The world received its first look at the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion special yesterday. According to CNN, actor and star of the 90s sitcom, Will Smith (Bad Boys for Life, Gemini Man), posted the trailer to his YouTube channel. The HBO Max exclusive is set to drop on November 19, commemorating the series’ 30th anniversary. The trailer can be viewed below.
As seen in the trailer, Smith and the main cast reunite on the set of the iconic Bel-Air home. They share laughs, divulge show secrets, and reminisce on the show’s impact, according to CNN.
Debuting in 1990, the NBC sitcom followed the fish-out-of-water tale of a young Philadelphia teen who, after a few scuffles in his neighborhood, is shipped to live with his affluent aunt and uncle in California. In addition to Smith, the cast included James Avery (Fletch, The Prince of Egypt), Janet Hubert (30 Years to Life, No Letting Go), Alfonso Ribeiro (America’s Funniest Home Videos, Silver Spoons) Karyn Parsons (Major Payne, The Ladies Man), Tatyana Ali (Love That Girl, The Brothers), Joseph Marcell (Cry Freedom, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind), DJ Jazzy Jeff (Rock the House, He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper), and Daphne Maxwell Reid (Frank’s Place, Harriet). It aired for six seasons and 148 episodes, according to CNN.
“Our show meant Black excellence to people,” Ali said in the trailer. “That excellence was the way that we loved each other,” Ali said via the trailer.
Among the laughs, the trailer does showcase some somber moments as the cast remembers the late Avery, who played Uncle Phil. According to CNN, Avery passed six years ago due to complications from heart surgery.
“James Avery was this six-foot-four Shakespearean beast,” Smith said in the trailer. “And I wanted him to think I was good,” Smith said in the trailer.
The trailer also delivers a sense of suspense as Smith reveals he has invited Hubert to the reunion. Hubert famously left the show after playing Aunt Viv for three seasons. She was replaced by Reid in season four. In the trailer, Smith says he “couldn’t celebrate thirty years of Fresh Prince without Janet.”
In addition to the reunion, a reboot of the series as a drama was announced this year.