The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

I like to think of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" as a memorable rap song from a time when it wasn't afraid to be creative or witty. Think of a song by Public Enemy, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, or hell, even The Fresh Prince's duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff (who guest stars frequently as Jazz), as the two were known back in rap's Golden Age as DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince.

Of course, this show flourished during a time when rap was still good, and I can't help but make comparisons to the hip-hop community. There is no question that Will Smith is a born entertainer, and he got his break in stardom outside of hip-hop with "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." In it, Will Smith pretty much plays Will Smith (I bet creators Andy and Susan Borowitz had a lot of difficulty thinking up that name), a Philadelphia ghetto youth who gets shipped out by his mother to the posh excess of Bel-Air to live with relatives - The Banks.

Once out there, he finds rivalry with cousins - the preppy Carlton and airheaded would-be blonde Hilary Banks (Alfonso Ribiero and Karyn Parsons), young cousin Ashley (Tatyana M. Ali) emulates Will's hip-hop attitude, and Aunt Vivian (alternately played by actresses Janet Hubert-Whitten and Daphne Maxwell Reid) keeps husband and successful lawyer Uncle Phil's (James Avery) head cool when Will gets into trouble. To keep everything tidy and in order, their loyal, sarcastic British butler Geoffrey (Joseph Marcell) is there too.

It's still fresh after all these years. It never fails to stir up careful, thoughtful, moving, and intelligent laughs from the viewer and I'm surprised I avoided it for so long. (Why do I do this to myself all the time?)

The acting is cool and fresh by all, especially from Smith, and the ladies of the house, Karyn and Tatyana, are both pretty cute to look at too.

It is already so long ago. Now Will Smith is the same age as uncle Phil was at the end of the show. And James Avery who portrayed Philip Banks is unfortunately dead. But the show itself hasn't lost it's humor and charm. I enjoyed it to the fullest rewatching it now, and actually watching it for the first time from beginning to the end.

While it was Will Smith who became the most famous after, I would say it were the other characters who made the show as wonderful as it is.

James Avery as uncle Phil was one of my favorites. It was amazing acting where he brought us both humor and emotions. I loved to see this man taking care of his nephew as his own son, help him to become a man and build such an amazing connection with him. This was all portrayed greatly. One of the reasons I would not want to see a reboot of this show is because it will never be the same without him. Alfonso Ribeiro as Carlton was also delightful. So much great comedy with this extraordinary personality and his trademark dancing. Definitely unforgettable. Joseph Marcell was an amazing Geoffrey. All this wit and sarcasm made him one of the best on the show. Karyn Parsons was a great Hilary. She made this character who was very shallow and snobby also very likable. Those are the ones who gave me the most laughter. The rest were also great addition. Vivian and Ashley were just very ordinary people, but the acting was superb.

Pretty much every story is fun and original. Even the jokes that get repeated (Carlton's height, Phil's weight etc.) don't seem to be a problem and make it look repeatable. And watching Jazz being thrown out of the house was always great fun.

Part of me wishes there were more seasons, but I am also happy that it ended at it's peak so it was great from the beginning to the end. I would tell young people who were born too late and missed it to watch it, it is still hilarious.

A++

Starring: Will Smith, James Avery, and Alfonso Ribeiro.

A boy born and raised in the inner city of Philidelphia is sent by his mother to live with a much richer family, the Banks, in Bel-Air. Will's transition from 'inner-city boy' to 'rich boy' is wonderful. The characters always make me laugh. The characters developments are excellent, especially Carlton's. He's hysterical as the 'geeky' type. If you want to watch any show on TV, you better watch this.

Rank: 1st

I absolutely love this show! I cannot ever recall an episode in which I did not laugh. Will Smith is so hilarious, everything he says always cracks me up. He also has this way of making eye contact with the camera whenever he's done something stupid or did something clever. I love the way Will always picks on Carlton and Uncle Phil. Will Smith, I think he's one of the best megastars in the world today. Vivian (Daphane Maxwell Reid and Janet Hubert Whitten), both portrayed the character excellently I must say. Carlton, what can I say? He always cracks me up. I'll never forget the episode where he and Will were imprisoned and Carlton started freaking out, wow, man, I literally fell down laughing away. Ashley (Tatyana Ali) I love her character. Uncle Phil (James Avery), he's a lawyer turned judge and a father who teaches good moral values to his children. I love his character. There is also Geoffrey. Wow, he is the most sarcastic butler around. He always makes fun of Uncle Phil and boy do I get off with laughter whenever I see him. But the show only had one problem and that was the character Hilary. No offence to Karyn Parsons whom I think is a beautiful and talented actress but the character of Hilary was seriously messed up. Here you have a 21 year old woman still living with her parents and won't go out to look for a job. All she concerned with is the way she looks. I think Hilary was the most annoying person on show. I HATED HILARY. She shouldn't have been like that. Gosh, everytime I had to see her, I would switch the channel until that part was gone. But nevertheless, I still loved the show. I've been watching the reruns since 2000 and I must say, I never get fed up of it. I look forward to it EVERYDAY. I was surprised that it was not included on RANK's Top 25 comedies of all time. This show should have at the top. If anyone does not think this show is funny, then something must be wrong. If I feel depressed and need a good laugh, all I have to do is watch this show and get tonnes of jokes. I wish they would have like the whole 5 or 6 seasons on DVD or VHS so I could go buy it. I give this show two thumbs up. Rating- 10/10, 100% Pure and raw comedy!

Of all the shows, I believe that "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" is the one with which I can most identify with, since I have surely seen every single episode at least a dozen times - and yet it STILL never gets tired! I cannot get sick of this show, and it's making me a bit disturbed! Just what is it that makes this show so continually appealing, even around seven years since its final episode? I'm not sure...it's certainly not just one element. Every part of this show is magic: the wonderful acting from all involved; the witty (and often painfully hysterical) one-liners and banter between characters; the hip, cool atmosphere; the music...it all perfectly fits into what has to be one of the most remarkable and well-made sitcoms of the '90s.

I find myself shocked sometimes at the number of people who have totally forgotten about this show. Granted, it DID end in 1996, and obviously a lot has happened since then (most notably the skyrocketing music & film career of a certain lead star), but I mean, come on! This show is an undisputed classic! Who can forget the wild, crazy, and just plain amusing adventures we've had with Will Smith and the Banks family?

There were times when I was just addicted to this show, I remember...it was a while back when the episodes were running in syndication every evening on TBS SuperStation...I can't believe how this show can always manage to crack me up. It's incredible. I've grown to love all these characters so much, and even now, I still wouldn't pass up an opportunity to watch yet another priceless rerun.

I agree, though, that yes, a lot of the late, LATE episodes (around the second-last and final season) had their fair share of groans, and showed some glaring signs of tedium, but thankfully, the overwhelming positive qualities of the series tower over such minor flaws - including the mysterious re-casting of Aunt Vivian's role from Janet Hubert-Whitten to Daphne Maxwell Reid; the increasingly old-hat shtick of using the same stock footage whenever Jazz gets thrown out of the Banks residence for the umpteenth time; the cursed addition of a new cast member - little Nicky Banks (Ross Bagley), etc....

It's not an entirely perfect show, certainly (but then - what show is?), and it has had its fair share of ups and downs in its moderately impressive run of six years. However, when all is said and done, in the end, this show can proudly stand on its own as a pop culture treasure. It has evolved from what seemed initially to be an awkward, cheesy, quaint little '80s/'90s Cosby rip-off to a mature, slick, and fabulously written/produced/directed program. Pure gold is what this show is.

A truly underrated, and always entertaining, gem. "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" is one for the ages.