Netflix’s A Different World revival, now streaming, links Hillman newcomers to the 1987 series: Deborah, daughter of Whitley and Dwayne; Shaquille, Ron’s son; Nellie, Mr. Gaines’ granddaughter; Brooklyn, Kimberly Reese’s daughter; and Ellington, a Kendall like Denise Huxtable.
Deborah is Whitley and Dwayne’s youngest of three children; Dwayne is Hillman’s president, and Whitley’s maiden name is on Deborah’s dorm building. Deborah wants to make her own way, while Shaquille struggles with his father’s influence, including having Ron as his manager, and with his love life.
At the Pitt, Nellie takes over and carries on her grandfather Mr. Gaines’ wise, principled legacy. Brooklyn, a Hillman alum and first-year professor, is a doctor like her mother Kimberly Reese. Ellington tutors Deborah and is drawn to her, though she questions his intentions; Denise Huxtable has reconnected with Dwayne.
