The show ran for six seasons, and although Lisa Bonet left, it became successful. Within the Black community, it inspired young folks to pursue higher education. More importantly, it highlighted HBCUs nationwide. I don’t know how many people went to an HBCU after watching the show, but I personally know people who were inspired by it.
I was also one of those kids who was inspired by the show. I didn’t go to an HBCU, but the show was one of the factors that contributed to my desire to go to college. That’s why I was delighted when I heard that Netflix would be revamping the series into a modern-day format.
I have to admit that even though I was excited, I was also skeptical. In my opinion, recent reboots and revivals of movies and television shows have not been good. Despite that, there was anticipation leading up to the premiere. There were scheduled watch parties at various locations across the country.
The Black Truth News attended a watch party at the Gathering Spot in Atlanta. The event was full of school spirit; the pep squad from Clark & Atlanta University kicked things off with a routine. That was followed by a dance step from Black Greek sorority and fraternity members.
They had memorabilia from the show and items to commemorate the event. Of course, the most important thing was viewing the show. The new version of A Different World has one season and ten episodes on Netflix. The first episode was available for viewing during the watch party. It was hard to watch with other activities going on, but it was still nice that they previewed it. The 2026 version of A Different World is now streaming on Netflix.
