Peacock's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot will premiere on February 13, 2022, AKA Super Bowl Sunday. NBCUniversal didn't specify an exact time of the day, though.
Simply titled "Bel-Air," the Fresh Prince reboot is being promoted as a "dramatic analogue" of the original Will Smith series, but with an hour-long episode runtime and more serious tone that will "explore inherent conflicts, emotions and biases."
To be fair, despite being a sitcom, the original series did already explore some pretty serious subject matter, such as absent fathers, gun violence, sexual agency, and multiple generations' worth of racism.
Bel-Air showrunners T.J. Brady and Rasheed Newson previously said that the series would stay true to the original's roots while bringing it into the modern age.
“At its heart, Bel-Air is a coming-of-age story that celebrates the strength and love of the Black family," the pair said in a statement. "We have stayed true to the original premise of the legacy series - Will’s life is turned upside down after he is forced to leave West Philly and lands in Bel-Air with its gated mansions and wealth, however, our new series brings Will and the Banks family into the world as we know it now. It's been incredible to bring these iconic characters to life when you tap them into the cultural pulse of our time. The series was the fabric of so many of our upbringings, tied to memories and the joy of seeing ourselves represented on TV so it is important to us to pay respect to its legacy.”
Bel-Air will also feature a brand new cast, with newcomer Jabari Banks playing the role of Will.
Curious about what else to watch on Peacock? IGN has reviews of MacGruber season 1 and Chucky, plus several original series we've ranked from worst to best.
Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/airborne DJ for IGN.
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From one princeto the next
#BelAirPeacock streaming in 2022. pic.twitter.com/nr8MIpWux9
— Peacock (@peacockTV) November 23, 2021
Simply titled "Bel-Air," the Fresh Prince reboot is being promoted as a "dramatic analogue" of the original Will Smith series, but with an hour-long episode runtime and more serious tone that will "explore inherent conflicts, emotions and biases."
To be fair, despite being a sitcom, the original series did already explore some pretty serious subject matter, such as absent fathers, gun violence, sexual agency, and multiple generations' worth of racism.
Bel-Air showrunners T.J. Brady and Rasheed Newson previously said that the series would stay true to the original's roots while bringing it into the modern age.
“At its heart, Bel-Air is a coming-of-age story that celebrates the strength and love of the Black family," the pair said in a statement. "We have stayed true to the original premise of the legacy series - Will’s life is turned upside down after he is forced to leave West Philly and lands in Bel-Air with its gated mansions and wealth, however, our new series brings Will and the Banks family into the world as we know it now. It's been incredible to bring these iconic characters to life when you tap them into the cultural pulse of our time. The series was the fabric of so many of our upbringings, tied to memories and the joy of seeing ourselves represented on TV so it is important to us to pay respect to its legacy.”
Bel-Air will also feature a brand new cast, with newcomer Jabari Banks playing the role of Will.
Curious about what else to watch on Peacock? IGN has reviews of MacGruber season 1 and Chucky, plus several original series we've ranked from worst to best.
Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/airborne DJ for IGN.
Continue reading...