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''Bel-Air'' is an American
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
television series developed by Morgan Cooper,
Malcolm Spellman Malcolm Spellman is an American screenwriter and producer best known for his work on ''Empire'' (2015) and ''The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'' (2021). Career In March 2010, Spellman started his career by writing the screenplay for the film ' ...
, TJ Brady, and Rasheed Newson. It is a reimagined version of the sitcom ''
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart t ...
'' and is based on Cooper's short fan film of the same name. It stars Jabari Banks,
Adrian Holmes Adrian Holmes (born March 31, 1974) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his work on the Bravo television series '' 19-2'', for which he won a Canadian Screen Award in 2017. He is also known for playing the role of Uncle Phil in the ''Fresh Pr ...
, Cassandra Freeman, Olly Sholotan,
Coco Jones Courtney "Coco" Jones (born January 4, 1998) is an American singer and actress. She rose to prominence starring in the Disney Channel film '' Let It Shine'' (2012) and was featured on ''Radio Disney's Next Big Thing'' from 2010 to 2011. Jones wa ...
, Akira Akbar,
Jimmy Akingbola James Olatokunbo Akingbola (born 7 April 1978) is an English television, theatre and film actor. Early life Jimmy Akingbola was born in London to parents of the Yoruba tribe who had emigrated from Nigeria. In 1996, Akingbola started at the A ...
, Jordan L. Jones, and Simone Joy Jones. The series premiered on
Peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
on February 13, 2022. The second season was released on February 23, 2023.


Premise

The series follows Will Smith's complicated journey from the streets of
West Philadelphia West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of the city of Philadelphia. Alhough there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Avenue to the nort ...
to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. It dives deep into
racial tension An ethnic conflict is a conflict between two or more contending ethnic groups. While the source of the conflict may be political, social, economic or religious, the individuals in conflict must expressly fight for their ethnic group's positio ...
,
culture shock Culture shock is an experience a person may have when one moves to a cultural environment which is different from one's own; it is also the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration ...
, and Black excellence.


Cast and characters


Main

* Jabari Banks as
Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his Will Smith filmography, acting career starring as Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), a ...
, a 16-year-old from West Philadelphia who is sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Bel-Air by his mother, Vy * Cassandra Freeman as Vivian Banks, Will's aunt, wife of Philip, mother of Hilary, Carlton and Ashley and sister of Vy *
Jimmy Akingbola James Olatokunbo Akingbola (born 7 April 1978) is an English television, theatre and film actor. Early life Jimmy Akingbola was born in London to parents of the Yoruba tribe who had emigrated from Nigeria. In 1996, Akingbola started at the A ...
as Geoffrey Thompson, the House Manager of the Bankses, originally from Jamaica before moving to London as a child * Olly Sholotan as
Carlton Banks Carlton Banks is a fictional Character (arts), character portrayed by Alfonso Ribeiro on the NBC television sitcom ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' from September 1990 to May 1996, the preppy and politically conservative cousin, main foil, and even ...
, the lacrosse-playing middle child of Viv and Phil and Will's cousin and adversary *
Coco Jones Courtney "Coco" Jones (born January 4, 1998) is an American singer and actress. She rose to prominence starring in the Disney Channel film '' Let It Shine'' (2012) and was featured on ''Radio Disney's Next Big Thing'' from 2010 to 2011. Jones wa ...
as Hilary Banks, a social media influencer, excellent chef and eldest child of Viv and Phil and Will's cousin * Akira Akbar as Ashley Banks, the 12-year-old youngest child of Viv and Phil and Will's cousin * Simone Joy Jones as Lisa Wilkes, a potential love interest of Will, and Carlton's ex. She is also on the swim team. * Jordan L. Jones as Jazz, a taxi driver Will met and bonded with when he arrived at LAX. He also owns a record store and has a crush on Hilary. *
Adrian Holmes Adrian Holmes (born March 31, 1974) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his work on the Bravo television series '' 19-2'', for which he won a Canadian Screen Award in 2017. He is also known for playing the role of Uncle Phil in the ''Fresh Pr ...
as Philip Banks, Will's lawyer uncle, husband of Viv and father of Hilary, Carlton and Ashley


