I was perfectly fine with reciting re-runs of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air verbatim a few times out of the month. I had no clue that Bel-Air was the remake that we NEEDED! The relatable drama, the cast, the homage to the fashion from the original series…. We needed this moment! Let’s be honest, remakes are usually either cheesy or insulting. Few remakes actually serve the classics any justice. This reimagined rebirth, is intriguingly filled with inviting nostalgia. The dark twists gives the series somewhat of a Jordan Peel-like chill factor. OG Will had problems, but they were television problems. Problems surrounded by easily accessible solutions, sprinkled with the occasional studio audience chuckle. Bel-air hits home for many of us.

The Casting

Will- Will is played by Jabari Banks. With that name, this guy was clearly destined for this role. I don’t think that there could have been a better fit. He’s the perfect blend of The Fresh Prince that we know and love as well as he brings his own charm and flavor to the series. Will’s character has a sense of humor, but is a bit more coconscious than the Will that we grew up with. 2022 Will is going through much more than “one little fight” on the basketball court.

Hilary-First of all, if you don’t know Coco Jones the singer, please stop right here and head to Youtube. Her vocals are chilling and that picture perfect Beauty doesn’t hurt either. Coco Jones adds depth to the ditzy, shallow and somehow lovable cousin that we know as Hilary. 2022 Hilary is an ambitious business woman and of course, she’s super fashionable. The chic designer threads are one of very few things that Bel-air’s Hilary has in common with OG Hilary. I love this glow-up for my girl Hilary!

Carlton– Played by Nigerian Actor Olly Sholotan. This guy did an amazing job of pissing off 90% of Black America within the first few episodes. It’s safe to say that Olly bodies Carlton’s classist and devious behavior. OG Carlton was pretty annoying, but 22’ Carlton is not to be trusted. At least I don’t think that he is… We will see.

Ashley– Ashley is played by Akira Akbar. Outside of her slightly “coming out” to Hilary, we haven’t seen much from Ashley. I’m actually anticipating us watching Ashley blossom and evolve as we did with the original series.

Aunt Viv– Aunt Viv (Dark Skinned Aunt Viv) is a household favorite and Cassandra Freeman did not come to provide us with anything less. The upscale, elite, REAL essence of Aunt Viv is exactly what we’re being served in this series. The original Aunt Viv was the one character that actually fits into this series effortlessly in my opinion.

Uncle Phil– The way that Adrian Holmes stepped into this role… This is absolutely not the “Big Guy” that we’re used to! The new Uncle Phil is Suave and collected. Although he’s laid back and drippin, I don’t think his hands are clean. I anticipate Uncle Phil’s unveiling.

Geoffrey– Jimmy Akingbola plays Geoffrey in the new series. This character may be a lot of things, but a Butler isn’t one of them. Geoffrey 2.0 appears to be the “problem solver”. I don’t wanna put any bodies on my man just yet, but I will say this, I don’t think that Geoffrey is one to play with.

I haven’t been this excited to watch Black People, watch Black People in a long time. The excitement surrounding the series is completely refreshing to witness. We have plenty of occurrences to discuss, but I will circle back after the season finale. In the meantime, drop your comments below and let me know if you’ve started the series. You can catch Bel-air on Thursdays only on Peacock. Let’s run up the views and ratings on this phenomenal Black series. Until next time…

-Ne