I’ll say this for Bel-Air, it looks interesting and it’s definitely sticking close to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with its storyline, but it also gets a lot more realistic and pulls away from the comedy in a big, BIG way. Some folks might have an issue with this, while others might think that it’s a good way to go about the reboot since it’s not just like the original but it’s close enough that it can run parallel to it and still keep the same feelings without having to get quite a goofy. The fact that Will Smith is on board with it might make a lot of people feel that it’s time to just agree with it and get the show moving along, but it’s still wise to hold a few reservations since there are plenty of things to wonder about when it comes to the rest of the show. Obviously Will’s backstory has been fleshed out a little more since the fight that was the last straw for his mother before she sent him Bel-Air was a little more hectic than it was shown to be in the original series, as there was no gun involved in the original show. Plus, there was a comedic vibe throughout most of the show apart from several episodes that dealt with very serious issues. This new show is all drama for the most part and is designed to look at things from a very realistic point of view. Some folks are going to think that’s nice and will be an uplifting and eye-opening experience, while others might wonder why anyone even bothered.
There’s merit to both ways of thinking to be certain since the idea of rebooting old shows is becoming a little tiresome at times since it tends to make it feel as though very few people in Hollywood are bothering to come up with anything new or exciting and have to keep falling back on old ideas for their inspiration, or rather the framework for another show that’s similar. But it’s a good thing since Bel-Air will be like Fresh Prince, but from a slightly different perspective where comedy isn’t the driving force, and drama brings the story back down to the real world where there are real consequences. It’s hard to say whether the cast members that helped make the trailer will be starring in the show to come or not, but it might be a good idea simply because after enough people see this, it might be what they come to expect and what they’ll hope for. It’s very easy to think that no version of the Fresh Prince could possibly replace the original show, but thankfully that’s not the point. New shows that are based on old shows aren’t meant to replace them, but to tell the story from a different perspective at times and in some ways to bring back the interest that the old show managed to drum up back in its day.
Obviously no one can replace the cast that made this show great since all of them were important pieces that made the show work. The loss of James Avery was saddening for everyone since there was no one else that could have possibly played Uncle Phil quite as well. The Uncle Phil in this trailer looks like he might be kind of a hard case, even more so than Avery’s character, but it also feels as though things might have a chance if people are willing to accept what they’re seeing. Maybe one factor that might take people a while to get past is that the original Fresh Prince felt safe, contained, and very much aware of certain tropes that it was pushing now and then. This new series is definitely aware of itself, but it doesn’t feel as safe or contained at the moment, partially because it’s new, and also partially because it’s been updated and it’s bound to deal with issues that people see today in ways that will make people realize that these issues are a very real part of society. The new show already looks like something that’s going to have its work cut out for it since in the history of new shows there are quite a few that looked promising but kind of crashed and burned when the chance to shine came.
Hopefully, that won’t be the case here since the show does look genuinely interesting and it does appear that it might have a chance when it comes to earning the respect of the people. The Fresh Prine was a great comedic series for its time, but this show is looking to bring the same story forward in a much more dramatic manner. We’ll see if that’s a gamble that’s going to pay off.
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