Netflix’s sequel to the hit NBC series A Different World is officially coming back for a second season.
The streaming platform announced the renewal on Oct. 2. The news comes less than a week after the show premiered and shot straight to the top of Netflix’s English‑language TV rankings. Showrunner and executive producer Felicia Pride said the early response has been both energizing and affirming.
“We are beyond excited to return to Hillman and continue to tell meaningful and heartfelt stories that resonate across generations,” Pride told Tudum, the streaming network’s digital companion site. “It’s so validating to be bolstered by our amazing audience.”
Pride credited fans for the momentum behind the show’s early success.
“It’s because of our incredible fans that we’ve received such a swift Season 2 pickup,” she said. “You all have watched, rewatched, posted about, created content around, and hosted events for our show. Your support, passion, and love mean the absolute world.”
She said the conversations happening around the show — from debates about favorite ’ships to viewers feeling seen by particular characters — have been “rich and joyful,” and she’s especially moved by how families and friends are watching it together.
The sequel brings Hillman College into a new era — and St. Louis is once again part of the story.
Cornell Young IV plays Shaquille Johnson, Hillman’s quarterback and the son of Ron Johnson Jr., a character fans remember from the original series. Young grew up in the Riverview Gardens School District. He graduated from Kirkwood High School. He later played football at McKendree University. His presence on the show has created a wave of hometown pride.
“I appreciate all the love and support you all have been showing me,” Young said via Facebook. “It really means a lot, and I am blessed to have the village I have.”
Young has been clear about why the show matters to him.
“Representation is important,” he said during an interview with veteran media personality Bevy Smith. “To be able to be on a show that allows people to see themselves and relate — that has always been my purpose in acting. I don’t act for anything else except to have impact.”
His St. Louis ties came up again during an interview on Kansas City’s Hot 103 Jamz FM’s Hustle & Shyne In The Morning. Host Deona Hustle shared that she grew up in Jennings. Young told her he spent kindergarten through 10th grade in Riverview Gardens before finishing at Kirkwood.
Their hometown conversation prompted original cast member Darryl M. Bell — who reprises his role as Ron Johnson Jr. — to jump in with his own St. Louis memories.
“Let me just step on all you St. Louis folks because I lived in U. City and I used to walk to school to Flynn Park,” Bell said. “I used to get my pickles over at the Posh Nosh,” Bell said, referring to the popular Clayton deli.
Bell’s father, Travis Bell Jr., attended Washington University and lived with his family in University City before moving to New York. There, he co-founded Daniels & Bell with Willie E. Daniels in 1970. In 1971, Daniels and Bell, Inc. became the first Black‑owned firm on the New York Stock Exchange.
Kennedi Reece, who plays Hazel, also shares St. Louis roots. Reece grew up in the Chicago suburbs but has long claimed St. Louis as home. Her father attended Morehouse College after being inspired by the original A Different World, and she has spoken often about how the show shaped her family’s HBCU legacy. She celebrated the renewal with a short message on Instagram.
“Sophomore year, here we come,” she wrote.
Kinloch native and Webster University alum Jenifer Lewis — who appeared in the original series — also returns in the sequel, adding another layer of St. Louis representation to the Hillman universe.
“Parents with children, college friends, and extended family are all enjoying the show in community,” Pride said.