Recurring

*
April Parker Jones April Parker Jones is an American television actress, best known for her roles as Darcy Hawkins in the CBS post-apocalyptic drama series ''Jericho'' from 2006 to 2008, and as Natalie Henning in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera, ''If ...
as Viola 'Vy' Smith, Will's mother * SteVonté Hart as Tray Melbert, Will's former best friend in Philadelphia *
Tyler Barnhardt Tyler Davis Barnhardt (born January 13, 1993) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Matthew Roe in the American period drama television series ''Underground'' and Charlie St. George in the American teen drama streaming television se ...
as Connor Satterfield, Carlton's best friend * Joe Holt as Fred Wilkes, Lisa's father who is a Chief of Police for the LAPD * Charlie Hall as Tyler Laramy, Will's friend and basketball teammate at Bel-Air Academy * Jon Beavers as Kylo *
Michael Ealy Michael Brown (born August 3, 1973), professionally known as Michael Ealy, is an American actor. He is known for his roles in '' Barbershop'' (2002), '' 2 Fast 2 Furious'' (2003), ''Takers'' (2010), ''Think Like a Man'' (2012), ''About Last Ni ...
as Reed Broderick *
Karrueche Tran Karrueche Tran ( ; born May 17, 1988) is an American actress and model. From 2013 to 2016, she starred as Vivian Johnson in the web series '' The Bay''. For producing the series, she won two Daytime Emmy Awards. Her return to ''The Bay'' for i ...
as Ivy


Special guest stars

*
Daphne Maxwell Reid Daphne Etta Maxwell Reid (née Maxwell; July 13, 1948) is an American actress, comedian, designer and former model. She is best known for her role as the second Vivian Banks on the NBC sitcom ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' from 1993 to 1996. ...
as Janice, a board member of the Art Council. Reid previously was the second actress to portray Vivian Banks in the original series. *
Vernee Watson-Johnson Vernee Christell Watson-Johnson (née Watson; born September 28, 1949) is an American actress, author, and acting coach. Watson-Johnson is best known for her recurring roles as Vernajean Williams on ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and as ...
as Helen, another board member of the Art Council. Watson-Johnson previously portrayed Viola 'Vy' Smith in the original series. *
Marlon Wayans Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Wayans began his career portraying a pedestrian in ''I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'' (1988). He went on to regularly collaborate with his brother Shawn Wa ...
as Lou, Will's father whom he thought abandoned his mother and him *
Tatyana Ali Tatyana Marisol Ali is an American actress and singer best known for her role as Ashley Banks on the NBC sitcom ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' from 1990 to 1996. She starred as Tyana Jones on the TV One original series ''Love That Girl!'', and ...
as Mrs. Hughes (season 2), Ashley's English literature teacher at Bel-Air Academy. Ali portrayed "Ashley Banks" in the original series.


Episodes


Series overview


Season 1 (2022)


Season 2 (2023)

