What if ‘A Different World’ were set in the Trump era? We’re about to find out

When “A Different World” premiered on September 24 back in 1987, the president was a lame- duck conservative Republican who was dealing with Middle East issues.

Thirty-nine years later, a Netflix sequel to the hit NBC series set at the fictitious historically Black Hillman College is premiering on the same date and while some things remain the same, much more has changed.

“A Different World,” like “The Cosby Show,” which it spun off from, was hailed for centering Black characters and culture as part of the American dream, not as victims of it.

Looking to build on the love of the original series, the new iteration features many returning cast members and introduces a new generation of characters, including Deborah (the daughter of Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert) and Shaquille (the son of Dwayne’s bff, Ron Johnson).

Over ten episodes, they navigate a world where diversity, equity and inclusion have been under attack and the rights for people of color have been rolled back amid a rise in incidences of racism and xenophobia.

“Because of the extreme unfairness, the extreme racism, extreme cruelty, the odds stacked against us, how overwhelming it can be, it’s so easy to feel bad and scared,” Cree Summer, who reprises her role as Winifred “Freddie” Brooks, said in an interview. “And to look at a TV show where you have young Black people invested in their future, it gives you, dare I say, almost a dirty word: hope.”

The first episode features Kadeem Hardison, who reprises his role as Dwayne Wayne, noting that the new generation is living in a “watershed moment” in which “this country that we built is trying to erase our Black history, our gains, our culture.”

“They want to demoralize us. They want to deport us, they want to jail us, they want to shoot us down in the streets,” Dwayne says in the show. “But you, you all are their greatest threat. You future leaders who care about justice and community and each other. I know you will stand up, I know you fight, build and you will change the world.”

The new show centers on Deborah (pronounced “Duh-bore-ah,” played by Maleah Joi Moon) and her journey at her parents’ beloved alma mater.

“I think it’s pressure and excitement at the same time,” Moon said about audience expectations of a show that plays a storied role in Black American culture. “The pressure to live up to expectation and this subconscious thing that you want to satisfy what the original viewers want to see, but then at the same time, just being excited to share what I have to offer as a new person to the role as part of the family and the legacy. It’s iconic.”

The original series was enormously successful over its six seasons, drawing in millions of viewers weekly, particularly after Debbie Allen took over as a producer and director after the first season. (Allen also serves as an executive producer and cast member of the new series and directs the first episode).

The 1990s version tackled difficult issues head on: racism, domestic violence, HIV awareness.

The Carsey-Werner Company/Everett Collection

“The reason ‘A Different World’ has remained evergreen is because it dealt with issues that are still present today,” said Darryl M. Bell, who returns as the character Ron Johnson. “Our classic episodes, from racist student protests, financial troubles, relationships, all those things are the same,” he said. “For a long time the only thing that was really different was social media, then the internet. Now it’s AI that’s taking it up a notch more so it’s just a brand new world for these young folks trying to navigate not only college life, but what the future looks like.”

Felicia Pride, the show’s creator, executive producer and showrunner said she wants the new series to both elicit nostalgia for fans of the original as well as excitement for a new audience to culminate in what feels like “a warm hug.”

“I want young people to feel seen and I want people to be able to watch with their parents, their friends, your crew and your boo,” she said. “I want young people to feel like what they’re going through matters, and I want older people like myself to feel seen and to feel like coming of age never ends.”

Class is now in session.

1987 年 9 月 24 日，《不一样的世界》首播时，总统是一位即将卸任的保守派共和党人，正在处理中东问题。

39 年后，Netflix 推出的热门 NBC 剧集的续集将于同一天首播，该剧以虚构的、历史上属于黑人的希尔曼学院为背景。虽然有些事情仍然相同，但更多的事情已经发生了变化。

《不一样的世界》和它所衍生的《考斯比一家》一样，因将黑人角色和文化作为美国梦的一部分，而不是作为美国梦的受害者而受到赞誉。

为了延续原剧的受欢迎程度，新剧集保留了许多原班人马，并引入了新一代角色，包括黛博拉（道恩·韦恩和惠特利·吉尔伯特的女儿）和沙奎尔（道恩的好朋友罗恩·约翰逊的儿子）。

在十集节目中，他们探索了一个多样性、公平性和包容性受到攻击、有色人种的权利被削弱、种族主义和仇外心理事件不断增加的世界。

“因为极度的不公、极度的种族歧视、极度的残忍，以及我们所面临的重重阻碍，这一切都让人感到难以承受，很容易感到难过和恐惧，” 饰演温妮弗雷德·“弗雷迪”·布鲁克斯的克里·萨默在一次采访中说道。“而看到一部电视剧，讲述年轻的黑人对自己的未来充满憧憬，它会让你，我敢说，几乎是让你感受到一个禁忌的词：希望。”

第一集由卡迪姆·哈迪森出演，他再次扮演德韦恩·韦恩，并指出新一代正生活在一个“分水岭时刻”，在这个时刻，“我们建立的这个国家正试图抹去我们的黑人历史、我们的成就和我们的文化”。

“他们想打击我们的士气。他们想驱逐我们，想把我们关进监狱，想在大街上枪杀我们，”德韦恩在节目中说道。“但你们，你们才是他们最大的威胁。你们是未来的领袖，你们关心正义、关心社区、关心彼此。我知道你们会挺身而出，我知道你们会战斗、会建设，你们会改变世界。”

新剧以黛博拉（发音为“Duh-bore-ah”，由玛利亚·乔伊·穆恩饰演）为中心，讲述了她在父母挚爱的母校的求学之旅。

“我觉得既有压力又有兴奋，”穆恩谈到观众对这部在非裔美国人文化中扮演着重要角色的剧集的期待时说道。“一方面，我感到压力，想要不辜负大家的期望；另一方面，我又很兴奋，作为一个新人，能够为这个家庭和这份传承贡献自己的力量。这本身就是一件标志性的事情。”

原版剧集在六季播出期间取得了巨大的成功，每周吸引数百万观众，尤其是在黛比·艾伦在第一季之后接任制片人和导演之后。（艾伦同时也是新剧的执行制片人和演员，并执导了第一集。）

20 世纪 90 年代的版本直面了诸多棘手问题：种族主义、家庭暴力、艾滋病防治意识。

卡西-沃纳公司/埃弗雷特收藏

“《不一样的世界》之所以经久不衰，是因为它探讨的问题至今仍然存在，”饰演罗恩·约翰逊的达里尔·M·贝尔说道。“我们经典的剧集，从种族歧视的学生抗议、经济困境到人际关系，所有这些都和现在一样，”他说道。“很长一段时间里，唯一真正改变的是社交媒体，然后是互联网。现在人工智能又让情况发生了翻天覆地的变化，对于这些年轻人来说，这简直是一个全新的世界，他们不仅要适应大学生活，还要探索未来。”

该剧的创作者、执行制片人和剧集运作人费利西亚·普莱德表示，她希望这部新剧既能唤起原剧粉丝的怀旧之情，又能激发新观众的兴奋之情，最终给人一种“温暖的拥抱”的感觉。

“我希望年轻人能感受到被理解，也希望大家能和父母、朋友、家人以及爱人一起观看，”她说。“我希望年轻人能感受到他们的经历很重要，也希望像我这样的年纪大的人能感受到被理解，并觉得成长永无止境。”

现在开始上课。