Netflix is preparing to bring viewers back to Hillman College with the A Different World sequel series. Netflix Tudum says the new show will debut on September 24 and has launched a Road to Hillman tour ahead of the premiere. The sequel follows a new group of students at the fictional historically Black college.

The story centers on Deborah Wayne, played by Maleah Joi Moon. She is the youngest daughter of Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert, the central couple from the original sitcom. The new series follows Deborah as she starts college while trying to build an identity beyond her parents’ familiar legacy.

Netflix lists Alijah Kai, Chibuikem Uche, Cornell Young IV, Jordan Aaron Hall and Kennedi Reece among the new student cast. Debbie Allen, who directed the original series, returns as an executive producer and will direct the premiere episode. The project also has Felicia Pride as showrunner, writer and executive producer.

The production is using the original show’s Hillman setting as a bridge between generations. Netflix Tudum describes the fictional campus as the place where a new class will make its own friendships, arguments and plans. That setup allows the sequel to reference the earlier series without making the original characters the only reason to watch.

Netflix says the first season will consist of 10 single-camera half-hour episodes. The company has not released every episode title or a full weekly schedule in the latest tour announcement. The premiere date is confirmed, but viewers should wait for Netflix to publish the final availability details for their country.

The Road to Hillman tour is part of the launch campaign. Tudum says the events will take place on campuses across the United States during the fall. The tour gives the series a public-facing introduction before the first episode arrives and connects the show’s college setting with real student communities.

The sequel is also a test of how a familiar television brand can speak to a new audience. A returning name can attract fans of the original sitcom, but the new cast and the contemporary campus story will have to carry the weekly episodes. The show’s tone and character relationships will decide whether it feels like a continuation rather than a reunion.

Netflix Tudum and the Netflix Media Center provide the primary production, cast and release information. The current confirmed news is the September 24 Netflix debut, the 10-episode first season and the new student-led story. Any additional guest appearances, episode plans or future seasons should be treated as unconfirmed until Netflix announces them.