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Due to the success of the first leg of the tour, the A Different World HBCU College Tour has officially been extended in an exclusive from PEOPLE confirmed. The second half of the tour will begin on Thursday, October 17 at Bowie State University.
The original 10-day city tour has been extended due to popular demand and a sold-out run. The tour, which features cast members—Kadeem Hardison, Darryl M. Bell, Jasmine Guy, Cree Summer, Charnele Brown, Dawnn Lewis, and Glynn Turman—has already visited other schools such as Spelman College and Howard University. Darryl M. Bell, who played Ronald Johnson, gave PEOPLE the inside scoop on how the tour has been for him and his cast mates.
“It's been really incredible,” he exclusively told PEOPLE of the response. “There are all these students today who are super fans of the show, and none of them were even alive when the show first aired—it all speaks to what's resonating.”
“There's also this enduring, evergreen portrayal of issues that matter to students,” he continues. “So, whether it's the stress of classes, whether it's how to pay for school, whether it's student protests, you know, all of these things still matter. These are all issues that resonate with kids today.”
“We all thought it would be really successful, but the response has truly been overwhelming,” Bell adds.
The tour will extend through 2025. As part of its sponsorship with Wells Fargo and Cisco, the tour’s goal is to raise money for scholarships for students.
The NBC comedy ran for six seasons, from 1987 to 1993. A spin-off of “The Cosby Show,” the show featured Denise Huxtable as she made her way through life at Hillman College, the alma mater of her parents. A whole generation of students were influenced to attend an HBCU because of “A Different World.” Generations of fans have adored the series, and its influence on culture is still strong today.
In an era of rebooting classic shows, A Different World is up next. Netflix is in the process of developing a sequel series. The show will follow Whitney and Dwayne’s youngest daughter as she navigates life at Hillman College. Debbie Allen, who was the showrunner and producer of the original series, will return for the reboot as an executive producer.
Bell also talked about how the tour highlights the cast’s strong bond that they’ve developed over the years.
“It is so spectacular… lightning in a bottle just doesn't always happen. This is a fact, and you hear people talk about it's like a family,” he explains. “We have always been that [way], we spend time together intentionally.”
“And one of the things that is palpable, the reason why everything worked on stage so much, is all of our chemistry off stage. And it's one of the things that [fans] have seen,” he adds. “[They say] it's just unbelievable to see how much you guys really love each other, and it's true.”
Other than the kickoff date at Bowie State, no other dates or schools have been announced. Viewers can watch A Different World on Philo.
