Reboots and remakes are always en vogue, so it shouldn't be to surprising that The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was the next show to get a new take.
Bel-Air is a brand new show on Peacock, and it just debuted its first few episodes. Jabari Banks was the lucky man who landed the lead role, and he has a huge weight on his shoulders. The reboot is under intense pressure already. Fans were angry that the reboot was happening, but they're still tuning in to see how it turns out.
So far, fan reception is mixed, and critics are not all that impressed. Let's take a closer look at what's being said about Bel-Air.
'The Fresh Prince' Is A Classic Sitcom
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is undoubtedly one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, and to this day, many of the show's elements still hold up. While hilarious in its own right, the show also tackled serious themes, and it did so in a way that was natural and fitting, which helped it gain a loyal following and a lasting legacy.
Starring Will Smith, The Fresh Prince was the project that transformed Smith from '80s rapper to comedic powerhouse. He had all the charisma in the world early on, but he honed his acting abilities and grew as a performer during his time on the show.
For 6 seasons and nearly 150 episodes, The Fresh Prince was a force on television. Few shows from the same era come close to matching the legacy that it earned, and many of the show's best moments and quotes are embedded deep into pop culture to this very day.
Some might have considered it blasphemous at one point, but recently, a reboot of the beloved sitcom was released.
'Bel-Air' Is A Modern Take On The Show
The reboot game has been going on in Hollywood for decades, and we have reached a point where many '90s shows are coming back into fashion. Given the legacy of Fresh Prince, it was only a matter of time before a show like Bel-Air hit the small screen.
A fan made trailer by Morgan Cooper that was uploaded to YouTube in 2019 was the catalyst for the show coming together, and Will Smith was on board in a hurry.
Smith took to his own YouTube channel to talk about the trailer, saying, "Morgan did a ridiculous trailer for Bel-Air. Brilliant idea, the dramatic version of The Fresh Prince for the next generation.”
The following year, Bel-Air was officially announced as a series. This generated a lot of buzz online, as fans were curious to see how a modern take on the classic sitcom would actually look with full episodes as opposed to just a trailer.
In February 2021, the series made its official debut on Peacock, and at the time of this article, it is still just a few episodes into its freshman season.
Even though there has been a lot of hype surrounding the show, some initial reviews are not quite what fans were hoping for.
'Bel-Air' Reviews Aren't Great
At the time of this article, Bel-Air is currently sitting at a 60% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Not the worst by any means, but not exactly the way the show wanted to hit the ground running. It does have a 72% with fans, which is an improvement, but this show isn't exactly netting widespread acclaim.
In an underwhelming review, Richard Roeper of The Chicago Sun Times wrote, "Alas, based on the first three episodes, the series seems in danger of being better remembered for HOW it became a show than the quality of the product itself. Despite the glossy production values and the game efforts of an attractive and gifted cast, “Bel-Air” goes over the top far too often, relying on heavy-handed symbolism, passionate and actor-friendly monologues delivered at the merest hint of a conflict — and fights, whether it’s verbal altercations, physical clashes or the threat of gun violence."
While there are plenty of critics who have been lukewarm on the show, there are those that have seen the positives with what the show is bringing to the table.
Joshua Mackey of Geeks of Color stated, "This show sits comfortably at the intersection of nostalgia, drama and Blackness. Out of the remakes that continue to flood your streaming networks, Bel-Air is the one you should be watching."
This series could develop into something great, but for now, it has some work to do, at least according to some critics.
