I Binge Watched "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air"

It was May 2020, and suddenly, I remembered “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”. It dawned on me that the last time I actually watched the classic 90’s sitcom, it was, well…the 90’s. With this in mind, I decided I had to binge watch this iconic sitcom, the one that set the then already famous Will Smith on the path to becoming one of the defining stars of his or of any era. Trouble was, it wasn’t on Netflix (well, US Netflix). Or Amazon Prime, or most streaming services you could think of. I couldn’t watch the show on TV, where it’s eternally played in reruns.

Luckily, it was May 2020, which meant that HBO Max, a brand new streaming service, was arriving at the end of the month. In addition to multitude of shows they offered (Friends, The Wire, Sopranos, etc.), they also had the Fresh Prince. I would have the chance to rewatch this show, but would I like it as much as I probably did back then? After spending three months binge watching the show, I can say yes.

Simply put, this is one of the best Sitcoms of all time. The premise is well known to many, but let’s recap anyway: West Philadelphian William “Will” Smith (played by Willard “Will” Smith) gets sent by his single mother affluent Bel Air, Los Angeles, where his aunt, uncle, and cousins live. Naturally, chaos, and hilarity ensues when the street smart, wise cracking Smith interacts with his Stern Uncle Phil (James Avery), and his spoiled cousins Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) and Hilary (Karyn Parsons). Will’s Aunt Vivian (played by Janet Hubert in the first three seasons, and Daphne Maxwell Reid in the last three) and cousin Ashley (Tatyana) are the more rational characters in the Banks household, and actor Joseph Marcell rounds out the main cast as Geoffrey, the family’s snide, disgruntled butler.

The principal characters are all well realized and fleshed out by the talented cast. You get to see Will Smith, with his natural charisma and comedic ability, become a stronger actor throughout the show’s six Seasons. Ribeiro’s portrayal of the goofy Carlton leads to a character that arguably ends up being as, if not more iconic than the character of Will Smith. Uncle Phil has become one of television’s best fathers, and that’s due to the gravitas and hilarity James Avery brings to the role. Karyn Parsons may have done too good a job playing the stuck up Hilary, as usually a role that remarkably acted leads to typecasting. In the role of Ashley, you get to see Ali grow up before your very eyes, and much like Ribeiro, she often gets chances to show off her impressive singing ability. Joseph Marcell has laser sharp comedic timing as Geoffrey, his role smaller than the others, but often just as impactful. There is often debate over who the better Aunt Vivian was. Like most, I would say Hubert, but only because she got more material to work with. She got to play a lively, dynamic Aunt Vivian. Maxwell Reid is never afforded the same opportunity.

One of the great things about the show is its variety. Though it starts off as a simple fish out of water sitcom, it often ended up veering into absurdity. Fourth wall breaks are common, and often lead to some of the show’s funniest moments. It’s also not afraid to go into drama. Some episodes are very relevant to current social issues, and some the show’s most acclaimed episodes deal with child abandonment, gun violence, and drug use.

If there’s one major problem I have with the show, it’s this: the show constantly populates itself with interesting characters and storylines, only to drop them and never mention them again. For example, there is a major plotline that defines the Fifth Season, and it never gets mentioned in the next season. There are characters that show up consistently, and then they disappear without warning. One of these characters is even designed to play an important role in Will’s life, only to vanish without resolving that storyline in a meaningful way. It’s a little disappointing. It also reminds you of how Television has evolved in the 21st Century. It’s rare to see modern Television, even sitcoms, leaving dangling plot threads and characters.

In the end, however, this undoubtedly a true classic, and it’s arrival to a major U.S streaming service has been long overdue.