Twenty-six years later, a reimagining of the original sitcom, called “Bel-Air,” is striking an entirely different tone. A drama at heart, "Bel-Air" shakes off the over-the-top comedy of its predecessor. "Bel-Air" takes familiar aspects from the original series and filters them through a more serious lens.
The new Will Smith is far more emotionally vulnerable and complex than Fresh Prince's version, and he's much more prone to anger and hostility. In Bel-Air's first episode alone, teenage Will Smith gets into a dangerous fight with a drug dealer that ends in Will pulling his friend's gun.
ICYMI: Bel-Air is a reimagining of the beloved '90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which starred Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself. While Fresh Prince was a half-hour family sitcom, Bel-Air is an hour-long drama.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's reboot, Bel-Air, modernized the fan-favorite '90s sitcom and introduces viewers to the new Will Smith with a brand-new cast. The new show is based on Morgan Cooper's short film from 2019. Cooper received Will Smith's approval, and now fans have a new breakout drama series.
Does Bel-Air have anything to do with Fresh Prince?
The original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air followed Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, moving from West Philadelphia to the rich California neighborhood of Bel-Air for a brighter future.
“The pilot for Bel-Air is all the nostalgia you're going to want, but there are parts where you're going to stand up and cheer and hold your mouth. It's such a perfect balance and a reimagining of this world. It's going to be like, duh, yes, of course there's a dramatic version of this story.
Fan reaction and letters to Will Smith and NBC persuaded them to renew the show. It ran for two more seasons and ended when Joseph Marcell (Geoffrey the Butler) said he intended to quit his role and return to the UK, prompting the rest of the cast to quit their roles and end the series.
While The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air wasn't based on Will Smith's life, with the only real connections being his West Philadelphia background, the 1990s sitcom made the protagonist a fictionalized version of himself with the same name.
“I've been Prince for years and years,” Smith told ET in 1988. “But about two years ago, the DJ's in the streets started scratching, 'fresh, fresh, this is fresh! ' Everything was 'fresh,' so I added the 'Fresh Prince' on my name.” Back then, Smith was part of a rap trio with DJ Jazzy Jeff and Ready Rock C.
Most tourists visit Bel Air because it features in the famous series "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" starring Will Smith, or just to see some of the incredible mansions and take a picture with the big Bel Air sign.
In her 40s, smart, artistic, worldly, warm and sophisticated; yet under the surface, Viv still has elements of a free-spirited, wild child from Philly.
How much money did The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air make?
Smith made $2.8 million for the first three seasons of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, but he hardly saw a dime of it because he owed money in back taxes from his rap career.
Will and Jada first met in 1994 when a then 19-year-old Jada auditioned to play Will's girlfriend on NBC's "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." In 2017, Jada told "Extra" that she wasn't cast because they told her she was "too short to play Will's girlfriend" — she's 5-foot and he's 6-foot-2.
How old is Will Smith supposed to be in Fresh Prince?
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's Will is 16 years old when he first arrives in California, whereas the real life Will was just two weeks short of his 22nd birthday when the series debuted.
Born in 1968, Smith was 22 years old when the series first aired in 1990, potentially 21 if his September birthday hadn't yet arrived (and likely 21 when filming began). By definition, then, he was already an adult and much older than the high school-aged teenager he was purporting to be.
Smith. The television sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which began in 1990, was loosely based on Smith's real-life persona. It ran on NBC for six successful seasons, ending at the star's request, and during its run Smith garnered two Golden Globe Award nominations and served as an executive…
William "Will" Smith (portrayed by himself) is a fictionalized version of Smith and main character in the 1990–1996 NBC television sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and the 2022 Peacock television drama Bel-Air, portrayed in the latter series by Jabari Banks.
Lou abandoned his family (Will and Viola "Vy" Smith) when Will was five years old and explains his motives for leaving by saying he was scared to be a father and started to feel trapped. Sometime during the 14-year period that he was absent from Will's life, he became a trucker.
So The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air wasn't canceled, its lead star made the decision to end it, similarly to Jerry Seinfeld with Seinfeld and Jim Parsons with The Big Bang Theory. Here's Smith's full comments on the matter, as made to the Los Angeles Times back in 1996: "You become a family.
This is the first season to feature Daphne Maxwell Reid as Vivian Banks after Janet Hubert-Whitten's departure. With 26 episodes, this is the longest season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Season 4 was originally meant to be the final season of the show, but NBC renewed the show for two more seasons.
The two fall deeply in love and are engaged to be married, going so far as the ceremonies twice, but never actually tie the knot. The first time, they elope to Las Vegas and try a Shaft-themed wedding, but walk out on the ceremony after being interrupted so many times and realizing they weren't ready.
How did Will Smith get cast in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
While speaking with CBS Mornings about his Fresh Prince days, Smith revealed that when the show's executive producer, Quincy Jones, asked him if he could act, he lied and said yes. At the time, Smith's entertainment industry experience had been restricted to performing as a rapper alongside DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Jazz is Will's best friend in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He is first introduced as Ashley's drum instructor, but since then, Jazz has supposedly become best friends with Will.
