This is it, guys: The reboot that could blow all of the other reboots out of the water. The glitziest, most spectacular reboot announcement that we’ve heard all TV season. The crème de la crème of TV reboots. This morning, we learned The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is being reworked for modern-day television. Then again, this could be a disaster.
Here’s what we know. Will Smith, veteran film actor and former Fresh Prince star, has a production company called Overbrook Entertainment. Right now, that production company is in the early stages of tossing around an idea that would feature a plotline and the “spirit” of the original nineties drama, which featured Smith playing a charming but somewhat immature teenager who moves to Bel-Air to live with his much wealthier family. Although Overlook isn’t explicitely saying it, “a new spin” sounds very much like a new cast and characters.
More Fresh Prince theoretically sounds pretty great, except at this point, TV Line is reporting that we don’t know whether the new Fresh Prince would be a straight-up remake, a continuation or a revival with a bit of a new story to it, as well. If it’s closer to Fuller House in that it’s a new take with some new characters but features returning character each episode, as well, I’d be pretty jazzed to see how Will and the gang turned out twenty years later. If it’s a totally new cast of characters and Will Smith is only involved as an executive producer, I’m less excited about the prospect.
Obviously, it’s a little early to be worrying about how the project could turn out. If it’s a really bad idea, Fresh Prince "reborn" won’t move forward to series. If it’s a great idea, hopefully a network or streaming service will give it a pickup. For now, we know that Smith, James Lassiter, Caleeb Pinkett and Jada Pinkett-Smith will executive produce and that interest in Fresh Prince has been pretty high in recent years, with Smith performing the theme song and Alfonso Ribeiro revitalizing his career on Dancing with the Stars.
Reboots, remakes and revivals are pretty hot right now, with everything from Coach to Twin Peaks to The X-Files and Full(er) House making its way onto our TVs in the coming year. Obviously, at some point the trend will die down, as it did with reality programs, game shows and more, but for now, nostalgia is king. We’ll let you know if and when The Fresh Prince gets a second chance on the air. And we’ll certainly let you know if Carlton and his famous dance are involved.
