For Felicia Pride, bringing “A Different World” back to television screens is more than revisiting an adored classic. It is about creating a space where audiences can see the experiences, challenges and culture of today’s young Black Americans reflected on screen.
Pride, the showrunner behind the sequel, grew up watching the original series and understood the responsibility that came with bringing it back.
“I was very nervous,” Pride said. “It’s such a beloved show, and I did not want to be part of messing it up”
With the guidance of Debbie Allen, Pride saw the project as an opportunity to listen to and represent the next generation of Black voices.
The sequel, which was filmed throughout the Atlanta University Center (AUC), aims to capture the spirit of HBCU life while introducing audiences to a new generation of characters and stories. From funding challenges and campus safety to grief, sexuality and friendships.
Pride highlights the larger issues affecting young people and the personal experiences they face every day.
The story continues
Pride isn’t new to telling the story of some of TV’s most beloved shows. She worked as a writer and co-executive producer on “Bel-Air,” the dramatic reboot of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
With the growing production of remakes and reboots, Pride understands the duty it takes to make something special.
Pride wants to persevere the elements that made the original series meaningful to longtime fans, while also creating a connection for the new audience to take hold of.
The show isn’t just about recreating the original, but to carry on the same feeling into the next generation.
“The feeling of warmth that the original show had, the feeling of community and those relationships that the original show had, the HBCU-ness of the original show and then a political consciousness,” Pride said. “Those are the things that were our guides in continuing ‘A Different World.’”
HBCU authenticity
Authenticity played a major role in the filming of the sequel to “A Different World”, bringing back the feeling of what it means to be at the forefront of the conversation.
The original series played a big role in why HBCU alumni decided to go to their respective schools all across the nation. Pride says the influence of HBCUs is stronger than ever, pointing to the growing demand from students who want to experience the culture and community these institutions provide.
The campuses of these HBCUs have become increasingly important spaces for education, cultural identity and community.
Pride believed the original A Different World helped contribute to the interest and saw the continuation as another opportunity to showcase what makes HBCUs unique.
“HBCUs are at the forefront of cultural conversations right now. So the influence is at an all-time high,” Pride said.
The series aims to capture that influence while exploring the experiences and challenges facing students on HBCU campuses today.
With its return, “A Different World” aims to reflect the experiences of a new generation while showing audiences the continued impact of HBCU culture.
The next generation
As Pride and the cast of “A Different World” start their new chapter, she hopes the series introduces more than a continuation of an adored story. This story centers young Black voices, HBCU culture and the diversity of the new generation.
The show is here to honor what came before, but still create something that can stand on its own. For Pride, this comes down to how the show makes people feel.
“I think this show gives a lot of us that hug that we need,” Pride said.
