First Look at Maleah Joi Moon in A DIFFERENT WORLD Teaser

Hell’s Kitchen star Maleah Joi Moon is leading A Different World, a sequel series to the classic sitcom of the same name from Netflix. Once again set at Hillman College, Moon plays Deborah Wayne, daughter of original characters Whitley and Dwayne.

Described as “a free spirit with a flair for the spotlight,” the series finds Deborah as she navigates her path at the university. Check out a new teaser, offering a first look at the Tony Award winner in character. The ten-episode first season will premiere on the streamer on September 24.

Deborah is joined by a new generation that reflects the breadth of Black life on campus: Rashida Duvall (Alijah Kai), a first‑gen criminal justice major; Shaquille Johnson (Cornell Young IV), a five‑star athlete choosing legacy; Amir Rodale (Jordan Aaron Hall), a sharp psych major better at fixing everyone else’s problems than facing his own; Hazel Henry (Kennedi Reece), a church‑raised small‑town girl defining her own values; and Kojo Achebe (Chibuikem Uche), a Ghanaian‑Nigerian fashion entrepreneur finding the courage to follow his vision.

Centered on the Black experience, the dramedy also features returning legacy favorites including Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy), Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison), Freddie Brooks (Cree Summer), and Ron Johnson (Darryl M. Bell).

Felicia Pride (Grey’s Anatomy, Queen Sugar) serves as showrunner/executive producer/writer. Debbie Allen, who directed 83 episodes of the original series and served as primary director from 1988-1993, returns for the sequel. 

Writers from the original series, Reggie Rock Bythewood (Shots Fired, Swagger) and Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King, Love & Basketball) return as Executive Producers alongside Mandy Summers (That 90’s Show, The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh) and Tom Werner (The Connors, Roseanne).