OK this is weird.
It’s not that Bel Air looks bad or anything. On the contrary, this first full-blown trailer for Peacock’s dramatic Fresh Prince of Bel Air reboot is a slick and promising first taste of this new era for the Banks family. But it’s still weird to watch if your fond Fresh Prince memories are marked by Uncle Phil’s firmly genteel dadness, Will’s extremely ’90s wardrobe, and generally goofy antics.
Bel Air ain’t that. It is a reboot, so the key characters, aka the Banks family, and basic plot remain the same. Will (Jabari Banks) is sent off to live with his Uncle Phil (Adrian Holmes) and Aunt Vivian’s (Cassandra Freeman) family after he gets into some trouble back home in west Philadelphia. It’s that same “fish out of water” story where Will’s earlier life on the city streets immediately clashes with the glitz and glamor of Bel Air and his wealthy uncle’s palatial family home.
Peacock’s trailer suggests Bel Air spends more time focused on the circumstances that led Will to leave Philly. It’s also seemingly going to spend considerably more time looking at Will, Carlton (Olly Sholotan), and Ashley’s (Akira Akbar) school life. And I’m still trying to wrap my head around this new Geoffrey, the Banks’ “house manager,” playing by Jimmy Akingbola.
All of which to say: Bel Air looks extremely different from the series that inspired it. But that’s not a bad thing, based on this trailer.
Bel Air will premieres Feb. 13 on Peacock, starting with three episodes that will go live after the Super Bowl and additional episodes released weekly.