# The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)

> A street-smart West Philly teen is sent to live with his wealthy relatives in Bel-Air and turns their stiff household upside down.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1785

## Facts

- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 148
- Episode runtime: 23 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, family
- Created by: Andy Borowitz, Susan Borowitz
- Network: NBC
- Cast: Will Smith, James Avery, Daphne Maxwell Reid, Janet Hubert, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, Tatyana Ali, Joseph Marcell
- TMDB rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098800/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: breezy, witty, comforting, heartfelt, irreverent, upbeat

## What critics say

Viewers broadly regard the series as a warm, funny family sitcom that launched Will Smith's career and tackled serious issues with humor.

## Synopsis

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996) is a United States network sitcom created by Andy Borowitz and Susan Borowitz for NBC. Will Smith plays Will, a quick-tongued teenager from the tough streets of West Philadelphia who is sent to live with his wealthy uncle and aunt in Bel-Air. Philip Banks (James Avery) is the stern patriarch trying to keep order, while Vivian Banks keeps the household civil. Will's cousins Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro), Hilary (Karyn Parsons) and Ashley (Tatyana Ali) each push against his arrival in different ways, and Geoffrey the British butler (Joseph Marcell) watches over the mansion with dry disdain. The engine of the series is the friction between Will's street instincts and the Banks family's privileged manners, playing out in everyday clashes over school, dating, money and rules. Across six seasons and 148 episodes, it runs as a case-of-the-week multi-camera comedy with a laugh track, bringing a 1990s hip hop energy to broadcast family television. Beneath the jokes it stays warm and sincere, touching on racial discrimination, gun violence and a father-son rift. Fans of Family Matters, Sister, Sister and The Cosby Show will find the same comforting, family-centered comedy with a sharp generational edge.

## Shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

- [The Jeffersons (1975)](https://ember.film/tv/1856)
- [Bel-Air (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/89661)
- [A Different World (1987)](https://ember.film/tv/102)
- [ALF (1986)](https://ember.film/tv/4434)
- [The Wayans Bros. (1995)](https://ember.film/tv/2178)
- [Sister, Sister (1994)](https://ember.film/tv/3574)
- [Diff'rent Strokes (1978)](https://ember.film/tv/2290)
- [Saved by the Bell (1989)](https://ember.film/tv/4130)
- [Boy Meets World (1993)](https://ember.film/tv/1675)
- [Good Times (1974)](https://ember.film/tv/140)

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