#The fresh prince of bel air reunion series

This one feels much more interested in endings and the bittersweet. You expect reunions to be all about the best of times. The moment of silence and sniffles that follow the tribute clip package proves by the far the special’s best and most affecting moment. You can feel them draw emotionally closer to one another as they discuss his role in their lives and the series. Avery died in 2013 and the loss comes across as still very present for his costars. The Reunion proves on better footing when it comes to looking back on James Avery, who played Uncle Phil. One can appreciate a hesitance to overstate Fresh Prince’s importance, but it makes for an awkward balancing act. The players seem to get how moments like Carlton ( Alfonso Ribeiro) and Will being profiled while driving was important, but no one seems to want to speak too specifically to that. It is a strange tone, almost solipsistic. Moreover, they often wandered into very actorly discussions about “playing truth” while only briefly referring to the larger socioeconomic, racial, and cultural issues they were engaging in. For instance, how they touch on Fresh Prince’s history of tackling issues of race and class puzzles a bit. By pushing deeper, they give the viewer a much more complicated take on the typical reunion show. Giving us easy laughs and shallow delights would have been far easier and unlikely to garner any kind of complaints.

There is something admirable about that, to be sure. Funny stories of auditions and Will Smith’s well-documented early habit of mouthing everyone’s lines quickly give way to sadder and more complex topics. It’s a program that seems mildly interested in the Prince’s beginnings and nearly completely disinterested in its heyday. Given that’s the attraction for many-if not most-the reunion’s tone will likely surprise viewers. Why not get together with some old sitcom friends, remember the salad days, and have some laughs?

These days, the comfort nostalgia can bring is a very tempting balm indeed. So HBO Max bringing the cast together for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion makes perfect sense.

#The fresh prince of bel air reunion series

The series remains a recognizable pop culture touchstone for many, beginning with young Boomers and going all the way through to today’s Gen Zers. While popular at the time, it has, in many ways, surpassed its original success. And that's OK.30 years (and 2 months) ago, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air debuted. So even if the whole cast comes to support me on the show, we're not looking for that to happen. We all felt like he was the centerpiece or the nucleus of that show. 'I don't think we feel as a cast that we would do even our fans justice. 'Since the passing of my favorite dad in the world, ever on TV, James Avery passed, the chances of a Fresh Prince coming back together will not happen,' he told E! News. Ribeiro has also said that chances of a reunion are very slim out of respect for Avery's legacy. In an interview with E! News last year, titular star, Smith, said that there is a better chance that 'hell freezes over'. However, we wouldn't hold our breath for a reunion show. Wishing that James Avery was still with us to make this complete.'Īvery passed away in 2014 following complications from open-heart surgery.Īlthough the show ended over two decades ago, fans are still holding out for a revival of the beloved 90s sitcom. The actor paid tribute to the late Banks' family patriarch, James Avery, in his caption writing, 'Always amazing to spend an afternoon with my Fresh Prince family.