Will Smith is making a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air spinoff happen! Yes! It has been 23 years since the original series ended its run. After six seasons and nearly 150 episodes, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air left the air in 1996. Over the years, the show’s pop culture prominence has continued.
A favorite in syndication, fans have been clamoring for a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air continuation to happen in some form. Through the years, there has been a buzz around rebooting the show for a television return. As of 2019, one has yet to happen. Back in 2016, Will Smith was direct when it came to his feelings about a potential reboot. What about a spinoff?
Will Smith reportedly has one in the works! The actor’s “cross-platform” company, Westbrook, is developing a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air spinoff series, according to THR. That is all that is known for sure at the moment. Who will the spinoff follow? What will the storyline be? None of that was disclosed.
Nor was whether any of the original cast members may come back to reprise their famous roles. Sadly, James Avery, who played Philip Banks (Uncle Phil), passed away in 2013, well before this spinoff could happen.
As for the spinoff news, there is not a whole lot to go on at first glance. However, it is an incredibly positive sign that Will Smith is involved in revisiting the world of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The superstar has previously revealed why he does not like to watch old episodes of the show.
After all these years, could Will Smith make a cameo in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air spinoff? It seems feasible. He is behind the spinoff and has participated in a previously held cast reunion. It would make sense for him to put in an appearance.
What about The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s beloved theme song? Will the spinoff have a new one? Given that the new show is being billed as a spinoff, that indicates it will have a different lead than the original series. The original theme song was told from Will Smith's character's perspective.
Will the spinoff center on Will’s cousins? Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro), Hilary (Karyn Parsons), and Ashley Banks (Tatyana M. Ali) could anchor their own show. Ribeiro has given his take on what Carlton is doing now. A spinoff could follow Carlton's journey on-screen. That would make the show a spinoff/revival as it would feature character(s) that fans are already familiar with.
That a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air spinoff is in the works is huge news! Billed as a spinoff, I think there is a good reason to hope that the series’ original characters will be revisited. Time will tell if that turns out to be the case. As for when fans can expect to see the spinoff, it is unclear what stage the show is in.
A broadcast destination for the spinoff is also an unknown at this point. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air originally aired on NBC. Unlike when it left the air, there are a lot of options for where its spinoff could end up. Streaming services would likely vie for the chance to stream it.
That work on a spinoff is officially confirmed hopefully means another announcement could come soon! While you look through television’s syndication schedule for airings of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, also peruse this fall’s premiere slate.
