The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Andy Borowitz Susan Borowitz |
| Starring | Will Smith James Avery Janet Hubert-Whitten Alfonso Ribeiro Karyn Parsons Tatyana M. Ali Joseph Marcell Daphne Maxwell Reid Ross Bagley |
| Theme music composer | The Fresh Prince in association with A Touch of Jazz, Inc. |
| Opening theme | "Yo Home to Bel Air", performed by The Fresh Prince |
| Composer(s) | Quincy Jones |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 148 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Quincy Jones
Benny MedinaAndy Borowitz Susan Borowitz Kevin Wendle (Season 1) Winifred Hervey (Seasons 2–3) Gary H. Miller (Season 4–5) Cheryl Gard (Mid-Late Season 5) Jeff Pollack Will Smith (Season 6) |
| Producer(s) | Werner Walian Lisa Rosenthal Joel Madison Leilani Downer Joanne Curley-Kerner Joel Markowitz |
| Location(s) | Hollywood Center Studios Hollywood, California (1990–1991) Sunset Gower Studios Hollywood, California (1991–1993) NBC Studios Burbank, California (1993–1996) |
| Camera setup | Videotape; Multi-camera |
| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Production company(s) | The Stuffed Dog Company Quincy Jones Productions (1990-1993) (seasons 1–3) Quincy Jones/David Salzman Entertainment (1993-1996) (seasons 4–6) NBC Productions |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) |
| Original release | September 10, 1990 – May 20, 1996 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his wealthy aunt and uncle in their Bel Air mansion after getting into a fight on a street basketball court. In the series, his lifestyle often clashes with the lifestyle of his relatives in Bel Air. The series ran for six seasons and aired 148 episodes.[1][2]
Development[edit]
In December 1989, NBC approached Will Smith, a popular rapper during the late 1980s.[3] The pilot episode began taping on May 1, 1990.[4] Season 1 first aired in September 1990, and ended in May 1991. The series finale was taped on Thursday, March 21, 1996.[5][6]
The theme song "Yo Home to Bel Air" was written and performed by Smith under his stage name, The Fresh Prince. The music was composed by Quincy Jones, who is credited with Smith at the end of each episode. The music often used to bridge scenes together during the show is based on a similar chord structure.
Plot[edit]
The theme song and opening sequence set the premise of the show. Will Smith is a street-smart teenager, born and raised in West Philadelphia. 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 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.
Cast and characters[edit]
Main[edit]
Recurring[edit]
Episodes[edit]
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Nielsen ratings[7] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Rank | Rating | ||||
| 1 | 25 | September 10, 1990 | May 6, 1991 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 2 | 24 | September 9, 1991 | May 4, 1992 | 22 | 14.3[A] | ||
| 3 | 24 | September 14, 1992 | May 10, 1993 | 16 | 14.6[B] | ||
| 4 | 26 | September 20, 1993 | May 23, 1994 | 21 | 13.7[C] | ||
| 5 | 25 | September 19, 1994 | May 15, 1995 | N/A | N/A | ||
| 6 | 24 | September 18, 1995 | May 20, 1996 | N/A | N/A | ||
Crossovers and other appearances[edit]
During the fall 1991–1992 season, NBC gained two hit television shows to anchor their Monday night lineup (Blossom aired immediately after The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). To gain popularity between the two shows, Will Smith appeared in the Blossom episode "I'm with the Band" as himself under his rap stage name, The Fresh Prince. That same season, Karyn Parsons appeared in the Blossom episode "Wake Up Little Suzy" as Hilary Banks. Parsons also appeared in the Patti LaBelle sitcom Out All Night as Hilary.
In the House and Fresh Prince were both executive-produced by Winifred Hervey, David Salzman and Quincy Jones. During the second season's first episode, Alfonso Ribeiro and Tatyana Ali appeared as their Fresh Prince characters (Carlton and Ashley Banks) in the crossover episode "Dog Catchers". Later that season, James Avery (Phillip Banks) appeared as a mediator in the episode "Love on a One-Way Street".
In the Season 4 episode "My Pest Friend's Wedding", James Avery and Daphne Maxwell Reid (Vivian Banks) guest starred as Dr. Maxwell Stanton's parents (Stanton was played by Ribeiro). Both Avery and Reid portrayed the parents of Ribeiro's Fresh Prince character. Joseph Marcell, who played the wisecracking Geoffrey Butler on Fresh Prince, appeared as an officiating minister in the same episode.
Syndication[edit]
The series was produced by NBC Productions in association with the Stuffed Dog Company and Quincy Jones Entertainment (later Quincy Jones-David Salzman Entertainment in 1993). After the show was released to syndication in 1994, the series was distributed by Warner Bros. Television, which continues to distribute the show worldwide (although NBCUniversal does own the series' copyright). WGN America was the first cable channel to acquire the series in 1997 and TBS acquired the series a year later, in 1998; both channels carried the series until the fall of 2003, though TBS reacquired the series in 2007.
