‘Bel-Air’ Season 2 Sets February Premiere Date
Wilson Chapman
I’d like to take a minute, just sit right there, I’ll tell you when Season 2 of the “Fresh Prince” reboot is set to air. “Bel-Air” Season 2 will premiere on Peacock February 23, the streamer announced Thursday.
Based on the beloved ’90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which helped launch a young Will Smith to fame, “Bel-Air” was inspired by a 2019 viral parody film by Morgan Cooper. Cooper’s short film took the basic premise of the sitcom — a young man runs into trouble in West Philadelphia and is forced to flee the city to live with his wealthy Los Angeles family — and reimagined it as a gritty drama. The short film caught the attention of Smith, who expressed interest in expanding the premise into a new series, and Cooper ultimately developed the show for Peacock with Malcolm Spellman, TJ Brady, and Rasheed Newson.
Season 1 of “Bel-Air” retold the first few episodes of the original “Fresh Prince,” reimagined in the modern day, as a young Will (played by Jabari Banks), struggles to adjust to the wealthy world of his family members. Cassandra Freeman and Adrian Holmes play Will’s Aunt Vivian and Uncle Geoffrey, Coco Jones plays their oldest daughter Hilary, Akira Akbar plays their youngest Ashley, and Olly Sholotan plays Will’s cousin and main foil Carlton. Jimmy Akingbola, Jordan L. Jones, and Simone Joy Jones also star in the series.
Carla Banks Waddles, previously known for her work on shows like “Good Girls” and “Half & Half,” has been promoted to showrunner for Season 2 of the Universal Television and Westbrook Studio series. Waddles replaces Brady Newson, who reportedly left the show due to creative differences. She executive produces with Cooper, Smith, Spellman, Anthony Sparks, Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, original “Fresh Prince” creators Andy and Susan Borowitz, and original series executive producers Benny Medina and Quincy Jones.
Since its premiere, “Bel-Air” has become Peacock’s No. 1 scripted original, with the streamer reporting in May that over eight million accounts have watched the first season in the three months since its premiere.
Three episodes of “Bel-Air” will premiere on Peacock February 23, with the remaining seven episodes premiering weekly. Peacock also released a short teaser for the next season; check it out below.
