BEL-AIR
Premiering on Peacock this Super Bowl Sunday is the new drama series, BEL-AIR (trailer here). From the mind of Morgan Cooper comes this reimagining of the iconic ‘90s sitcom FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR. Our jumping-off point mirrors that of its predecessor—after a dangerous situation in West Philadelphia, young Will is sent to the dazzling streets of Bel-Air to live with his Aunt Viv and Uncle Phil. I remember watching the OG sitcom with my older brother and "Fresh Prince" always had so many incredible life lessons on navigating the world (and more specifically navigating the world as a Black person) with the backdrop of these hilarious characters. Just as FRESH PRINCE did not shy away from speaking about racial and economic privilege and prejudice, I'm sure BEL-AIR won’t either.
But one of the things that makes me most excited about this series is how it all came together. Morgan Cooper, who grew up watching the original sitcom, created an original trailer for BEL-AIR in 2019. This piece highlighted the style he wanted to bring to a FRESH PRINCE remake. Westbrook (Will & Jada Pinkett Smith's production company) saw the trailer and decided to partner up—and the rest is history. It's exciting to see new work coming into fruition from the pure passion and hustle of young creators. I am also personally excited to see all of the amazing up-and-coming Black talent on screen, including Jabari Banks as Will and Olly Sholoton (who's a friend of mine from college—Hi Olly!) as Carlton. Definitely excited to watch Will return to his throne as the prince of Bel-Air.
—Erin Harris, Development Assistant
