Bel-Air (TV series)
| Bel-Air | |
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| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Andy Borowitz & Susan Borowitz |
| Based on |
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| Developed by | Morgan Cooper & Malcolm Spellman & TJ Brady & Rasheed Newson |
| Starring |
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| Music by |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 14 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Editors |
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| Running time | 46–60 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Release | |
| Original network | Peacock |
| Original release | February 13, 2022 – present |
Bel-Air is an American drama television series developed by Morgan Cooper, Malcolm Spellman, TJ Brady, and Rasheed Newson. It is a reimagined version of the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and is based on Cooper's short fan film of the same name. It stars Jabari Banks, Adrian Holmes, Cassandra Freeman, Olly Sholotan, Coco Jones, Akira Akbar, Jimmy Akingbola, Jordan L. Jones, and Simone Joy Jones. The series premiered on Peacock on February 13, 2022.[1] The second season was released on February 23, 2023.[2] In March 2023, the series was renewed for a third season.[3]
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Premise
The series follows Will Smith's complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air.[4] It dives deep into racial tension, culture shock, and black excellence.
Cast and characters
Main
- Jabari Banks as Will Smith, 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 as Geoffrey Thompson, the House Manager of the Bankses, originally from Jamaica before moving to London as a child
- Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks, the lacrosse-playing middle child of Viv and Phil and Will's cousin and adversary
- Coco Jones 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 as Philip Banks, Will's lawyer uncle, husband of Viv and father of Hilary, Carlton and Ashley
Recurring
- April Parker Jones as Viola 'Vy' Smith, Will's mother
- SteVonté Hart as Tray Melbert, Will's former best friend in Philadelphia
- Tyler Barnhardt 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 as Reed Broderick
- Karrueche Tran as Ivy
- Riele Downs as Yazmin (season 2)[5]
Special guest stars
- Daphne Maxwell Reid as Helen, a board member of the Art Council. Reid previously was the second actress to portray Vivian Banks in the original series.[6]
- Vernee Watson-Johnson as Janice, another board member of the Art Council. Watson-Johnson previously portrayed Viola 'Vy' Smith in the original series.[6]
- Marlon Wayans as Lou, Will's father whom he thought abandoned his mother and him
- Tatyana Ali as Mrs. Hughes (season 2),[7] Ashley's English literature teacher at Bel-Air Academy. Ali portrayed "Ashley Banks" in the original series.
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Episodes
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 10 | February 13, 2022 | March 31, 2022 | |
| 2 | 10[8] | February 23, 2023 | April 27, 2023[8] | |
Season 1 (2022)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Dreams and Nightmares" | Morgan Cooper | Morgan Cooper & Malcolm Spellman & TJ Brady & Rasheed Newson | February 13, 2022 | |
| Will Smith is a West Philadelphia straight-A student with a high chance of winning a college basketball scholarship. After a basketball game, he and friend Tray are insulted by a gang member named Darnell and make a bet with local drug lord Rashad. Will and Tray win, but Darnell instigates a fight by throwing a basketball at Rashad's head and making it seem like Will threw it. When Rashad and his crew gang up on Tray, Will clears the court by firing Tray's unregistered gun into the air and is arrested. Will's mother and her brother-in-law Philip Banks get him released and flown to Bel Air, Los Angeles to live with Philip. He hitches a ride with a local named Jazz and goes to a fundraiser for Phil's District Attorney campaign. Will is on good terms with his aunt Vivian and cousins Hilary and Ashley, but Philip worries he will ruin his campaign. Will flirts with Lisa, his cousin Carlton's ex-girlfriend. Will learns that Tray's in trouble and tries to return to Philadelphia with Jazz' help; he's caught by Philip and house manager Geoffrey. He watches Carlton play lacrosse and flirts with Lisa again, and nearly starts a fight when Carlton's teammate Connor raps ethnic slurs. Later, Will catches Carlton sniffing Xanax and agrees to stay silent if he helps get Uncle Phil to ease up on him. They pretend to make peace and go to Connor's beach party. Will meets Lisa again and kisses her, and a jealous Carlton pushes Will into the pool. Will can't swim, so Lisa pulls him out, and he punches Connor and Carlton. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Keep Ya Head Up" | Carl Seaton | JaNeika James & JaSheika James | February 13, 2022 | |
| Will gets a call from his mother that his friend Tray was shot. Will attends his first day at Bel-Air Academy and is humiliated in front of the entire Junior Class by Carlton. Uncle Phil is interviewed on a Radio Show by Big Boy and asked more questions about his personal life than political. Hilary gets an offer from Haute Magazine on the condition that she tone down her recipes and outfits. With the help of Jazz, Uncle Phil, and Tyler's advice, Will is able to get a spot on the basketball team, but while leaving campus his bag is searched and Connor planted cocaine in his bag. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Yamacraw" | Nick Copus | Yolonda Lawrence | February 13, 2022 | |
| After what happened at school, Will has in-school suspension. However, Phil and Vivian learn that the Principal didn't watch the tapes of who planted the drugs in Will's bag. After things get sorted out and returned at school, Phil invites Will to a crawfish boil event where his fraternity host. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Canvass" | Dale Stern | Nicole Delaney & Henry "Hank" Jones | February 17, 2022 | |
