Will Smith's successful acting career.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air debuted in 1990 and followed Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to live with his rich aunt, uncle and cousins in Beverly Hills. Smith starred alongside Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton Banks), Daphne Maxwell Reid (Vivian Banks, aka Aunt Viv), Karyn Parson (Hilary Banks), Tatyana M. Ali (Ashley Banks), and the late James Avery as (Philip Banks, aka Uncle Phil). The show was beloved for not only its hilarious characters and storylines but for some of its emotional moments and serious subject matters that have resonated with audiences long after the series ended. Now fans will get to see the cast together again on television in over two decades.
According to TVLine, the original cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is returning for an HBO Max special this fall to celebrate the 30th anniversary since the show first aired. The reunion special is "an unscripted special looking back at the series and the cultural impact [it] has had since its debut." The show's returning cast include Smith, Ribeiro, Reid, Ali, Parsons, DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jazz), and Joseph Marcell (Geoffrey). Produced by Smith's Westbrook Media, the reunion is scheduled to tape on September 10 and set to premiere around Thanksgiving. Marcus Raboyis will direct the special, which HBO Max has teased to have surprise guests.
The Fresh Prince special is the latest of classic TV show reunions from HBO Max. A highly-anticipated Friends reunion special has been in the works for some time. Also, last week it was announced the streaming service was bringing back the cast of The West Wing for a special to encourage voting in the election. The reunion special news also follows the announcement in early August that Smith is producing a reboot series with Universal TV based on a viral fan trailer of a dramatic reimagining of Fresh Prince. The drama reboot will take a darker look at the sitcom, focusing on the series' heavier moments.
The reunion special is exciting news for Fresh Prince fans, but this isn't the first time the cast has appeared together since the series ended. In April, they came together in a virtual reunion for Smith's Snapchat show, Will At Home. With The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air being one of the most popular sitcoms of the '90s, fans will no doubt tune in to watch the reunion and will likely draw more traffic and subscribers for HBO Max. While the special will sadly be without the beloved Avery, who died in 2013, it will still be nice to see the Banks family back together on TV to celebrate the memorable sitcom.
Source: TVLine
