So I've Compared The New "Bel-Air" Show With "The Fresh Prince", And Here Are All The Things I Found

    Carlton on drugs? I never thought I’d see the day.

    Ivy Richardson
    by Ivy Richardson

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    As a die-hard Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fan, I couldn't contain my excitement when I found out that there was going to be a dramatic reboot of the legendary '90s sitcom!

    Key art from "Bel-Air" showing Jabari Banks as Will crouching down on the clean California road in a suit a crown is on the floor and text "Bel Air" is written on top
    Peacock

    As thrilled as I was to have my favourite characters back on my TV screen, I was also keen to see if Bel-Air would take its cue from its predecessor or create a world of its own. Turns out, there are a lot of similarities and differences between the two shows, and these are the most notable!

    🚨 Warning: Spoilers ahead for Bel-Air Season 1. 🚨

    Text reads "Times 'Bel-Air' took inspiration from 'The Fresh Prince'”
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    1. The overall storyline is pretty much the same as the original.

    Two actors in "Bel-Air," including Jabari Banks as Will, lock eyes in a competitive game of basketball
    Peacock

    In Bel-Air, just like in The Fresh Prince, Will gets into a fight, and his mum (Vy) wastes absolutely no time packing his bags and sending him to live with his wealthy aunt, uncle, and cousins in their Bel-Air mansion. Granted, in Bel-Air, the stakes are A LOT higher, but the storyline is essentially the same.

    2. Will is still a basketball star.

    Jabari Banks as Will wears a Basketball kit in a changing room
    Peacock

    While many of Bel-Air’s characters are wildly different from their Fresh Prince counterparts, Will is actually pretty similar. Aside from being charismatic, charming, and cheeky, he is also just as basketball obsessed (if not more). He originally planned to go to college on a basketball scholarship (you know, before he got into “one little fight” and his “mum got scared” and shipped him off to LA), and when that didn’t work out, he tried out for the basketball team at Bel-Air Academy and showed them all exactly how it’s done.

    3. And he also wears his school blazer inside out.

    Jabari Banks as Will and Olly Sholotan as Carlton stand next to each other in a library looking at something off camera in a still from "Bel-Air"
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    Some things just never change.

    4. This Uncle Phil is just as passionate about making positive changes in the justice system.

    Uncles Phil and his family stand together well dressed in a group as Phil addresses a crown off screen
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    The new Uncle Phil is running for district attorney, which is a deviation from The Fresh Prince, where Uncle Phil was a lawyer and then a judge. However, while they work in different areas within the justice system, their career goals are actually fairly similar. They both aim to use their political power to positively influence the justice system and call out bigotry as and when they see it.

    5. Bel-Air also addresses issues affecting the Black community.

    The Banks family stand together in party dress looking at something off camera in a still from "Bel-Air"
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    Although The Fresh Prince is a lighthearted sitcom, they always made sure to weave in serious storylines from time to time, many of which highlighted real issues affecting African Americans. Bel-Air followed in those footsteps in this regard, dedicating ample time each episode to discussing injustices affecting the Black community — Including police brutality, systemic racism, and microaggressions.

    6. Will and Uncle Phil have a love-hate relationship.

    Jabari Banks as Will Smith and Adrian Holmes as Phillip Banks chat on a basketball court
    Peacock

    While the original Uncle Phil wasn’t Will’s biggest fan when he arrived in Bel-Air, he eventually grew to love Will unconditionally and become the father figure he so desperately needed. While this transition happens a lot faster in Bel-Air, with the pair building a rapport in the first few episodes, it was just as satisfying watching their love-hate relationship transition into one of just love.

    7. Aunt Viv is still the queen of telling people to STFU.

    Cassandra Freeman as Vivian Banks in "Bel-Air" holding up a glass of champagne
    Peacock

    If there’s anyone who can humble you, it’s Aunt Viv. Many of us were gutted when they replaced the OG Aunt Viv on The Fresh Prince, because she was everything she needed to be: tough but fair, nurturing, loving, and incredibly classy. Luckily, Bel-Air’s Aunt Viv is just as iconic, giving great advice to those around her as well as putting people in their place when they truly deserve it.

    8. Vy tries to get Will to move back to West Philly, but Will is ultimately against the idea.

    April Parker Jones as Viola "Vy" Smith and Jabari Banks as Will Smith cross the road together and smile in a still from "Bel-Air"
    Peacock

    In both shows, Vy sends Will to live with his aunt and uncle in Bel-Air, but it’s only ever meant to be a temporary arrangement. Just like in The Fresh Prince, when Vy informs Will that it’s time to return after the Rashad issue has been dealt with, Will actually chooses to stay in Bel-Air and make the most of the opportunities he has there. I mean, can we really blame him?