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Production


Development

On March 10, 2019, Morgan Cooper uploaded '' Bel-Air'' to
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. The submission was a
fan film A fan film is a film or video inspired by a film, television program, comic book, book, or video game created by fans rather than by the source's copyright holders or creators. Fan filmmakers have traditionally been amateurs, but some of the more ...
, written and directed by him, in the form of a mock trailer for an updated and dramatic reimagining of the television sitcom ''
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart t ...
''.
Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his Will Smith filmography, acting career starring as Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), a ...
, who starred in the original sitcom as a fictionalized version of himself, heavily praised the fan film and expressed his interest in expanding the concept into a reboot, personally meeting with Cooper. On August 11, 2020, the series was officially announced after being in the works for over a year. At the time,
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
,
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
, and
Peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
were bidding for the rights to the series. On September 8, 2020, Peacock gave the series a two-season order under the title ''Bel-Air'', with Westbrook Inc. and
Universal Television Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a predeces ...
producing. Smith and Cooper executive produce alongside Terence Carter,
James Lassiter James Lassiter is an American film producer, known for being co-founder of Overbrook Entertainment and longtime business partner of actor and rapper Will Smith. Career Lassiter attended University of Miami and Temple University and befriended Jef ...
, Miguel Melendez,
Malcolm Spellman Malcolm Spellman is an American screenwriter and producer best known for his work on ''Empire'' (2015) and ''The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'' (2021). Career In March 2010, Spellman started his career by writing the screenplay for the film ' ...
,
Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
,
Benny Medina Benny Medina (born January 24, 1958) is an American record executive, talent manager, and television producer. Early life and education Medina was born in East Los Angeles, California, of Dominican parents into a poor family. The death of hi ...
,
Andy Borowitz Andy Borowitz (born January 4, 1958) is an American writer, comedian, satirist, and actor. Borowitz is a ''The New York Times''-bestselling author who won the first National Press Club award for humor. He is known for creating the NBC sitcom ''Th ...
, and
Susan Borowitz Susan Stevenson Borowitz is an American writer and producer. She is best known for her work on ''Family Ties, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Aliens in the Family'', and ''Pleasantville'.'' During their marriage (1982–2005), she and writer an ...
. Upon the streaming records announcement, it was reported that
Anthony Sparks Anthony Sparks is an American television showrunner, writer-producer, and playwright. He is also an essay writer who focuses on media, performance, and African American politics and culture. He also holds a Ph.D. in American Studies & Ethnicity fr ...
joined the series as an executive producer for the second season. On October 13, 2022, it was announced that Carla Banks Waddles has been promoted to executive producer and showrunner for the second season, replacing TJ Brady & Rasheed Newson who were the showrunners for the first season. Banks Waddles was a co-executive producer for the first season.


