One of television’s most recognizable HBCU experiences is returning for a new generation, and another familiar voice from Black entertainment will help welcome viewers back to Hillman College.
Brandy will perform a new version of the iconic A Different World theme song for Netflix’s upcoming sequel series, which is scheduled to premiere Sept. 24.
The Grammy-winning singer and actress told Netflix’s Tudum that taking on the song carries special meaning because of the impact the original A Different World had on her as a child.
“Singing this iconic theme song for A Different World means everything to me,” Brandy told Netflix. “It was one of those shows that I had to watch every time it came on.”
The assignment also places Brandy in some impressive musical company. Aretha Franklin famously performed the theme during the original show’s run.
Brandy acknowledged the weight of following Franklin, telling Netflix that the original is “hard to top.”
“It feels amazing to be a part of the legacy,” she said. “I just hope I can do it as much justice as Ms. Franklin.”
A Different World helped bring the HBCU experience into American homes
The original A Different World premiered in 1987 and followed students attending the fictional Hillman College, an HBCU that became one of television’s most recognizable portrayals of Black college life.
While Hillman wasn’t a real institution, the world surrounding it introduced millions of viewers to elements of the HBCU experience — from campus organizations and friendships to academics, relationships, social issues and the transition into adulthood.
That representation resonated with Brandy long before she became a star herself.
“A Different World inspired me as a kid,” Brandy told Netflix. “It made me feel like I could go out into the world and become my own person.”
She also credited seeing Black characters on television with expanding what she imagined was possible for her own career.
“Just seeing people that looked like me on television made me dream bigger,” she said.
Brandy would eventually become part of that television legacy herself, most notably starring as Moesha Mitchell in the hit sitcom Moesha from 1996 through 2001, in addition to building a successful recording and film career.
A new generation is headed to Hillman College
Netflix’s sequel will bring the story back to Hillman while shifting the focus to another generation of HBCU students.
The new series centers on Deborah Wayne, played by Maleah Joi Moon. Deborah is the daughter of two of the original show’s most recognizable characters, Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert, played by Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy.
The younger Wayne will arrive at Hillman as a freshman, allowing the sequel to explore college life through a contemporary lens.
Netflix says the series will follow the new group of students through academic successes and struggles, relationships and the other challenges that come with navigating college and adulthood.
The connection to the original series will extend behind the camera as well.
Felicia Pride serves as showrunner and executive producer, while Debbie Allen, who directed and produced episodes of the original series, returns as an executive producer and directs the premiere.
Dawnn Lewis, who portrayed Jaleesa Vinson on the original show and co-wrote its theme song, will also return as a guest star.
HBCU television legacy gets another chapter
The return of A Different World comes nearly four decades after Hillman College first became a television window into HBCU life.
The original series ultimately became more than a college sitcom. For many Black viewers who had never stepped onto an HBCU campus, Hillman provided an introduction to a world where Black students, professors and professionals occupied the center of the story.
Now Netflix will attempt to translate that experience for another generation.
And before viewers meet Hillman’s newest freshman class, they’ll hear Brandy singing the words that helped introduce the original one.
“To be a part of it by singing the song,” Brandy told Netflix, “it’s just such an honor.”
The new A Different World is scheduled to debut Sept. 24 on Netflix with a 10-episode season.