    9. And Will and Jazz are still good friends.

    Jabari Banks as Will Smith and Jordan L. Jones as Jazz share a cab together in a still from "Bel-Air"
    Peacock

    In this version, Jazz is an Angeleno who runs a record store and drives a taxi (which is how the pair meet). While their friendship is fairly new, unlike in The Fresh Prince, where they go way back, they become very close very quickly. And with any luck, Jazz won’t get thrown out of the Bel-Air mansion this time around! 


    Text reads "Times 'Bel-Air' did its own thing"
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    10. That “one little fight” was more of a life-and-death situation.

    Jabari Banks as Will Smith holds a gun up in the darkness
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    After a game of basketball went horribly wrong, Will found himself pointing a gun at West Philly’s top drug dealer to protect his best friend, Trey. Will ends up behind bars and Uncle Phil has to partake in extralegal activity to free him. And if things weren't bad enough, the drug dealer wants revenge. Vy really had no choice but to send Will away in order to keep him alive! 


    11. Carlton and Will don’t ~exactly~ get along.

    Jabari Banks as Will and Olly Sholotan as Carlton stand opposite each other in a changing room looking angry in a still from "Bel-Air"
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    Now, these two weren’t exactly the best of friends in The Fresh Prince, but they certainly weren’t enemies. They had very little in common and constantly took the piss out of each other, but they always supported each other at the end of the day. In Bel-Air, however, there is a very real animosity between Will and Carlton that even leads to physical altercations. You could cut the tension between these two with a knife! 


    12. In fact, Carlton is nothing like the original.

    Olly Sholotan as Carlton in "Bel-Air" snorting cocaine in his bedroom
    Peacock

    This Carlton is nothing like the preppy, Tom Jones–obsessed Carlton from The Fresh Prince. He is manipulative, aggressive, and wholly unlikable. A lot of his anger stems from jealousy towards Will and his inability to control everyone and everything in his life. On top of that, to help with his anxiety disorder, he uses illegal drugs! I never thought I’d see the day when Carlton Banks snorted a line, but there’s a first time for everything, I guess. 


    13. Will, Carlton, and Lisa are in a very messy love triangle.

    Simone Joy Jones as Lisa Wilkes in "Bel-Air" wearing a dress at a garden party
    Peacock

    In the original, Lisa was pretty much endgame for Will. She is introduced in the fifth season, and the pair eventually get engaged. In this version, Will and Lisa meet very early on, and their relationship is pretty complicated from the jump. Not only is Lisa’s dad the LA chief of police (which doesn't sit right with Will), but she’s also Carlton’s ex — and he’s not completely over her.  Who doesn’t love a love triangle though, right? 


    14. This Aunt Viv is an artist.

    Cassandra Freeman as Vivian Banks and Coco Jones as Hilary Banks in "Bel-Air" applauding in a garden party scene
    Peacock

    OG Aunt Viv was an English professor, and she decided to put her career to one side after having kids. Bel-Air’s Aunt Viv made the same commitment to motherhood, putting her artistic career on hold while she raised her family, but she has now come out of retirement and started painting again. And thank god she has, because she’s super talented!


    15. And Hilary is pursuing a career as an influencer.

    Coco Jones as Hilary Banks in Bel Air wears a pink plaid suit and puts food on a plate whilst standing on a beautiful terrace looking unhappy
    Peacock

    This Hilary is still a baddie with an enviable wardrobe, but she has a lot more to her than just impeccable style. She is a rising food influencer, taking Instagram by storm one meal at a time. She is super ambitious, actually makes intelligent decisions for herself, and even calls out injustice when she sees it, which is very unlike the original Hilary. 


    16. Ashley is into guys and girls.

    Akira Akbar as Ashley Banks wear a dress and looks confident whilst standing next to a girl at night
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    There is one major difference about Bel-Air’s Ashley: She is a member of the LGBT community. She confides in Hilary about her feelings for her good friend Lucia and reveals that she likes both boys and girls. I, for one, cannot wait to watch Ashley navigate the dating world!


    17. And surprisingly, Will isn’t a womaniser.

    Jabari Banks as Will Smith wears a baseball cap to the side and school uniform and walks along a pavement at school laughing
    Peacock

    One thing about OG Will: He could never resist the urge to chat up a beautiful woman. In Bel-Air, however, Will isn’t much of a Lothario at all. Yes, he’s still a smooth talker, but it isn’t his life’s mission to pull as many people as possible. In fact, he’s very respectful when it comes to women, and we love to see it.


    18. Geoffrey almost certainly has mob ties.

    Jimmy Akingbola as Geoffrey Thompson in "Bel-Air" wears a smart suit and stands in a clean living with his arms outstretched in a welcoming manner
    Peacock

    Bel-Air’s Geoffrey is actually a badman — there are no two ways about it. The posh, meek-mannered, sarcastic butler who served the Banks family day and night is long gone; this Geoffrey handles business — whatever that means. He’s Uncle Phil’s right-hand man, aka house manager, and apparently his job description includes paying off gangsters, making people disappear, and doing sketchy background checks. 


    What do you think of the new Bel-Air? Let me know in the comments below!

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