TORONTO — Bell Media’s Crave today announced the complete series of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air sitcom starring Will Smith, and a recently taped reunion special, will air on the streaming service starting Thursday, November 19.
The iconic comedy series ran for six seasons from 1990-1996 (148 episodes in total) and starred Smith as Will, a street-smart teenager from inner-city Philadelphia who is sent to live with his wealthy uncle and aunt in their Bel-Air mansion. Will’s lifestyle often clashes with the upper-class world of the Banks family: his uncle Phil (James Avery, License to Drive), aunt Vivian (Daphne Maxwell Reid, Frank’s Place, and Janet Hubert, Not Letting Go), and cousins Hilary (Karyn Parsons, Major Payne), Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro, America’s Funniest Home Videos) and Ashley (Tatyana Ali, The Young and the Restless).
Critically acclaimed for pushing the boundaries of storytelling and representation in television, the series was known for its memorable opening sequence featuring the theme song performed by Smith and recurring guest star DJ Jazzy Jeff, as well as its long list of celebrity guests including Tyra Banks, Oprah Winfrey, Queen Latifah, Chris Rock, Naomi Campbell, and even Donald Trump.
In addition to the full library of the series starting to roll out on Crave, the new HBO Max Original The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion Special will premiere in Canada on Crave on Thursday, in line with the U.S. premiere. In September, the series’ remaining cast members (Avery died in 2013) gathered on-set in the Banks’ home to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the series and to tape the reunion special.
Last Friday, Smith confirmed the premiere date and released a trailer for the reunion special on his social media.
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