The theme song was shown in the original TBS run, but after TBS re-acquired Fresh Prince in 2007, the opening credits were truncated and the theme song was removed and replaced with the instrumental version used as the show's closing theme. These versions also re-added portions of scenes cut from the original syndicated prints for some episodes, particularly those from Seasons 3 to 6. TBS continued to air the series up until September 2014, when Viacom Media Networks reaquired the rights to the series. Reruns also aired on WPIX-TV back to back weeknights at 6 pm and6:30 pm EST from 1994 until 2000, on weekdays 5 pm from 2000 to 2005, and sometimes on weekends, until 2007. The series was still rerunning on The WB's affiliation WPIX-TV until 2006. The series aired on Nick at Nite, from 2006 to 2009 and moved to Disney XD.
In July 2009, Disney XD acquired the rights to the series, though it was quickly moved from prime time to late night, and only episodes from Seasons 1 to 3 are aired, mainly because those episodes are more appropriate for young viewers as they do not contain as many mature themes, sexual content and strong language as later episodes. In August 2010, Disney XD stopped airing the show. ABC Family (now called Freeform) acquired the series in September 2008, though airing all 148 episodes; originally airing exclusively on Saturday nights, the series was added to ABC Family's weekday line up in late 2009. On September 29, 2014, Disney/ABC's rights to the show expired. Viacom Media Networks got the series back.
In October 2014, Viacom Media Networks also gave the series to BET, and it would also air on Centric. It was previously aired on MTV's retro block. The series is also re-aired on VH1. On November 2, 2015, the series started airing on the Family Channel in Canada. On January 1, 2017, the series was added to Netflix in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In 2014, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air started airing again in Nickelodeon's block night channel, Nick at Nite.
In 2017, the series began from the beginning on the 5* channel in the UK. MeTV will start airing the show in September 2018.[8]
DVD releases[edit]
Warner Home Video has released the complete series, seasons 1 to 6, on DVD in Region 1.[9] Seasons 1 to 4 have been released in Regions 2 and 4. Seasons 5 to 6 have been released in Region 2 in Germany, and in the complete series boxset in the United Kingdom.
| DVD name | Ep # | Release dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | ||
| The Complete First Season | 25 | February 8, 2005[10] | February 21, 2005[11] | April 13, 2005[12] |
| The Complete Second Season | 24 | October 11, 2005[13] | November 21, 2005[14] | March 1, 2006[15] |
| The Complete Third Season | 24 | February 14, 2006[16] | June 26, 2006[17] | August 9, 2006[18] |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 26 | August 8, 2006[19] | January 22, 2007[20] | December 6, 2006[21] |
| The Complete Fifth Season | 25 | May 11, 2010[22] | June 18, 2010 | 2018 |
| The Complete Sixth Season | 24 | April 19, 2011 | May 6, 2011 | 2018 |
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Awards | Outcome | Recipient(s) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards: | |||
| Top TV Series | Won | Quincy Jones Will Smith DJ Jazzy Jeff | 1994 |
| Emmy Awards: | |||
| Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction for a Comedy Series | Nominated | Art Busch | 1996 |
| Golden Globe Awards: | |||
| Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical | Nominated | Will Smith | 1994 |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical | Nominated[23] | Will Smith | 1993 |
| Image Award: | |||
| Outstanding Comedy Series | Nominated | 1997 | |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | Alfonso Ribeiro | 1996 |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | Will Smith | 1997 |
| Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress | Won | Tatyana M. Ali | 1997 |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | Janet Hubert-Whitten | 1991 |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | Nia Long | 1996 |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | Daphne Maxwell Reid | 1996 |
| Kids' Choice Awards: | |||
| Favorite Television Actor | Nominated | Will Smith | 1996 |
| Favorite Television Show | Nominated | 1996 | |
| Favorite TV Actress | Won | Tatyana M. Ali | 1996 |
| NCLR Bravo Awards: | |||
| Outstanding Television Series Actor in a Crossover Role | Nominated | Alfonso Ribeiro | 1996 |
| TP de Oro: | |||
| Best Foreign Series (Mejor Serie Extranjera) | Nominated | 1996 | |
| Best Foreign Series (Mejor Serie Extranjera) | Won | 1994 | |
| Teen Choice Awards: | |||
| Choice TV Show: Throwback | Nominated | 2017 | |
| Choice TV Show: Throwback | Pending | 2018 | |
| TV Land Awards: | |||
| Best Broadcast Butler | Nominated | Joseph Marcell | 2004 |
| Favorite "Fish Out of Water" | Nominated | Will Smith | 2004 |
| Young Artist Awards: | |||
| Best Performance by an Actor Under Ten – Television | Won | Ross Bagley | 1996 |
| Best Performance by an Actor Under Ten in a TV Series | Won | Ross Bagley | 1995 |
| Best Youth Comedienne | Nominated | Tatyana M. Ali | 1994 |
| Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Television Series | Nominated | Larenz Tate | 1993 |
| Best Young Actor Guest Starring or Recurring Role in a TV Series | Nominated | Tevin Campbell | 1992 |
| Best New Family Television Comedy Series | Won | 1991 | |
| YoungStar Award: | |||
| Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series | Won | Tatyana M. Ali | 1997 |
Possible reboot[edit]
