The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996)

TV Series  -   -  Comedy | Family
7.9
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 7.9/10 from 47,108 users  
Reviews: 90 user | 12 critic

The Banks family, a respectable Californian family, take in a relative - Will Smith, a street-smart teenager from Philadelphia. The idea is to make him respectable, responsible and mature, but Will has got other plans...

0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 58 titles created 15 May 2011
 
a list of 1226 titles created 02 May 2012
 
a list of 78 titles created 20 May 2011
 
a list of 579 titles created 28 Dec 2011
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996) on IMDb 7.9/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Season:

6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1

Year:

1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991 | 1990
Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 13 wins & 21 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Family Matters (1989–1998)
Comedy | Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

Long-running "Perfect Strangers" spin-off series centering on the Winslow family and their pesky next-door neighbor, ultra-nerd Steve Urkel.

Stars: Reginald VelJohnson, Kellie Shanygne Williams, Darius McCrary
Full House (1987–1995)
Comedy | Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.1/10 X  

A man raises his three daughters in a house he shares with two adult male friends.

Stars: John Stamos, Dave Coulier, Candace Cameron Bure
Boy Meets World (1993–2000)
Comedy | Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.8/10 X  

Adolescent Cory Matthews grows up, and faces problems with friends, family, and school.

Stars: Ben Savage, William Daniels, Rider Strong
The Wonder Years (1988–1993)
Drama | Family | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.2/10 X  

Kevin Arnold recalls growing up during the 60's; the turbulent social times make the transition from child to adult unusually interesting.

Stars: Fred Savage, Dan Lauria, Alley Mills
Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989–1993)
Comedy | Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.4/10 X  

A teenaged genius deals with the usual problems of growing up: having a girlfriend, going to parties, hanging out with his best friend, all this on top of being a licensed physician in a ... See full summary »

Stars: Neil Patrick Harris, Max Casella, Belinda Montgomery
Comedy | Family | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8/10 X  

This delightfully quirky show looks at the lives and adventures of two red headed brothers with the same name.

Stars: Michael C. Maronna, Danny Tamberelli, Alison Fanelli
Salute Your Shorts (1991–1992)
Drama | Family | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.9/10 X  

This is a show about a group of kids at summer camp. The camp is run by the heard-but-never-seen Dr. Kahn. They spend their time trying to harass the camp counselor, Kevin "Ug" Lee.

Stars: Kirk Baily, Michael Bower, Trevor Eyster
The Bernie Mac Show (2001–2006)
Comedy | Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.5/10 X  

A stand up comedian suddenly becomes a father when he takes custody of his sister's three children.

Stars: Bernie Mac, Kellita Smith, Jeremy Suarez
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

After a bitter divorce, an actor disguises himself as a female housekeeper to spend secret time with his children held in custody by his Ex.

Director: Chris Columbus
Stars: Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan
Gilmore Girls (2000–2007)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X  

A drama centering around the relationship between a thirtysomething single mother and her teen daughter living in Stars Hollow, Connecticut.

Stars: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Keiko Agena
Heavy Weights (1995)
Comedy | Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.3/10 X  

Plump kids are lured into joining a posh fat camp with the promise of quick weight loss and good times, only to find that the facility is a woodland hellhole run by a psycho ex-fitness instructor.

Director: Steven Brill
Stars: David Goldman, Tom McGowan, Aaron Schwartz
Smart Guy (1997–1999)
Comedy | Drama | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

Ten-year-old genius (Tahj Mowry) has skipped six grades into high school. This incredible promotion somewhat aggravates his teenage siblings.