| Phil convinces Hilary, Carlton, Will and Ashley to get fifty people to register to vote. He makes a deal with Carlton that if he doesn't make drama with Will, he'll get VIP seats to the Grand Prix at Monaco. Tray informs Will that Rashad now knows he's in Bel-Air, which leads to Geoffrey to help. He learns from Hilary that Carlton made a deal with Phil which leads him to make a deal with Vivian that if he doesn't make drama with Carlton, they can fly Tray out for the weekend which she accepts. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "PA to LA" | Tasha Smith | Ephraim Salaam & Rasheed Newson | February 24, 2022 | |
| Tray visits Bel-Air, following the deal Will had with Vivian. At the Banks, the family supports Hilary by hosting an influencer event at the Bank's residence. Tray's loyalty is put to test, as he shares Will's secret with Carlton, while tipsy at the dinner table. Carlton speaks with Phil and confronts Will with a new rule or he will snitch on him. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "The Strength to Smile" | Aurora Guerrero | TJ Brady & Paul Eriksen | March 3, 2022 | |
| 7 | 7 | "Payback's a B*tch" | Ava Berkofsky | Carla Banks Waddles | March 10, 2022 | |
| 8 | 8 | "No One Wins When The Family Feuds" | Sylvain White | JaNeika James & JaSheika James | March 17, 2022 | |
| 9 | 9 | "Can't Knock The Hustle" | Matthew A. Cherry | Malcolm Spellman & Rasheed Newson | March 24, 2022 | |
| 10 | 10 | "Where To?" | Dale Stern | Morgan Cooper & TJ Brady & Rasheed Newson | March 31, 2022 | |
Season 2 (2023)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "A Fresh Start" | Dale Stern | Carla Banks Waddles | February 23, 2023 |
| 12 | 2 | "Speaking Truth" | Anton Cropper | Anthony Sparks | March 2, 2023 |
| 13 | 3 | "Compromised" | Michael Weaver | TJ Brady & Rasheed Newson | March 9, 2023 |
| 14 | 4 | "Don't Kill My Vibe" | Dawn Wilkinson | Ephraim Salaam & Justin Calen-Chenn | March 16, 2023 |
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Production
Development
On March 10, 2019, Morgan Cooper uploaded Bel-Air to YouTube. The submission was a fan film, 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.[9][10] Will Smith, 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.[11][12] On August 11, 2020, the series was officially announced after being in the works for over a year. At the time, Netflix, HBO Max, and Peacock were bidding for the rights to the series.[13] On September 8, 2020, Peacock gave the series a two-season order under the title Bel-Air, with Westbrook Inc. and Universal Television producing. Smith and Cooper executive produce alongside Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, Malcolm Spellman, Quincy Jones, Benny Medina, Andy Borowitz, and Susan Borowitz.[14] Upon the streaming records announcement, it was reported that Anthony Sparks joined the series as an executive producer for the second season.[15] 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.[16] On March 17, 2023, Peacock renewed the series for a third season.[3]
Casting
In August 2021, Smith surprised Jabari Banks with the news that Banks would star as the lead.[17][18] In September 2021, Adrian Holmes, Cassandra Freeman, Olly Sholotan, Coco Jones, Akira Akbar, Jimmy Akingbola, Jordan L. Jones, and Simone Joy Jones joined the cast as series regulars.[19] In January 2022, Karrueche Tran, Duane Martin, Joe Holt, April Parker Jones, SteVonté Hart, Scottie Thompson, and Charlie Hall in recurring roles.[20] In March 2022, it was reported that Daphne Maxwell Reid and Vernee Watson-Johnson guest starred in episode 9 on March 24.[6] On January 12, 2023, it was announced that Saweetie is set to make a cameo appearance as herself while Brooklyn McLinn, Jazlyn Martin, and Riele Downs were cast in recurring capacities for the second season.[5] A week later, it was reported that Tatyana Ali who played Ashley Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air was cast in a recurring role for the second season.[7] On February 21, 2023, Al-Shabazz Jabateh, Nicholas Duvernay, Diandra Lyle, Justin Cornwell, and Reno Wilson joined the cast in recurring capacities for the second season.[21]
Filming
Principal photography was scheduled to take place in Los Angeles and Philadelphia.[19] On January 7, 2022, it was reported that the series had some positive COVID-19 tests on set, but production was not impacted.[22]
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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."[24] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 59 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[25]
The second season has a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 10 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10.[26] On Metacritic, the second season received a score of 71 based on reviews from 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews.[27]
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.[15]
Accolades
| Association | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BET Awards | 2022 | Best Actor | Adrian Holmes | Nominated | [28] |
| Jabari Banks | Nominated | ||||
| Best Actress | Coco Jones | Nominated | |||
| Black Reel Awards | 2022 | Outstanding Drama Series | Bel-Air | Won | [29] |
| Outstanding Directing, Drama Series | Morgan Cooper for "Dreams and Nightmares" | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing, Drama Series | Malcolm Spellman, Morgan Cooper, T.J. Brady and Rasheed Newson for "Dreams and Nightmares" | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama Series | Adrian Holmes | Nominated | |||
| Olly Sholotan | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama Series | Coco Jones | Nominated | |||
| NAACP Image Awards | 2023 | Outstanding Drama Series | Bel-Air | Pending | [30] |
| Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Jabari Banks | Pending | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Adrian Holmes | Pending |
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Source: "Bel-Air (TV series)", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 19th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bel-Air_(TV_series).
