![]() Meanwhile, Smith's TV career was anything but secure, as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air season 4 was written with the understanding that it could be cancelled. So Banks' exit sets up what was designed to be the series' last group of episodes. In 1995, she appeared in her first film, John Singleton's college drama Higher Learning, but her main focus at the time was modeling. While it’s possible to second-guess that strategy, in terms of delivering a show improbably worthy of such pricey TV real estate, “Bel-Air” has held up its end of the bargain.The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air marked Banks' acting debut. Promoting the show during the Super Bowl might not be the ideal juxtaposition for a dark drama, but in terms of percentages, if the series can hook a tiny fraction of those viewers the bet will pay off for Peacock. That, too, underscores the difference between “The Fresh Prince” – introduced on a broadcast network more than 30 years ago, and celebrated in a 2020 reunion special – and “Bel-Air,” situated on a streaming service where the game is to burn brightly and garner attention. The show also explores racial politics, with Will responding angrily when one of Carlton’s White friends sings provocative rap lyrics, an objection that Carlton dismisses.Īlready the recipient of a two-season order, no one can accuse the new series of moving too slowly rather, the writers race through soap-opera-ish plot developments in the first three episodes, provoking skepticism about whether the producers have frontloaded the action a little too much. ![]() Still, fitting in isn’t sitcom-easy in this telling, with Will’s arrival provoking jealousy from his cousin Carlton (Olly Sholotan), who’s hiding his own secret, and tensions involving his Aunt Vivian (Cassandra Freeman) and Uncle Philip (Adrian Holmes) – the latter in the midst of a race to become District Attorney, but facing questions about street cred due to his zip code.Īs constructed, there’s a strain of “Gossip Girl” running through “Bel-Air’s” DNA, given the power dynamics at the posh private school the kids attend. “You did not tell me that your family was White,” the driver (Jordan L. Understandably concerned, Will’s mom (April Parker Jones) ships him off to Los Angeles and relatives he barely knows, as evidenced by his stunned expression when he first catches sight of their gated mansion. ![]() But an encounter with a gang member goes wrong, and his hubris leads him to try settling matters on the playground, a plan that backfires in a dangerous manner. Will Smith (Jabari Banks) has a bright future, with a looming basketball scholarship that will take him out of Philadelphia and put him on a path to bigger and better things. Brady and Rasheed Newson blows up the opening credits of the original sitcom – which explained how the character came to live with his wealthy relatives – in a very clever way. Yet the creative team under showrunners T.J. Inspired by a 2019 fan-made trailer that went viral (and whose creator, Morgan Cooper, is a director, producer and co-writer here), the series could easily have become a classic case of taking a three-minute gag too far. Premiering Super Bowl Sunday on NBC’s streaming service Peacock, the opening episodes establish a catchy beat, with the main question being how long they can sustain it. ![]() Nobody asked for a dark, dramatic reimagining of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which makes the new series fitting that description, “Bel-Air,” better than it has any right to be. ![]()
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