On August 13, 2015, it was reported that a reboot of the show was in development by Overbrook Entertainment, with Will Smith serving as a producer.[24][25] In August 2016, during a promotional interview with the E! television network, for his then upcoming film Suicide Squad, Smith denied that a reboot was in development, saying that it would happen "...pretty close to when Hell freezes over."[26]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Tied with Empty Nest
- ^ Tied with Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and The Jackie Thomas Show
- ^ Tied with Dave's World
References[edit]
- ^ "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". TV.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ Coker, Cheo Hodari (May 20, 1996). "Good Night, 'Prince'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ Rohter, Larry (September 17, 1990). "'Fresh Prince of Bel Air' Puts Rap in Mainstream". The New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ Wolf, Matt (February 11, 1991). "'Fresh Prince' makes Marcell changed man". Kentucky New Era. Associated Press. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ Cerone, Daniel. "Rap's Prince Soon to Be TV Royalty?". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 September2014.
- ^ "The Hollywood Minute". CNN. Cable News Network Inc. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
- ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (Ninth Edition). Ballantine Books. p. 1693. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
- ^ citation needed
- ^ "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air DVD news: Announcement for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - The Complete 6th Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. May 25, 2007. Archived from the original on January 15, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, The: The Complete First Season DVD @ DVD Empire". Dvdempire.com. February 8, 2005. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air - The Complete First Series DVD: Amazon.co.uk: Will Smith, James Avery, Janet Hubert-Whitten, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, Tatyana M. Ali, Joseph Marcell: DVD". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "Buy Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, The - The Complete 1st Season (5 Disc Set) @ EzyDVD". Ezydvd.com.au. April 27, 2005. Archived from the original on April 13, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, The: The Complete Second Season DVD @ DVD Empire". Dvdempire.com. Retrieved March 25,2011.
- ^ "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air - The Complete Second Series DVD: Amazon.co.uk: Will Smith, James Avery, Janet Hubert-Whitten, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, Tatyana M. Ali, Joseph Marcell, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Ellen Falcon: DVD". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "Buy Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, The - The Complete 2nd Season (4 Disc Set) @ EzyDVD". Ezydvd.com.au. Archived from the original on April 13, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, The: The Complete Third Season DVD @ DVD Empire". Dvdempire.com. February 14, 2006. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air - The Complete Third Season DVD: Amazon.co.uk: Will Smith, James Avery, Karyn Parsons, Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana M. Ali, Joseph Marcell: DVD". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "Buy Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, The - The Complete 3rd Season (4 Disc Set) @ EzyDVD". Ezydvd.com.au. August 9, 2006. Archived from the original on February 14, 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, The: The Complete Fourth Season DVD @ DVD Empire". Dvdempire.com. August 8, 2006. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air - Series 4 [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Will Smith: DVD". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "Buy Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, The - The Complete 4th Season (4 Disc Set) @ EzyDVD". Ezydvd.com.au. December 6, 2006. Archived from the original on February 14, 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, The: The Complete Fifth Season DVD @ DVD Empire". Dvdempire.com. November 5, 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ "Awards for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". Imdb.com. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
- ^ Lovett, Jamie (August 13, 2015). "Will Smith Producing A Fresh Prince Of Bel Air Reboot". Comicbook.com. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
- ^ ""Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" Reboot in the Works - thenewbenjamin". thenewbenjamin. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015.
- ^ Loughrey, Clarisse (August 2, 2016). "Will Smith says Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot will happen when 'hell freezes over'". The Independent. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
External links[edit]
 | Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air |
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. |
Categories:
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- 1990s American black sitcoms
- 1990s American sitcoms
- 1990 American television series debuts
- Will Smith
- 1996 American television series endings
- American college television series
- English-language television programs
- American high school television series
- Metafictional television series
- NBC network shows
- Television series by Warner Bros. Television
- Television series by Universal Television
- Television shows filmed in Los Angeles
- Television shows set in Los Angeles
- Television shows set in Philadelphia
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