Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will be back on the BBC for the first time in 16 years.. The classic series, which launched 30 years ago and originally aired on BBC Two in the UK, will drop on BBC iPlayer, Sky and NOW TV on New Year’s Day with all 148 episodes from six seasons available to watch.
It launched the screen career of Will Smith who plays a fictionalised version of himself that famously moves to live in Bel-Air, California with his Auntie and Uncle (starring Janet Hubert/Daphne Maxwell Reid and the late James Avery, alongside Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, and Tatyana M. Ali, as Smith’s cousins and Joseph Marcell as the butler Geoffrey).
With its signature blend of hilarity and sincerity, it is recognised as one of the most iconic sitcoms of the 90s, and has remained culturally relevant – influencing writers and actors from all over the world ever since it first aired. Decades later, the series continues to appeal to future generations.
Dan McGolpin, Controller of BBC iPlayer says: “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and its all-star cast will amuse and entertain a new generation through BBC iPlayer and there is an opportunity to re-indulge for those who enjoyed the series on BBC screens the first time around.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air joins recent comedy hits Love Life, Awkwafina is Nora from Queens; Shrill; Dave; Twenties and What We Do In The Shadows in a select collection from the U.S. to complement the vast range of new and classic British comedy series on BBC iPlayer. Other comedy titles streaming now include This Country, The Young Offenders, Ghosts, Fleabag, Mrs Brown’s Boys, Man Like Mobeen, Famalam, Sara Pascoe’s Out of Her Mind, This Time with Alan Partridge and King Gary. The classic comedy selection includes full series of Gavin and Stacey, The Real McCoy, The Vicar of Dibley, The Catherine Tate Show, Citizen Khan, The Royle Family, Outnumbered, Blackadder, Gimme Gimme Gimme and The Kumars at No. 42