Over 20 years ago, Will Smith was at the center of TV history starring in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The beloved ‘90s sitcom follows a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who moved to Bel-Air to live with his uncle and aunt.
After starring in the show Will's career soared, and he is now one of Hollywood’s favorite actors. The 53-year-old actor never forgot about his roots — and now, he's returning to them with a reboot of the show called Bel-Air. The new show promises to tell a modern narrative in which the protagonist faces deeper challenges as a young Black man.
What is The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot Bel-Air about?
The series pulls inspiration from the March 2019 fan trailer by cinematographer Morgan Cooper. Morgan released a four-minute teaser titled BEL-AIR, which reimagined the show as a drama set in today's world. Will was one of the millions blown away by the YouTube video. A month later, Will and Morgan met up to discuss how the trailer came to be.
Now, more than a year later, Morgan is co-writing and co-executive producing The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot with showrunner Chris Collins. Will is also involved in the project as an executive producer along with original series creators Andy and Susan Borowitz.
"Set in modern-day America, BEL-AIR is a serialized one-hour dramatic analogue of the 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that leans into the original premise: Will's complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air," Peacock said in a press release, per CNN.
"With a reimagined vision, BEL-AIR will dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions and biases that were impossible to fully explore in a 30-minute sitcom format, while still delivering swagger and nods to the original show."
The show will star newcomer Jabari Banks as Will, Adrian Holmes as Philip, Cassandra Freeman as Vivian, Olly Sholotan as Carlton, Coco Jones as Hillary and Akira Akbar as Ashley.
When does Bel-Air premiere?
Bel-Air will premiere Super Bowl Sunday (or February 13, 2022) on Peacock. In September of 2020, Will announced that the streaming service NBCUniversal had picked up the show for two seasons.
“We’re really going to peel back the layers of these iconic characters and explore this world in a really unforgettable way,” Morgan said to Will. “It’s a show that’s really going to surprise people in the best way.”
Where can I watch or stream Bel-Air?
Bel-Air will be available on Peacock. The streaming service offers three different options you can choose from to watch new and classic TV shows and movies. You can opt for the free option, which includes limited programming and ads. As of right now, there’s no information on whether or not Bel-Air will be available to stream through the free option, though. Alternatively, you can sign up for a premium subscription: $4.99 per month with ads or $9.99 per month with no ads.
Whichever option you go with, you can stream via the Peacock website or on the platform’s iPhone or Android apps.
Selena is the entertainment and news editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers the latest on TV, movies and celebrities. In addition to writing and editing entertainment news, she also spotlights the Hispanic and Latinx community through her work. She is a graduate of CUNY Hunter College with a B.A. in journalism and creative writing.
