Class is back in session at Hillman College.

While the upcoming A Different World spinoff follows a new group of students at the fictional HBCU college, the Netflix series is already promising a fresh perspective with a blend of nostalgia. 

And this is true both behind and in front of the camera with the original producer and director Debbie Allen and many OG writers returning for the sequel series—not to mention a whole lot of fan-favorite cast members like Kadeem Hardison, Jamine Guy, Cree Summer and more.  

For Charnele Brown, stepping back onto the Hillman campus, and her role as Kimberly Reese Boyer, is about more than just revisiting the past—it’s about continuing the show’s legacy. 

“We need it now,” she told MS NOW in an exclusive interview. “Our kids need to get back to what’s important—whether it’s school, or whether it’s a trade.”

Since her time on the show, Brown has remained committed to uplifting others, balancing her acting career with her work as an author and educator through her acting school Charnele Brown’s Acting Academy.

For the new cast, being a part of A Different World’s legacy is not a responsibility they take lightly.

“Ten years ago, I was watching this show on TV for the very first time,” Harrison explained to MS NOW. “Looking at these, like, brilliant, young, talented Black actors, actors, artists in general, and feeling like I could do this one day.”

Black Girls Do Theater founder continued, “Now we’re doing it,creating this continued legacy, creating this work with the people that helped shape [me] as an artist.”

And Harrison is glad she got to meet her onscreen heroes like Brown and the other original cast members, as “they've been so incredibly, thoughtful and generous, and they're rooting for us.”

Still, it was full of starstruck moments, as she added, "We met Dawnn Lewis and my heart melted.”

Because the truth is, Hillman was never just a campus—it was a reflection of possibility.

When the show originally aired between 1987 and 1993 as a spinoff of The Cosby Show—led by Lisa Bonet’s Denise Huxtable—it quickly became iconic, growing into a cultural touchstone, celebrated for its layered characters, and memorialized through its authentic and timeless portrayal of young Black adulthood.

With Gay and Hardison’s Whitley and Dwayne as the only two characters in all six seasons, they became fan favorites not just for their love story, but for their growth, ambition, and individuality. 

A Different World captured the everyday realities of college life and celebrated friendship, community, and personal evolution—on and off screen. And Brown is confident the sequel will do the same for a new audience.

“These kids are just freaking amazing—on and off camera,” she emphasized. “Pure professionals, just full of energy and full of love. My expectations are high, and I know that they will surpass them.”

(E! and MS NOW are both part of the Versant Media family.)