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Bel-Air (TV series)

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Bel-Air
GenreDrama
Created byAndy Borowitz & Susan Borowitz
Based on
Developed byMorgan Cooper & Malcolm Spellman & TJ Brady & Rasheed Newson
Starring
Music by
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes7
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Debra Lovatelli
  • Jeff Rafner
  • Jason B. Harkins
Cinematography
Editors
  • Jennifer Barbot
  • Christopher S. Capp
  • Angela Latimer
  • Shoshanah Tanzer
  • Mark Heiliger
Running time46–60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkPeacock
ReleaseFebruary 13, 2022 (2022-02-13) –
present (present)

Bel-Air is an American drama streaming 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]

Premise

The series follows Will Smith's complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air.[2]

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 Phillip, mother of Hilary, Carlton and Ashley and sister of Vy
  • Jimmy Akingbola as Geoffrey Thompson, the House Manager of the Banks', 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 Phillip 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 police officer
  • Charlie Hall as Tyler Laramy, Will's friend and basketball teammate at Bel-Air Academy
  • Jon Beavers as Kylo
  • Karrueche Tran as Ivy
  • Duane Martin as Steven Lewis, Phillip's campaign manager
  • Scottie Thompson as Angela, Lisa's stepmother

Guest

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.[4][5] 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.[6][7] 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.[8] 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.[9] An online premiere for the series was held on February 9, 2022, by Crown & Conquer.[10] The series premiered on Peacock on February 13, 2022, with its first three episodes.[1][11]

Casting

In August 2021, Smith surprised Jabari Banks with the news that Banks would star as the lead.[12][13] 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.[14] In January 2022, Karrueche Tran, Duane Martin, Joe Holt, April Parker Jones, SteVonté Hart, Scottie Thompson, and Charlie Hall in recurring roles.[15] In March 2022, it was reported that Daphne Maxwell Reid and Vernee Watson-Johnson are set to guest star on episode 9 which set to be released on March 24.[3]

Filming

Principal photography was scheduled to take place in Los Angeles and Philadelphia.[14] On January 7, 2022, it was reported that the series had some positive COVID-19 tests on set, but production was not impacted.[16]

Episodes

No.Title [11]Directed byWritten byOriginal release date [11]
1"Dreams and Nightmares"Morgan CooperMorgan Cooper & Malcolm Spellman & TJ Brady & Rasheed NewsonFebruary 13, 2022 (2022-02-13)
Will Smith is a swaggy teenager from West Philly and a straight-A student with a high chance of winning a college basketball scholarship. After a game, he and his best friend Tray are insulted by Darnell, the local bully. The two go to get even but end up making a bet with local drug lord Rashad. Will and Tray win, but Darnell instigates a fight and slips away. Will clears the court by firing Tray's gun into the air. The police arrive and Will is taken to jail with Rashad. Will's mother has her brother-in-law, Philip Banks, get him released and brought to Bel-Air, Los Angeles to live with his family. After hitching a ride with a local named Jazz, he goes to a fundraiser for Phil's District Attorney campaign. Will is on good terms with his aunt and two cousins Hilary and Ashley, but his uncle is worried that he will ruin his campaign. Will starts flirting with Lisa, who happens to be his cousin Carlton's ex-girlfriend. Will learns that Tray is in trouble and tries to run away but is caught by the house manager, Geoffrey. He goes to watch Carlton play lacrosse and flirts with Lisa again. He nearly starts a fight when one of the players, Connor, starts singing racist terms. Later, Will catches Carlton sniffing Xanax and agrees to stay silent if he helps get Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv to ease up on him. They pretend to make peace and later go 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"Keep Ya Head Up"Carl SeatonJaNeika James & JaSheika JamesFebruary 13, 2022 (2022-02-13)
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 and asked more questions about his personal life than political. Hilary gets an offer from Haute Magazine but 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"Yamacraw"Nick CopusYolonda LawrenceFebruary 13, 2022 (2022-02-13)
After what happened at school, Will has in-school suspension. However, Phill and Vivian discovers that the Principal didn't watch the tapes of who planted the drugs in Will's bag. After got things sorted out and returned to school, Phill invites Will to a crawfish boil event where his fraternity host.
4"Canvas"Dale SternNicole Delaney & Henry "Hank" JonesFebruary 17, 2022 (2022-02-17)
5"PA to LA"Tasha SmithEphraim Salaam & Rasheed NewsonFebruary 24, 2022 (2022-02-24)
6"The Strength to Smile"Aurora GuerreroTJ Brady & Paul EriksenMarch 3, 2022 (2022-03-03)
7"Payback's a B*tch"Ava BerkofskyCarla Banks WaddlesMarch 10, 2022 (2022-03-10)

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 67% of 45 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's 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."[17] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 59 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[18]

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ White, Peter (November 23, 2021). "'Bel-Air': Peacock Rolls Out First Teaser For 'Fresh Prince' Drama Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (August 11, 2020). "'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Drama Reboot in the Works". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ a b c "Shows A-Z – Bel-Air on Peacock". The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ White, Peter (January 7, 2022). "'Bel-Air' Records Dozens Of Positive Covid Tests; Production Not Impacted". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  17. ^ "Bel-Air: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  18. ^ "Bel-Air: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
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