The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is one of my favourite shows of all time.
Around for six seasons, it launched Will Smith’s acting career, and helped bring more African American shows to the forefront.
A Great Premise
The show’s about the fictional Will Smith who moves from Philadelphia to Bel-Air to help improve himself in school and life. He lives with his higher social class family, the Banks. His poor, ‘hood’ background is the perfect premise that’s used throughout the series. The best part is that each side adapts to the other. Will becomes a more mature person, and the Banks become less snobbish and stuck up, more grounded.
Each character is unique, works well with others, and are all very memorable. Clearly the best duo were Will and Uncle Phil.
A Dynamic Duo
What’s great about Will and Uncle Phil is that each one teaches the other. Uncle Phil isn’t the standard father or father figure that’s always right and is always tough. He makes mistakes too, whether with Will or his family. He accepts them and that makes him more human.
Though he’s a rich, high powered lawyer, he clearly went through poverty, bigotry, and the Civil Rights movement. It’s something he’s still proud of, and carries throughout the show.
He’s also not typical in punishing Will. When he recognizes Will’s mistakes, and when Will owns up to them, he doesn’t keep bashing him. He comforts him, and understands and accepts Will.
This duo is one of the best in sitcoms because they’re not family by blood, as Uncle Phil quickly pointed out in the first episode “This is my nephew by marriage.” They start off hostile, but eventually, they proudly tell each other they are father and son.
Tackling Serious Issues
Though it’s primarily a comedy, the show wasn’t afraid to tackle a variety of serious issues, sprinkled throughout its six seasons. And when they happen, the show becomes a drama.
Though the family is black, it’s never made a big deal, because a lot of issues they deal with are what anyone deals with. For the most part.
Some standard ones include the loss of a family member, drunk driving. But some of the most serious are gun violence and substance use.
In the former, Will takes a bullet for Carlton during a mugging. This shakes Carlton and he feels the need to own a gun. Will’s begging, screaming and outright saying he owes him only then changes Carlton’s mind. The latter was when Carlton accidently took some pills from Will’s locker, thinking they were vitamins. They were drugs. He was rushed to the hospital, and soon enough, Will owns up, breaking down in tears for what happened.
But when it comes to racial topics, that’s the difference.
It started with Will and cousin Carlton being racially profiled for driving a fancy car. Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv’s intervention was handled beautifully, and though the characters don’t flat out state it was racial profiling, it’s very obvious and leaves you questioning everything. Society, police, the justice system, equality. It’s very powerful.
Or what it means to ‘be black.’ When Carlton wasn’t accepted into a fraternity because he didn’t fit the typical black image, Uncle Phil simply asked the family “When are we going to stop doing this to each other?” Again, we’re left in silence, thinking, because even though he’s talking to his family, he’s talking to us. No matter what colour, he’s asking when everyone will stop stereotyping a certain race.
The most serious of all is Will’s father coming back into his life 14 years later, only to stay for a couple days and leave again. This is the climax of the series. It tackles the very essence of Will, why he acts the way he does, lived the life he did in Philly. It cements his relationship with Uncle Phil, and the Banks, in an all too real, tear jerking 22 minutes.
The Fresh Prince took its premise and raised the bar for other shows to deal with serious, real world issues.
Aunt Viv
My biggest complaint is changing the actress for Aunt Viv. It’s unfortunate, and to be expected a character will change because it’s a different person. No matter how hard they try, it’ll always be different and you’ll know. But the original actress made her the perfect combination between nice and strict. Her and Uncle Phil felt like a true married couple, there for each other, good and bad. In one moment she’d have a pleasant conversation, but wasn’t afraid to throw down or put someone in their place. When she got mad, you know you did something wrong.
The new actress didn’t make her feel like that. It was a combination between the creators, writers, directors, and the actress for not trying to continue the original Aunt Viv’s characterization, She was too laid back, too nice. The typical married couple of the husband being the strict one, and the mother always being the nice one. And even her role was diminished, not appearing for several episodes.
It's so noticeable it’s the one thing that drags the show down a bit for me.
Conclusion
Overall the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a great show that’s seen a reboot into being made into a drama. It’s characters are so memorable, and especially the serious issues it tackled are unforgettable.
Comment down below on what you love most about the show!
Comments