Moviefone Editorial

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  • Netflix Plans ‘A Different World’ Sequel TV Series

    The cast of 'A Different World'. Photo: Carsey-Werner Productions.
    The cast of ‘A Different World’. Photo: Carsey-Werner Productions.

    Preview:

    • A sequel series to ‘A Different World’ is in the works.
    • It follows the characters’ youngest daughter at college.
    • Netflix is producing the new show.

    Netflix has had some success with sequel series to shows that ran elsewhere –– ‘That ‘90s Show’ (a follow-up to ‘That ‘70s Show’) is still going.

    And another series from The Carsey-Werner company is joining it in Netflix’s line-up, at least according to Deadline –– ‘A Different World’.

    Yes, the 1980s/1990 series which (slightly problematically these days) was created by Bill Cosby as a spin-off of his own show, is getting the follow-up treatment with a new series.

    What’s the story of ‘A Different World?

    (L to R) Dawnn Lewis, Lisa Bonet and Marisa Tomei in 'A Different World'. Photo: Carsey-Werner Productions.
    (L to R) Dawnn Lewis, Lisa Bonet and Marisa Tomei in ‘A Different World’. Photo: Carsey-Werner Productions.

    The show, which ran between 1987 and 1993, was run by Debbie Allen as director-producer, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Bythewood as writers, and Tom Werner as executive producer.

    ‘A Different World’ followed –– at least initially –– Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) and her new classmates at Hillman College, a fictional historically Black college.

    Bonet exited after one season, but the show continued with the leading cast of Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Dawnn Lewis, Darryl M. Bell, Sinbad, Charnele Brown, Cree Summer and Glynn Turman.

    The retooled second season continued to follow the students’ lives, with the love story between Guy’s Whitley Gilbert and Hardison’s Dwayne Wayne at the center.

    Dwayne, famous for his glasses that flipped up, finally married on it in the Season 5 episode “Save the Best For Last.” Though Whitley was adamant she didn’t want children, she discovers she’s pregnant in “When One Door Closes,” the penultimate episode of the series, and everyone is elated. However, things get somber when Dwayne reveals he’s accepted a job in Japan where he and his wife will raise their family — a truly different world.

    Fun fact: Meg Ryan was originally cast as Denise’s roommate in Season One, but opted to pursue her film career, with Marisa Tomei taking her place.

    Meg Ryan in Bleecker Street’s 'What Happens Later.'
    Meg Ryan in Bleecker Street’s ‘What Happens Later.’ Credit: Bleecker Street.

    What story will the new show follow?

    The sequel will reportedly focus on the couple’s youngest daughter, who is now also attending Hillman.

    While casting is yet to begin officially, the producers have reportedly reached out to original cast members regarding interest and availability, and it seems (though Netflix has yet to comment officially) that at least a few of them will return in some capacity.

    Felicia Pride, who wrote on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and more recently was a producer on ‘Bel-Air’ is aboard to oversee the writing on the show, with the original producing team involved.

    Related Article: Callie Haverda and Mace Coronel Talk Netflix’s ‘That ’90s Show’ Season 2

    When will the ‘A Different World’ series land on Netflix?

    Don’t get too excited just yet –– versions of this new series have been in the offing for years with little forward movement. But with Netflix backing it, we can surely assume that the latest effort will make it to the company’s servers.

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    TV Shows produced by the Carsey-Werner Company:

    Buy ‘A Different World’ On Amazon

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  • ‘Harlem’ Season 2 Interviews: Meagan Good and Jerrie Johnson

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    Premiering on Prime Video beginning February 3rd is the second season of the popular series ‘Harlem,’ which was created by Tracy Oliver (‘Girls Trip’).

    In season two of ‘Harlem,’ after blowing up her career and disrupting her love life, Camille (Meagan Good) has to figure out how to put the pieces back together. While Tye (Jerrie Johnson) considers her future, Quinn (Grace Byers) goes on a journey of self-discovery, and Angie’s (Shoniqua Shandai) career takes a promising turn.

    The series also features Tyler Lepley, Juani Feliz, Jasmine Guy, Andrea Martin, and Oscar-winner Whoopi Goldberg.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Meagan Good and Jerrie Johnson to talk about their work on ‘Harlem’ season 2, how their characters have changed since last season, what will happen to them this season, and the overall themes of the series.

    Jerrie Johnson and Meagan Good star in Prime Video's 'Harlem' Season 2.
    (L to R) Jerrie Johnson and Meagan Good star in Prime Video’s ‘Harlem’ Season 2.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Good, Johnson, Grace Byers, Shoniqua Shandai, Tyler Lepley, and Tracy Oliver.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Meagan, can you talk about where we left Camille at the end of last season, and what she’ll be dealing with in season 2?

    Meagan Good: At the end of season one, she is dating this amazing guy who is a lot of the things that she’s wanted, but she still feels feelings for Ian, her ex. She’s deciding between Jameson (Sullivan Jones) and Ian (Tyler Lepley). Then she doesn’t really have a choice with Ian because now he’s getting married and we finish last season with Quinn going to take Ian’s fiancé’s dress that she designed and all those wonderful things. Camille goes inside of the building and runs into Ian, they have this moment and they end up kissing. That’s where we end season one.

    So season two we pick up right where we left off, dealing with the aftermath, the consequences, the conversations and what actually is going to happen because technically Camille’s still dating Jameson and Ian is getting married. Is he getting married? Are they going to get back together? Who knows?

    In this season, I think that the biggest arc, the through line that I can share for Camille, is that she’s discovering a lot of who she is and she’s discovering a lot of who she isn’t. I think that she’s getting a lot of revelation about things that she thought about herself, or things that she thought about life, or relationships, or whatever it is and just really getting these illuminating realizations.

    How it shows itself is pretty interesting and fun to watch because I think everybody can relate to it. It’s not like, you almost kissed the groom and then we cut to a year later and let’s see where everyone’s at. We get in there, we have the moments and we have the real conversations. What would you do and what wouldn’t you do? Why did you do it? Why was that important? I think the biggest thing, the through line, is just self-discovery, self-reflection and discovering who she is, which I think she’s very surprised with what she finds out about herself.

    Meagan Good, Shoniqua Shandai, Grace Byers, and Jerrie Johnson in Prime Video's 'Harlem' Season 2.
    (L to R) Meagan Good, Shoniqua Shandai, Grace Byers, and Jerrie Johnson in Prime Video’s ‘Harlem’ Season 2.

    MF: Finally, Jerrie, can you talk about what Tye is going through this season?

    Jerrie Johnson: There’s a lot at stake for Tye with the health scare, with her husband showing up and dealing with what that might look like and not wanting to address that, but having that in close proximity. Then also not being completely honest with her friends about her husband and him not leaving. I think she is afraid. She doesn’t want to say that she’s afraid, but she is afraid because Tye has always had control of her life.

    Ever since she left home, she’s always had control over her life and she’s banked on having control of her life because she didn’t have that control when she was back home. This is one of the first times in her adult life that everything has spiraled out of control.

    So I think for season two she is trying to deal with as much as she can as possible. Some stuff has to fall by the wayside but I think maybe her biggest mission is to prove Brandon (Kadeem Ali Harris) wrong in what he said about her not having love in her life, so now she wants to find love and I think that’s her mission of season two.

    'Harlem' Season 2 premieres February 3rd on Prime Video.
    ‘Harlem’ Season 2 premieres February 3rd on Prime Video.