Stars: Tahj Mowry, John Marshall Jones, Jason Weaver
Edit

Cast

Series cast summary:
...
 William 'Will' Smith (148 episodes, 1990-1996)
...
 Carlton Banks (146 episodes, 1990-1996)
...
 Philip Banks (145 episodes, 1990-1996)
...
 Hilary Banks (139 episodes, 1990-1996)
...
 Ashley Banks (139 episodes, 1990-1996)
...
 Geoffrey Butler (133 episodes, 1990-1996)
...
 Vivian Banks (72 episodes, 1990-1993)
...
 Vivian Banks (61 episodes, 1993-1996)
Edit

Storyline

When Will, an inner-city teenager from Philly is sent by his mother to live with his relatives (the Banks') in Bel-Air, everybody is in for a surprise. It is funny how influence can go both ways... Written by Steve Richer <sricher@sympatico.ca>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Genres:

Comedy | Family

Certificate:

TV-PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

|

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

10 September 1990 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

El príncipe del rap  »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (148 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

4:3
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

The part of Aunt Vivian Banks was portrayed by two different actresses during the series run. 'Janet Hubert-Whitten' portrayed the original Vivian during seasons 1-3, but growing problems between Will Smith, the producers, and Hubert-Whitten caused her to depart in 1994. The producers offered Hubert-Whitten a 12/25 contract for season four, but she declined. Daphne Maxwell Reid replaced her in the role from 1994-1996, seasons 4-6. See more »

Goofs

In the beginning of the episode where Aunt Viv and Uncle Phil go to Palm Springs for the weekend and Will can't go, he is wearing an inner tube that is under the left arm. In the next shot it is under the right and keeps moving back and forth. See more »

Quotes

Will: Carlton, I misjudged you. You're a lot cooler than I thought. Hey, you wanna go to the club with us tonight?
Carlton: I don't have a date.
Will: Carlton, never bring a sandwich to a buffet.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Bloopers are often shown during the closing credits. See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

My all-time favourite TV series
10 September 2003 | by (Ottawa, Ontario) – See all my reviews

Of all the shows, I believe that "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" is the one with which I can most identify with, since I have surely seen every single episode at least a dozen times - and yet it STILL never gets tired! I cannot get sick of this show, and it's making me a bit disturbed! Just what is it that makes this show so continually appealing, even around seven years since its final episode? I'm not sure...it's certainly not just one element. Every part of this show is magic: the wonderful acting from all involved; the witty (and often painfully hysterical) one-liners and banter between characters; the hip, cool atmosphere; the music...it all perfectly fits into what has to be one of the most remarkable and well-made sitcoms of the '90s.

I find myself shocked sometimes at the number of people who have totally forgotten about this show. Granted, it DID end in 1996, and obviously a lot has happened since then (most notably the skyrocketing music & film career of a certain lead star), but I mean, come on! This show is an undisputed classic! Who can forget the wild, crazy, and just plain amusing adventures we've had with Will Smith and the Banks family?

There were times when I was just addicted to this show, I remember...it was a while back when the episodes were running in syndication every evening on TBS SuperStation...I can't believe how this show can always manage to crack me up. It's incredible. I've grown to love all these characters so much, and even now, I still wouldn't pass up an opportunity to watch yet another priceless rerun.

I agree, though, that yes, a lot of the late, LATE episodes (around the second-last and final season) had their fair share of groans, and showed some glaring signs of tedium, but thankfully, the overwhelming positive qualities of the series tower over such minor flaws - including the mysterious re-casting of Aunt Vivian's role from Janet Hubert-Whitten to Daphne Maxwell Reid; the increasingly old-hat shtick of using the same stock footage whenever Jazz gets thrown out of the Banks residence for the umpteenth time; the cursed addition of a new cast member - little Nicky Banks (Ross Bagley), etc....

It's not an entirely perfect show, certainly (but then - what show is?), and it has had its fair share of ups and downs in its moderately impressive run of six years. However, when all is said and done, in the end, this show can proudly stand on its own as a pop culture treasure. It has evolved from what seemed initially to be an awkward, cheesy, quaint little '80s/'90s Cosby rip-off to a mature, slick, and fabulously written/produced/directed program. Pure gold is what this show is.

A truly underrated, and always entertaining, gem. "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" is one for the ages.


75 of 85 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
Best relationships on the show. jsn_hylnd
Episode where Will challenges Carlton to stay in Compton Lhowell02
Oh. so. dated. Dodgemaguire
Episode where Will joins the basketball team Lhowell02
Will Looking At the Camera whatisthematrix01
Fresh prince and full house characters. jsn_hylnd
Discuss The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page