If you want to test whether or not someone really did grow up in the ’90s, all you have to do is start singing the theme song from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air .
This staple series not only defined a generation but helped launch the career of one of Hollywood’s most successful leading men. Now, it’s coming back with a vengeance — causing mixed reactions among fans.
In west Philadelphia, Will Smith was born and raised. On the playground, so he says, is where he spent most of his days.
Before he was an actor, he used to be a rapper, with his DJ Jazzy Jeff on the decks looking dapper. Then he thought up an idea, one that’d change the game, “I’m gonna make a TV show, one that bears my name!”
Sorry, but there was no way I was going to make it through this entire article without rapping.
Now that it’s out of my system I can say that back in the early ’90s, there was once a show called The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air . It was about a street kid from West Philly named Will Smith aka ‘The Fresh Prince’.
After one little fight with some guys who were up to no good, Will’s mom got scared.
So she sent him to live with his aunty and uncle in Bel Air! OK, I promise — last time. Much to everyone’s surprise, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a smashing success. It ran for six seasons and helped to define Will Smith as one of Hollywood’s most up-and-coming young stars.
Then in 2019, a fan-made film called ‘Bel-Air’ began making rounds on the internet.
The three-minute trailer sought to portray a different side to The Fresh Prince , one that fans had never seen before. Gone was the lighthearted goofy nature of the beloved ’90s sitcom; here to stay was a violent visceral tale from the streets.
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The trailer made so much noise that even the Fresh Prince took notice of it — and decided to make it a reality.
This brings us to today, where we now have the first official full-length trailer for the upcoming Peacock series — Bel-Air . From what is shown, the new rebooted series appears to follow the same story as the original but in a much more dramatic way.
Instead of Will going to Bel-Air to pursue a better education, this time around he’s on the run from a Philly gangbanger who wants him dead.
In the sitcom series, Will’s bully was called Omar and he’s the one who spins Will over his head during the opening credits. But in Bel-Air , “Derrick” and Will both find themselves on the wrong end of a jail cell after guns are drawn on the basketball court.
In order to save her son’s life, Will’s mother sends him to live with her sister — far away from the reach of Derrick and his gang.
So begins a black mirror retelling of one of the ’90’s most beloved series. Throughout the trailer, there are several Easter Eggs that point to Bel-Air remaining true to the source material.
Firstly, all of your favorite characters are returning — including the Banks children, Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv, as well as Geoffrey Butler.
It also seems that Will’s best friend, Jazz, will also be making an appearance — albeit in a much less humorous way. Don’t expect to see the younger, trimmer version of Uncle Phil throwing Jazz out of the house any time soon.
There’s also a couple iconic moments that diehard fans will no doubt recognize.
The first that comes to mind is the shot of Will wearing his Bel-Air Prep School jacket on inside out — a staple of his signature style and unique fashion sense.
As exciting as the trailer makes the rebooted ‘Bel-Air’ series appear, there are those who remain unconvinced.
While it’s true that we live in an era of reboots and remakes, there’s something to be said about telling a familiar story from a completely new perspective. Just because The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a comedy, doesn’t mean that Bel-Air won’t work as a drama.
There are also a few gatekeepers who seem determined to hate ‘Bel-Air’ without giving it a fair shot.
There are plenty of instances where a sequel or reboot has turned out better than the original. Producers aren’t attempting to remake a classic sitcom, they’re trying to retell a familiar story from a completely different vantage point. I, for one, have nothing but high hopes and can’t wait to see how this riveting revamp shakes out.