BBC & Sky Pick Up All 6 Seasons Of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’
Both the BBC and Sky/NOW TV have today announced that all 6 Seasons and 148 episodes of classic Will Smith comedy ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ will be landing on both broadcasters, following the expiration of the licensing deal with Netflix UK.
Before shooting into the showbiz stratosphere with four Grammy Awards and box-office hits Independence Day, Men in Black and I Am Legend, music and movie icon Will Smith first rose to stardom as a West Philadelphia kid who gets the uplift of a lifetime when he’s sent to live with his rich relatives on the West Coast. Fresh Prince regularly showed a flawed and conflicted African-American household that, despite internal differences, pulled together and made life work.
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.
The cast starring alongside Smith includes James Avery (Philip Banks), Janet Hubert/Daphne Maxwell Reid (Vivian Banks), Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton Banks), Karyn Parsons (Hilary Banks), Tatyana M. Ali (Ashley Banks), Ross Bagley (Nicky Banks) and Joseph Marcell (Geoffrey).
The series… which launched 30 years ago… (yes… I know…) originally aired on BBC Two in the UK, with return on New Year’s Day to BBC iPlayer, Sky On Demand, and NOW TV. There has been much renewed interest in the series recently, due to US streaming service Peacock handing a two-season order to a new hourlong drama-focused version of the story, titled ‘Bel-Air’. We don’t yet know where that version will land in the UK, but it seems extremely likely Sky will be aiming to pick it up, given their connection to Peacock via parent company Comcast. We’ll let you know when we have some confirmation on a deal for that show.
‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ Seasons 1-6 premiere 1st January 2020 on BBC iPlayer, Sky On Demand, and NOW TV.
