Bel-Air, A Modern Take on the Fresh Prince

by Joe Habersham

Bel-Air, Peacock’s highly anticipated reimagined series, has finally made its debut, but it left a lot to be desired. The series’ first three episodes were released on February 13th and will be available weekly starting February 17th. The shift from family-orientated 90’s sitcom to modern drama works against the original mystique surrounding Will Smith and the Banks family. You just don’t feel the same warm and loving energy. Instead, viewers are taken through the dark and cold streets of West Philadelphia, and not much changes in Bel Air. We’re thrown into Will’s new world where drugs and gang violence are on full display. If you’re new to the Fresh Prince’s story, you might prefer the remake, but fans of the original series will be less impressed.

Bel-Air is a dramatic, yet modern iteration of NBCs hit sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which features Will Smith returning as an executive producer. Smith’s new show is set in the present, with a heavy emphasis on current racial and cultural issues including Black Lives Matter.

 Each of the characters we know and love are given a little extra flavor. Will doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty and refuses to shy away from any fight. Carlton’s character takes a new sinister and devious approach in order to further his own agenda. Hilary is a social media influencer who isn’t afraid of paving her own path regardless of what her mother thinks. Unfortunately, Ashley has yet to play any significant role. Aunt Vivian serves as the family’s mediator when she isn’t overstepping Hilary's business. Uncle Phil goes out of his way to genuinely connect with Will and practically views him as another son. Jeffrey’s role is more of the family’s friend rather than house manager. And Jazz is introduced as Will’s taxi driver turned friend. New supporting characters are brought into the mix at Bel-Air Academy like Connor, Carlton’s white friend who's extremely comfortable using certain vocabulary, and Lisa, a former love interest of Carlton who’s taken a liking to Will.

 A Fresh Prince of Bel-Air remake is appreciated, but just doesn’t gain the same traction as its predecessor. The shift from comedic sitcom to drama isn’t as smooth as I’d like and comes off as awkward at times. Each character’s personality has changed and painted certain relationships in a different light. Interactions between Will and Carlton end with either a fistfight or tricks of psychological warfare- they don’t want to dance or resolve any issues together. Carlton’s intelligence remains, but his kind hearted charm is long gone; he’s willing to throw his morals out of the window to slither his way to the top. The addition of drugs in Carlton’s life presents a new low, and, honestly, feels like it’s coming out of left field. Creating viewer intrigue and relatability is understandable, but you simply cannot change the nature of his character. Carlton is the intellectual, yet unathletic stiff who dreams of his Harvard acceptance. However, viewers will be pleased to see Hilary shine as an African-American businesswoman who’s trying to find her own lane- she isn’t the brunt of anybody’s jokes anymore.

Coco Jones’ performance of Hilary Banks has been a pleasant delight and works towards building a relatable character viewers can root for rather than laugh at. Another casting highlight was Adrian Holmes as Uncle Phil- Holmes’ Uncle Phil really feels like a family-first man while showing glimpses of resisting injustice just as James Avery had done so eloquently. What about the new Will? Jabari Banks was casted to play a role with extremely huge shoes to fill. There aren’t many actors who would capture audiences the way Smith did previously in the 90s; he was spontaneous, charismatic, goofy, and energetic, while providing convincing scenes of his vulnerability. When I watch Jabari Banks’ Will Smith, I don’t see the same character. This can be attributed to the creative decision to produce a drama rather than comedy sitcom, but the difference between the two styles are night and day. It’s hard for Banks to play Will Smith better than Will Smith, himself, but I think that’s where the disconnect lies. Banks still manages to be funny while acting as the coolest kid in Bel- Air, but it doesn’t resonate the same way. And since we’re on the topic of filling shoes, we need to talk about the casts’ sneakers! From “Lightning” Jordan 4s to Nike Blazers, “Biohack” Jordan 1s to “Alternate Bel-Air” Jordan 5s, the emphasis on sneakers has been a really nice touch. Turning a few of the younger characters into sneakerheads goes a long way to accurately represent high schoolers around the country. I’d deem Will Smith the Fresh Prince based on his kicks alone.