‘Bel-Air’ Reimagines ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ as a Gritty and Relevant Drama 

Alci Rengifo

Peacock’s new series, “Bel-Air,” is a reimagining of the popular ’90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” that made a star out of Will Smith. At first the original show’s legions of fans must have thought this was some kind of joke. Indeed, that’s how it all started, with an inventive trailer imagining a more serious alternate universe by Morgan Cooper. Smith himself was quite impressed with the idea and produces this new show which is not a remake or necessarily a reboot. It has the feel of entering a parallel reality where personas we know so well transform into grittier reality. There’s no catchy theme song at the beginning, but a hallucinatory sequence involving crowns and thrones. Never does “Bel-Air” equal the original, but it packs a surprising dramatic punch.

Without question our main character is Will (Jabari Banks), West Philadelphia born and raised. He’s a working class high schooler impressing all the right people on the basketball court, with the full encouragement of mom Viola (April Parker Jones). Will is also a bit cocky and one night at a local basketball court he unwisely strikes a bet with a local thug. A misunderstanding results in Will firing a gun and getting arrested. He’s soon let out thanks to some strings pulled by his rich uncle, attorney Phillip Banks (Adrian Holmes). To Will’s surprise, a frightened Viola has arranged for him to fly out immediately to Los Angeles to live with Phillip and his family. Reluctantly, he gets on the flight and arrives at the Banks’s opulent doorstep, to be greeted by enigmatic butler Geoffrey (Jimmy Akingbola). Will then meets his other relatives including Aunt Vivian (Cassandra Freeman), Viola’s sister who misses that “West Philly swag.” There’s also young Ashley (Akira Akbar) and older sister Hilary (Coco Jones), who recently dropped out of college to pursue other goals. And of course, there’s Carlton (Olly Sholotan), a proud preppie who is tasked with showing Will around his high school, Bel-Air Academy. Will may be safe from the streets, but now he faces the perils of fitting into a whole new landscape.

“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” ran from 1990 to 1996 and has gained one of those special distinctions of lasting beyond just being a popular TV show. Endless memes could be created out of the catch phrases coined by Smith or the brilliantly bad dancing of the original Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro). Peacock could have easily optioned a sequel or continuation, similar to what Netflix attempted with its “Full House” update, “Fuller House.” But the comedy of “Fresh Prince,” and its cultural significance when it comes to Black American sitcoms, is so essential that it was actually a very wise move to create a TV alternate reality instead of a remake. The showrunners mine the premise for the dramatic potential that was always hiding in the margins. We would get glimpses of it in those classic episodes where Will faced his absentee father or when Carlton accidentally took his speed pills. “Bel-Air” never acts as if it’s consciously in on some joke with us. It has its own energetic rhythm with more in common with shows like “Atlanta” or “Empire.” The writing takes that one line from the opening theme song, “I got in one little fight and my mom got scared,” to truly define what that would mean in a more realistic setting.

Viewers may still recognize characters from the original but now reimagined, with slight shadows from the past, and refashioned for the 2020s. Will’s slick L.A. friend Jazz (Jordan L. Jones) strikes a friendship with the newcomer after being his Uber driver upon arrival. Phillip doesn’t throw him out of the house, at least in the first episodes, but tells him to go away with Geoffrey slipping him some cash. Uncle Phil, as he is commonly known and made so famous by the late James Avery, remains a source of guidance for Will, offering him an idea of what he can become with discipline and now some privilege. But he’s also not spotless and is running for district attorney, which means constant worry that Will’s reasons for moving out to California could jeopardize his campaign. The show addresses class issues with more keenness as well. When Phillip goes on a radio show with a top Black host, he’s put under the spotlight for wanting to represent his community while belonging to the elite. ‘90s Phillip and Vivian were boomers, still influenced by the ‘60s, now they are go-getter Gen Xers. Hilary is trying to find her way towards a meaningful career and loves to cook, so Vivian gets her a job interview with a prestigious food magazine. When Hilary meets with the editors they suggest she change her cuisine and look to cater to a white audience. This Hilary is a far cry from the loveable ditz of the original show. Ashley, who is underused to the point of disappearing for entire episodes, is obsessed with green causes.

The much richer dramatic narrative belongs to the dynamic between Will and Carlton. The writing uses them to embody two different worlds. Alfonso Ribeiro’s Carlton was a likable rich kid who lived in a bubble and had a childlike innocence. Olly Sholotan, giving one of the best performances in the cast this season, is more closed off and condescending. He does Xanax in the privacy of his plush dressing room, plays on the Lacrosse team and is part of the popular jock clique. He’s not amoral, but territorial. Will is astounded to find his cousin happily dancing with white team members in the locker room who sing the n-word out loud. He confronts Carlton, who wonders why anyone gets upset over Black artists recording the word on songs they know white listeners will buy. The tension rises further when Will meets Lisa (Simone Joy Jones), an aspiring Olympic swimmer attending the school on scholarship. She also happens to be Carlton’s ex, so naturally he boils over when he catches Will kissing her at a Malibu pool party. 

And yet this isn’t some superficial soap opera. Jabari Banks, who does have the necessary swagger to follow in Smith’s footsteps, plays Will like a kid from the other side of town who can’t understand why Carlton tries so hard to fit in with the ways of the privileged white crowd. Vivian warns her nephew that she had to learn how to adapt to the environment of wealthy L.A., while not losing her roots and what it means to come from West Philadelphia. In a strong episode where Phillip visits his old Black fraternity, his old friends basically wonder if he’s a sellout. “Bel-Air” still celebrates Black success and it’s refreshing to see Black American characters portrayed as having social power, while exploring the ways class creates very acute divisions where issues of status and race mingle in specific forms. Where the show does falter is in trying too hard to keep a gritty subplot involving Will’s unfinished business back home. Drug dealers and the thug he confronted at the basketball court won’t let it go and track him on social media. As with the sitcom, it’s just not necessary. Even as it winks at beloved details, like Will wearing his school uniform blazer inside-out, overall “Bel-Air” is its own, surprisingly engaging production. What it does have fully in common with its predecessor is that even as it remains entertaining, it still has much more to say.

“Bel-Air” season one begins streaming Feb. 13 with new episodes premiering Sundays on Peacock.