Further Reading
Tatyana Ali
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Daphne Maxwell Reid
Tamala Jones
Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
Jimmy Akingbola
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (season 1)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (season 2)
April Parker Jones
Bel-Air (film)
Walker (TV series)
Carlton Banks
The Lost Symbol (TV series)
Westbrook (company)
References
- ^ a b Petski, Denise (December 16, 2021). "'Bel-Air': Peacock's 'Fresh Prince' Drama Reboot Sets Super Bowl Sunday Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Hatchett, Keisha (November 17, 2022). "Bel-Air Sets Season 2 Release Date — See New Photos, Watch Teaser". TVLine. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ a b Campione, Katie (March 17, 2023). "'Bel-Air' Renewed For Season 3 At Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ a b Otterson, Joe (January 12, 2023). "Saweetie to Appear in 'Bel-Air' Season 2 at Peacock, Three New Recurring Cast Members Added (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ^ a b c Choe, Brandon (March 7, 2022). "'Fresh Prince' Alums Daphne Maxwell Reid & Vernee Watson-Johnson To Guest Star On Peacock's 'Bel-Air'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
- ^ a b Rice, Lynette (January 19, 2023). "'Bel-Air': Tatyana Ali From 'Fresh Prince Of Bel Air' To Recur On Peacock Reboot This Season; Watch Trailer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Shows A-Z – Bel-Air on Peacock". The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ Greene, Andy (March 13, 2019). "Hilarious 'Bel Air' Trailer Reimagines 'The Fresh Prince' as a Dramatic Movie". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- ^ Kirkland, Justin (March 14, 2019). "The Fresh Prince Gets a Dramatic Reimagining in the Trailer for Bel-Air". Esquire. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- ^ Smith, Will (April 26, 2019). "How I Really Feel About That BEL-AIR Trailer". YouTube. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- ^ Parker, Ryan (April 26, 2019). "Will Smith Calls Dramatic Fan-Made 'Bel-Air' Trailer "Brilliant"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (August 11, 2020). "'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Drama Reboot in the Works". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 8, 2020). "'Bel-Air': Peacock Gives 2-Season Order To 'The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' Drama Reboot From Morgan Cooper & Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (May 2, 2022). "'Bel-Air' Sets Peacock Streaming Records, Adds Anthony Sparks As EP For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 13, 2022). "'Bel-Air' Changes Showrunners As Carla Banks Waddles Replaces TJ Brady & Rasheed Newson For Season 2 Of Peacock Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
- ^ Vivinetto, Gina (August 31, 2021). "Will Smith surprises star of 'Fresh Prince' reboot with the news he got the role". Today. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ Petski, Denise (September 14, 2021). "'Bel-Air': Newcomer Jabari Banks To Star As Will In Peacock's 'Fresh Prince' Drama Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (September 14, 2021). "'Bel-Air': Adrian Holmes, Cassandra Freeman, Olly Sholotan & Jordan L. Jones Among 8 Cast In Peacock's 'Fresh Prince' Drama Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ^ Petski, Denise (January 20, 2022). "'Bel-Air': Karrueche Tran, Duane Martin & Joe Holt Among 7 Cast In Peacock's 'Fresh Prince' Drama Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ Petski, Denise (February 21, 2023). "'Bel-Air' Adds Five To Season 2 Cast Of Peacock Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (January 7, 2022). "'Bel-Air' Records Dozens Of Positive Covid Tests; Production Not Impacted". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
- ^ Schneider, Michael (February 1, 2022). "Awards HQ Feb. 1: Bel-Air Exclusive, Succession Dominates DGA Nominations, Cobra Kai and More at the PGAs". Variety. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ "Bel-Air: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- ^ "Bel-Air: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ "Bel-Air: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ "Bel-Air: Season 2". Metacritic. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Carras, Christi (June 1, 2022). "Lil Nas X calls out 2022 BET Awards snub: 'An outstanding zero nominations again'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ Complex, Valerie (February 17, 2022). "The Black Reel Awards Announces Partnership With Idobi Network And Unveils New Awards Statuette". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
- ^ Jackson, Angelique (January 12, 2023). "Abbott Elementary, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Woman King Dominate NAACP Image Award Nominations". Variety. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
Categories
- 2020s American black television series
- 2020s American drama television series
- 2022 American television series debuts
- All Wikipedia articles written in American English
- Articles with short description
- English-language television shows
- Live action television shows based on films
- Metafictional television series
- Peacock (streaming service) original programming
- Short description is different from Wikidata
- 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
- Use American English from September 2021
- Use mdy dates from September 2021
- Works by Malcolm Spellman
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