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Revision as of 06:26, 11 June 2020
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American sitcom created by Quincy Jones, Andy Borowitz and Susan Borowitz. The show stars Will “The Fresh Prince” Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who his sent to live with his wealthy uncle and aunt in their Bel Air mansion after getting into a fight in his hometown. In the series, Will’s lifestyle often clashes with the lifestyle of his relatives in Bel Air.
The show originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. 148 episodes were produced over six seasons.
It was produced by The Stuffed Dog Company, Quincy Jones Entertainment, Quincy Jones/David Salzman Entertainment, and NBC Productions. The show is distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.
Synopsis
The theme song and opening sequence set the premise of the show. Will Smith is a street-smart teenager, West Philadelphia “born and raised”. While playing street basketball, Will misses a shot and the ball hits a group of people, causing a confrontation that frightens his mother, who sends him to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle in the opulent neighborhood of Bel-Air, Los Angeles.
Will’s working class background ends up clashing in various humorous ways with the upper class world of the Banks family — Will’s uncle Phil and aunt Vivian and their children, Will’s cousins: Hilary, Carlton, and Ashley.
The premise is loosely based on the real-life story of the show’s producer Benny Medina.
Cast
Main
- Will Smith as Will Smith
- James Avery as Philip Banks
- Janet Hubert-Whitten (season 1-3) and Daphne Maxwell Reid (seasons 4-6) as Vivian Banks
- Alfonso Ribeiro as Carlton Banks
- Karyn Parsons as Hilary Banks
- Tatyana M. Ali as Ashley Banks
- Joseph Marcell as Geoffrey Butler
- Ross Bagley as Nicholas "Nicky" Banks (seasons 5-6)
Recurring Cast
- DJ Jazzy Jeff as Jazz
- Vernee Watson-Johnson as Viola "Vy" Smith-Wilkes (season 1-5, guest season 6.1-6.3)
- Virginia Capers as Grandma Hattie Banks
- Nia Long as Lisa Wilkes (season 5)
- Lisa Fuller as Toni
- John Petlock as Henry Furth
- Helen Page Camp as Margaret Furth
- Jenifer Lewis as Aunt Helen
- Jonathan Emerson as Edward "Ned" Fellows III
- Michael Landes as Chadney Hunt
- Michael Weiner as Kellogg "Cornflake" Lieberbaum
- Brian Strokes Mitchell as Trevor Collins (Newsworthy)
- Keith Bogart as Jonathan Cartwell
- Bill Cort as Headmaster Wallace Thorvald
- Dave Florek as Coach Smiley
- John Amos as Fred Wilkes (season 5)
- Tyra Banks as Jackie Ames (season 4)
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | September 10, 1990 | May 6, 1991 | |
| 2 | 24 | September 9, 1991 | May 4, 1992 | |
| 3 | 24 | September 14, 1992 | May 10, 1993 | |
| 4 | 26 | September 20, 1993 | May 23, 1994 | |
| 5 | 25 | September 19, 1994 | May 15, 1995 | |
| 6 | 25 | September 18, 1995 | May 20, 1996 | |
Production
In 1990, music manager Benny Medina and his business partner, real estate mogul Jeff Pollack, decided to market a TV story based on Medina's life. Medina had grown up poor in East Los Angeles, California, but his life changed when he befriended a rich white teenager, whose family lived in Beverly Hills and allowed Medina to live with them. Medina decided to use this part of his life as the main focus of the show.
The part of Aunt Vivian Banks was portrayed by two different actresses during the series‘ run. Janet Hubert-Whitten portrayed Vivian during seasons 1-3, but growing problems between her, Will Smith and the producers caused Hubert-Whitten to leave the series in 1999.
The show was originally cancelled by NBC after the fourth season, with the series finale being the episode where Will moves back to Philadelphia. However, fan reaction and letters written to Will Smith and NBC persuaded them to renew the show and it ended up continuing for two more seasons.
"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" ended after six seasons because Will Smith felt that the sitcom was losing steam and he wanted his acting career to go full force.
External links
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Fandom
- Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Facebook