The acclaimed series Bel-Air is set to return to Peacock this coming August for Season 3, and the latest trailer reveals another fan-favorite from the original show making his triumphant return to the franchise. Based on the Will Smith sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air which ran from 1990 to 1996, Bel-Air is a dramatic reimagining of the hugely successful comedy which stems from the mind of Morgan Cooper, who created the Bel-Air short film in 2019. The rights to the project were snatched up by Peacock in 2020, leading to the premiere of the dramatic take on the classic comedy in 2022.
Past stars of the original series have already made an appearance in Bel-Air, such as Tatyana Ali, Daphne Maxwell Reid and Vernee Watson-Johnson, who have all returned to portray brand-new characters in the Peacock series. Thanks to a new trailer for Season 3, we now know that this time around, Joseph Marcell will be featured in the latest season as a “mysterious member of the Banks family’s past.”
Bel-Air
- Release Date
- February 13, 2022
- Seasons
- 2
Marcell portrayed the character of Geoffrey Butler in the classic sitcom, a stiff upper-lipped British import who wasn’t afraid to cut loose when need be. While Marcell’s exact role in the latest season has yet to truly be defined, in the new trailer we see him menacingly stating to someone off-camera, “There’s always going to be a price. That’s on you.” Check out the trailer for Season 3 of Bel-Air below.
Bel-Air Is a Huge Hit for Peacock
Upon its debut in 2022, no one could have predicted that a dramatic reimagining of a comedy sitcom would become the hit it did, but Bel-Air managed to smash expectations to quickly hold the record for the most-streamed original series in Peacock’s history up to that point. While Season 1 managed to snag a respectable 65% on Rotten Tomatoes among critics, Season 2 blew everyone away, garnering a 90% rating.
Originally ordered for just two seasons, its success led to Bel-Air’s renewal in March 2023 for another entry in what has thus far proven to be a hit for Peacock. Capitalizing on nostalgia, Bel-Air takes a more serious approach to topics such as racial tension and class warfare with its simple fish out of water story that sees Jabari Banks’ character of Will Smith go from the mean streets of Philadelphia, to the posh lifestyle of Beverly Hills in an effort to get his life back on track.
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Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Star Explains Why His Iconic Role was the ‘Greatest and Worst Thing’ That Happened to Him
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a huge hit in the 1990s, but for Alfonso Ribeiro the role of Carlton Banks was one he just couldn’t shake off.
With Joseph Marcell making an appearance in the new season of Bel-Air, and the past involvement of Tatyana Ali, Daphne Maxwell Reid and Vernee Watson-Johnson, there are still a few cast members from the original that have yet to show up. This includes Janet Hubert, who portrayed the first Aunt Viv, Alfonso Riberiro, who played Carlton Banks, Karyn Parsons, who was the ultimate spoiled rich girl in Hilary Banks, Ross Bagley, who portrayed young Nicky Banks, and, of course, Will Smith, the original Fresh Prince.
There’s no word yet on whether any of the remaining cast members from the beloved comedy will ever show up in Bel-Air, but if it continues to keep being the success it has become for Peacock and more seasons get ordered, there’s a good chance we could see them pop up at some point.
Bel-Air
is available to stream on Peacock, with Season 3 premiering August 15, 2024.