The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Synopsis

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their wealthy Bel Air mansion, where his lifestyle often clashes with that of his relatives. The 148 episodes were broadcast over six seasons.

Main Cast

James Avery

Philip Banks

Age : 68 | Popularity : 11%

Alfonso Ribeiro

Carlton Banks

Age : 48 | Popularity : 9%

Will Smith

William 'Will' Smith

Age : 51 | Popularity : 48%

Joseph Marcell

Geoffrey Butler

Age : 71 | Popularity : 6%

Karyn Parsons

Hilary Banks

Age : 53 | Popularity : 4%

Tatyana Ali

Ashley Banks

Age : 40 | Popularity : 7%

Seasons

Season 1

1990 | 25 episodes

The first season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered on September 10, 1990 and aired its season finale on May 6, 1991. In the Pilot, Will Smith is revealed as a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia, who is sent to live with his wealthy relatives in a Bel Air mansion. His relatives include Phillip Banks, Will's strict and gruff uncle, and Vivian Banks, Will's no-nonsense, forthright, and career-minded aunt. Other members of the Banks family include Carlton Banks, Will's preppy and arrogant cousin, Hilary Banks, Will's attractive but dull-witted, eldest cousin, Ashley Banks, Will's youngest cousin, and Geoffrey, the family's cynical Butler. Will's lifestyle often clashed with that of his relatives there, and frequently got him or other members of the family into trouble as well.

Season details

Season 2

1991 | 24 episodes

Season two of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered on September 9, 1991 and aired its season finale on May 4, 1992. In this season, the kitchen and living room sets of the Banks mansion were rebuilt much larger with a more contemporary style as opposed to the much more formal style of the first season. They were connected directly by an archway, allowing scenes to be shot continuously between the sets. Will Smith, James Avery, Janet Hubert-Whitten, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, Tatyana M. Ali were present for all episodes. Joseph Marcell was absent for two episodes.

Season details

Season 3

1992 | 24 episodes

The third season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered on September 14, 1992 and aired its season finale on May 10, 1993. This would be the last season for Janet Hubert-Whitten, who was fired from the show following her pregnancy and difficulties working with the cast. She was replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid in the show's fourth season and for the remainder of the show's run. Additionally, the character Nicky Banks was added to the cast toward the end of the season as Phillip and Vivian's newborn son, due to Janet's pregnancy.

Season details

Season 4

1993 | 26 episodes

The fourth season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered on September 20, 1993 and aired its season finale on May 23, 1994. This was the first season to feature Daphne Maxwell Reid as Vivian Banks after Janet Hubert-Whitten's departure. This was also the first season to feature Nicky Banks as a regular character on the show. With 26 episodes, this was the longest season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Season details

Season 5

1994 | 25 episodes

The fifth season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered on September 19, 1994 and aired its season finale on May 15, 1995. Ross Bagley was added to the show's cast, playing a now preschool-aged Nicky Banks despite the character being a newborn infant in the previous season. This is common in television series and soap operas. In the first episode to feature this change, Jazz expresses amazement while Will just stares uneasily into the camera.

Season details

Season 6

1995 | 24 episodes

The sixth and final season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered on September 18, 1995 and aired its final episodes on May 20, 1996. In the series finale, the main characters all move out of the Banks Mansion to move on with their lives. Hilary's talk show moves to New York City; Ashley moves to New York with Hilary; Carlton transfers to Princeton University; Geoffrey moves back to England to be with his son; Philip, Vivian and Nicky move to New York to be closer to the rest of the family; and Will remains in California to finish his college studies. Will Smith, James Avery, Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana Ali, and Joseph Marcell appear in all episodes. Daphne Maxwell Reid was absent for five episodes and Ross Bagley was absent for eight episodes. DJ Jazzy Jeff appears in two episodes this season.

Season details

Crew

Department	Role	Name
Production	Co-Producer	Larry Wilmore
	Executive Producer	Will Smith Quincy Jones
	Executive In Charge Of Production	Gary Considine
	Executive Consultant	Andy Borowitz
	Producer	Werner Walian
Writing	Screenplay	Jeff Pollack
Costume & Make-Up	Makeup Department Head	Joann Kozloff
	Hairstylist	Stacey Morris
Sound	Original Music Composer	Quincy Jones III
Department	Role	Name

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