Review: A Different World – Netflix’s Hillman College reboot is a solid weekend watch
A Different World strikes a good balance between new and established talent.
Netflix's A Different World reboot offers a solid weekend watch, but it's not the gripping television that HBO's Lanterns delivers. The show follows Deborah Wayne, daughter of Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert, as she starts her freshman year at Hillman College, her parents' alma mater. With all ten half-hour episodes released simultaneously, the series is designed for binge-watching, though it's more suited for a Saturday afternoon on the couch than canceling your plans.
The reboot strikes a good balance between established and new talent, with a young cast that's easy on the eyes, similar to the CW dramas that South African viewers grew up on through channels like DStv's Vuzu. The show tackles big issues like politics, federal funding in education, neurodivergence, racism, and reproductive health, but it's a solid take on these topics rather than a revolutionary one.
The callbacks to the original version of A Different World are the show's most fun feature, with fans of the 1987 sitcom enjoying the nods and returning faces.
For South African viewers unfamiliar with HBCU culture, A Different World provides a welcoming and illuminating introduction. The show is a proper dramedy, with a better balance between heavy and light themes, making it a good introduction to HBCU culture. While not a must-see, A Different World is a very watchable show, especially with Netflix's announcement of a Season 2 renewal.
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