair of flip-up glasses, a nod to the accessory that became Dwayne Wayne’s trademark in the original run.

Joining Moon as new Hillman students are Cornell Young IV as Shaquille Johnson, a five-star athlete from a legacy family; Jordan Aaron Hall as Amir Rodale, a psychology major; and Alijah Kai as Rashida Duvall, a first-generation criminal justice major and the real-life daughter of castmate Tichina Arnold. Kennedi Reece and Chibuikem Uche also appear in the series.

A substantial roster of original cast members returns to reprise their roles. Jasmine Guy and Kadeem Hardison are back as Whitley Gilbert and Dwayne Wayne, now parents. Also returning are Cree Summer, Darryl M. Bell, Charnele Brown, Jenifer Lewis, Jada Pinkett Smith, Dawnn Lewis, Glynn Turman, Karen Malina White, and Ajai Sanders. New additions to the ensemble include Tichina Arnold, Method Man as Coach Coles, and Norman Nixon Jr. as Professor Baptiste. Allen teased additional surprise guest appearances from the original run.

Debbie Allen, who directed 83 episodes of the original series, returns as executive producer and will direct the premiere episode. Original series writers Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood also return as executive producers, alongside Tom Werner and Mandy Summers. Tiffany Johnson, Angela Barnes, Nefertite Nguvu, and Bille Woodruff round out the directing team for the remaining episodes.

The series addresses contemporary issues including social media, identity, and the current landscape facing HBCUs. “There couldn’t be a better time than now to reboot A Different World,” Allen said in a statement. “Our show changed lives, tripled the enrollment of historically Black colleges and gave a strong voice and platform for Young Black America.”

The original A Different World ran for six seasons on NBC from 1987 to 1993, originally spinning off from The Cosby Show. All six seasons of the original are currently available to stream on Netflix. The sequel series premieres September 24, 2026.