Nostalgia has been the catalyst in the reboot of a plethora of TV shows from the1990s à la “MacGyver”, “Magnum P I” and “Sex and the City”, which recently returned to the small screen to mixed reviews in “As Good As It Gets”.
I’m sure this wave of sentimentality will continue to be revisited by TV networks looking to capitalise on the popularity of the originals.
Right now, “Bel-Air” is getting a fair amount of interest, more so since Will Smith, who made his TV breakthrough in the sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, has given the re-imagined offering his stamp of approval as one of its executive producers.
Of course, Smith, who won an Oscar for Best Actor for his mesmerising performance in “King Richard”, should be basking in the spotlight.
Unfortunately, his impetuous act of violence not only overshadowed what was arguably a crowning glory moment in his career but it has cast a pariah-like shadow on anything attached to his name.
Sadly, this show will feel some of the sting of that saga. And I say some, with good reason.
Smith can only shoulder part of the responsibility. The rest goes to creators Andy Borowitz and Susan Borowitz, who decided to make the pivot from comedy to drama.
Why? That was the whole allure of the series in the first place.
In this modern reboot, which claims to be a prelude to the original (talk about laughable), they have tweaked some of the characters.
For example, Hilary Banks (played by singer-songwriter Coco Jones) is no longer an air-headed bombshell. In this world, she is a woke social media influencer who is an aspiring chef.
Aunt Viv (Cassandra Freeman) straddles that fine line between being a supportive wife, mother, and aunt as well as someone who wants to retain her identity as a talented artist.
Adrian Holmes slips into the shoes of a dapper Uncle Phil, who is running for District Attorney. He’s more on the ruthlessly ambitious side.
Aside from his height, Olly Sholotan’s portrayal of Carlton is poles apart from the awkward, nerdish teen we knew the character to be.
This time around, he goes toe-to-toe with Will (played by Jabari Banks) as the popular kid at school.
And Carlton, who sniffs Xanax as a coping mechanism, doesn’t take too kindly to having to fight for attention at home and school.
Ashley (Akira Akbar) is still sweet-natured but Geoffrey (Jimmy Akingbola) is no longer the long-suffering, sarcastic butler. He’s now a sort of fixer and confidant to Phil.
This series draws parallels between the societal struggles of the haves and the have nots. And the drama often devolves into a coming-of-age offering.
Banks, as Will, is brilliant. He nails the West Philly mannerisms of the character. There are times you can almost imagine him as a younger Smith.
Sadly, that’s the only positive thing about this series. As a fan of the original, the lack of humour, not to mention character transformation, cements its fate.
As the well-worn cliché goes, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t change it’.
“Bel-Air” is streaming on Showmax.