Casting

In August 2021, Smith surprised Jabari Banks with the news that Banks would star as the lead. In September 2021,
Adrian Holmes Adrian Holmes (born March 31, 1974) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his work on the Bravo television series '' 19-2'', for which he won a Canadian Screen Award in 2017. He is also known for playing the role of Uncle Phil in the ''Fresh Pr ...
, Cassandra Freeman, Olly Sholotan,
Coco Jones Courtney "Coco" Jones (born January 4, 1998) is an American singer and actress. She rose to prominence starring in the Disney Channel film '' Let It Shine'' (2012) and was featured on ''Radio Disney's Next Big Thing'' from 2010 to 2011. Jones wa ...
, Akira Akbar,
Jimmy Akingbola James Olatokunbo Akingbola (born 7 April 1978) is an English television, theatre and film actor. Early life Jimmy Akingbola was born in London to parents of the Yoruba tribe who had emigrated from Nigeria. In 1996, Akingbola started at the A ...
, Jordan L. Jones, and Simone Joy Jones joined the cast as series regulars. In January 2022,
Karrueche Tran Karrueche Tran ( ; born May 17, 1988) is an American actress and model. From 2013 to 2016, she starred as Vivian Johnson in the web series '' The Bay''. For producing the series, she won two Daytime Emmy Awards. Her return to ''The Bay'' for i ...
,
Duane Martin Duane Martin (born August 11, 1965) is an American actor. Early life and education Martin was born in Brooklyn, New York, and he graduated from New York University. He played NCAA Division III basketball at NYU and was signed as an undrafte ...
, Joe Holt,
April Parker Jones April Parker Jones is an American television actress, best known for her roles as Darcy Hawkins in the CBS post-apocalyptic drama series ''Jericho'' from 2006 to 2008, and as Natalie Henning in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera, ''If ...
, SteVonté Hart,
Scottie Thompson Susan Scott "Scottie" Thompson (born November 9, 1981) is an American film, television, and stage actress. She is best known as ''Jeanne Benoit'' in '' NCIS''. Early life Thompson grew up in Richmond, Virginia, where she attended Collegiate Sc ...
, and Charlie Hall in recurring roles. In March 2022, it was reported that
Daphne Maxwell Reid Daphne Etta Maxwell Reid (née Maxwell; July 13, 1948) is an American actress, comedian, designer and former model. She is best known for her role as the second Vivian Banks on the NBC sitcom ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' from 1993 to 1996. ...
and
Vernee Watson-Johnson Vernee Christell Watson-Johnson (née Watson; born September 28, 1949) is an American actress, author, and acting coach. Watson-Johnson is best known for her recurring roles as Vernajean Williams on ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and as ...
guest starred in episode 9 on March 24. On January 12, 2023, it was announced that
Saweetie Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper (born July 2, 1993), known professionally as Saweetie (), is an American rapper. After the release of her debut single "Icy Grl" in 2017, she was signed to her then-manager Max Gousse's record label Artistry Wo ...
is set to make a cameo appearance as herself while Brooklyn McLinn, Jazlyn Martin, and
Riele Downs Riele Downs (born July 8, 2001) is a Canadian actress. She began her career as a child actress, playing Faith in the 2013 film ''The Best Man Holiday''. She went on to co-star as Charlotte on the Nickelodeon television series ''Henry Danger'' fr ...
were cast in recurring capacities for the second season. A week later, it was reported that
Tatyana Ali Tatyana Marisol Ali is an American actress and singer best known for her role as Ashley Banks on the NBC sitcom ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' from 1990 to 1996. She starred as Tyana Jones on the TV One original series ''Love That Girl!'', and ...
who played Ashley Banks in ''
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart t ...
'' was cast in a recurring role for the second season. On February 21, 2023, Al-Shabazz Jabateh, Nicholas Duvernay, Diandra Lyle,
Justin Cornwell Justin Michael Cornwell (born November 5, 1988) is an American actor, writer and musician best known for playing Young Jeronicus Jangle in the hit Netflix original movie '' Jingle Jangle,'' Marcus Hargreeves in The Umbrella Academy and Kyle Craig ...
, and
Reno Wilson Roy "Reno" Wilson (born January 20, 1969) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Howard in the sitcom ''The Cosby Show'', Officer Carl McMillan in ''Mike & Molly'' and Stan Hill in '' Good Girls'', Wes in '' The Chronicle'' (2001 ...
joined the cast in recurring capacities for the second season.


Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
was scheduled to take place in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. On January 7, 2022, it was reported that the series had some positive
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
tests on set, but production was not impacted.


Release

An online premiere for the series was held on February 9, 2022, by Crown & Conquer. The series premiered on Peacock on February 13, 2022, with its first three episodes. The second season premiered on February 23, 2023, with the first three episodes available immediately and the rest debuting on a weekly basis.


Reception


Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 66% based 47 critic reviews, with an average rating on 6.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "''Bel-Air'' replaces its predecessor's high spirits with a dour tone and an uneasy mix of realism, although there are signs that this reimagining can grow into a fresh new spin."
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 59 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". The second season has an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 5 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. n Metacritic, the second season received a score of 71 based on reviews from 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews. On May 2, 2022, Peacock announced that ''Bel-Air'' is the most-streamed original series on the streaming service in which the series reached 8 million accounts to date.


Accolades


References


External links

* * {{Black Reel Award for Outstanding Drama Series 2020s American black television series 2020s American drama television series 2022 American television series debuts English-language television shows Live action television shows based on films Metafictional television series Peacock (streaming service) original programming Television series about families Television series about teenagers Television series by Universal Television Television series reboots Television shows set in Los Angeles Television shows set in Philadelphia The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Works by Malcolm Spellman