User reviews

Reviewing after first three episodes.

Having grown up with the original was not sure what to expect going in to this but I am glad I gave it a chance. Was not expecting much after reading the reviews that have been posted so far but was pleasantly surprised that it was not as bad as some would have you believe. Infact I quite enjoyed it. There are always going to be bad reviews of a remake wether or not it is actually any good, its not the same, its too different etc. Yes, it is very different, but I liked it and look forward to the rest of the series.

In comparison to the original this show Bel Air adds the seriousness to the main stories that many fans of Fresh Prince of Bel Air didn't consider. This version isn't meant to be a comedy; it is more like a drama. Bel Air reminds me of All American on CW. It has funny points but the drama and consequences are heightened. I appreciated it for what it was. The best way to watch it is without all the memories of what the original was. My advice is to watch is as a completely new show with different characters.

I'm over it! Once upon a time entertainment was entertaining. Ya'll remember that? I think actors, writers, film makers, producers etc have gotten so caught up in trying to preach to us their political views that they entirely forgot why the audience shows up. We're not going to theatres or paying our hard earned money to join Netflix or Disney Plus or Amazon Prime, Peacock, or whatever other streaming site, to be reminded of real life and anyone's political stance. We want to be entertained.

I tried to get into this but it was just doing the most. I'm over it.

Let the haters hate. This retelling of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was exceptional. The comedy told as a drama made the retelling that much more remarkable. I don't think Will Smith could have done a better job. And the actor chosen to be Will was the perfect choice. What more could I say except the proud producers should take a bow. Really enjoyed it.

It's a adaptation not a copy . I like it for what it is . The original was funny and innocent. This is more realistic rough and ready . Modernisation . Don't understand the bad ratings on here. Most expected it to be the exact same as fresh prince 90s? That's just so dumb .

I mean, I'm black but does every 2 minutes I gotta hear about black this, black that. I get it, trust me, I hear it everyday on news, online and everywhere else. Can we just watch a show these days without hearing this ish?

Great remake of Fresh Prince, I was hooked on it from the start , I really don't understand the negative reviews.

There were more details concerning Wills back story and the circumstances that led to him leaving Philadelphia, the characters had more development, but the humour is still there.

OK, Let's get the obvious out of the way... this isn't a 'reboot' or any sort of update of the original. It's an attempt at reframing the original's narrative in a more gritty and realistic drama. Sounds like an idea with a load of potential, right?

Sadly, this is a paint by numbers daytime drama/ soap that is completely 'meh' by any measure. The acting is OK, the story's too obvious (even within the context of larger narrative set by the original), it over shoots it's cynicism and the lead is unlikable. Throwing in partially taboo words and drugs every 10 minutes or so also does not make a programme edgy or clever. The whole programme fails at realising its potential and misses it's over obvious attempt at some sort of social commentary.

Obviously the original was a comedy and starred one of the most charismatic actors of the 90's/ 00's so this was never going to be the same but it just lands flat. A drama doesn't need to contain comedy or slapstick moments to have charm and character but it should still have some sort of charm or heart.

Gave this a shot. It's just not for me.

Yes yes, we all loved the original. But the creators of this version took it to another planet and it's great. The acting and writing are fire and people who just dismiss this with a one because it's not slapstick are petty and probably old.

For a lot of people a remake or a reboot is bad. 1/10 or 2/10 is a definite "no" imo, you probably didn't even watch and just talk to talk. I can see people not liking it or people thinking it's rather average. For me it's a very good show, drama, realistic points of view and on top good acting and great cinematography.

Don't waste your time, it's garbage. Nothing fun or entertaining about this show. Acting is fine, nothing special, just the stories and dialogue are trash.

I grew up on the original. I love this version. You have to give it a chance for what it is. It's not the original and doesn't try to be. Very good acting, real life stories, and a new spin. You have to give it a chance for what it is. It's not "the fresh prince" it's just "Bel Air". I'm invested. Love the cast.

I had a low bar for this show - have been let down with a lot of tv of late and this being a remake of a cult classic and entirely changing the genre (comedy to drama) I wasn't expecting much. I watched the first episode however, and I'm really looking forward to watching the next ep. It pays homage to the original in many ways. The production value and casting is very good although I'm disappointed they didn't find a big and cuddly uncle Phil. All other main characters are similar to the original counterparts other than uncle Phil. I thought the tone was perfect, the script was clever and well paced. Overall thoroughly satisfied with the output and cannot believe this is currently sitting at 5/10. It's clearly being review bombed as if you look at the individual episode ratings they are much higher.

I can't believe how many reviews I have seen complaining that this isn't a comedy. If you want to laugh just go watch the original series. This is supposed to be a dramatic retelling, it's supposed to be serious and dark, and it's supposed to feel modern. However, it seems like everyone missed the memo. I haven't even watched the show which is why I didn't rate it, but I had to say something because these reviews are ridiculous. Once again, if you want a comedy just watch the original series, but if you want a darker more realistic approach than give it a shot. Don't give this a bad rating just because it isn't what you want or expected! Give it a proper rating for what it actually is and what it's trying to be.

This review is based on watching only the pilot, so may change. This is a very creative spin and fairly well done. I get that it's hard to do a reboot and not offend those who adore the nostalgia of the original. I loved the original too, but I'm trying to go in with an open mind. The conflicts between family members were always present in the undertones of the original, they just happen to be front and center here. I think the biggest adjustment is looking at this from a drama lens rather than the comedy that it was the first time. I don't feel like it's trite or that they are trying too hard. It's a modern twist that will take some time for folks to buy into. So far so good.

Reused character names, poor casting, wooden acting plus predictable messaging, add in a pinch of "wish I'd thought of empire, let's try to copy it" and you have this show.

That's the best I can say about this. It's not unique ot good enough on its own, it's like a bad copy of something great and the promise of a show you alresdy know and love. Ketchup and ice cream. Doesn't work together, yeech.

Maybe they meant to make a nightmare version of a show that was wonderful. I dunno, this show doesn't make sense why it exists. I can only guess no one wanted to pick this up when it was sold as it's own story so they said "wait I've got another show idea, irs reboot of the fresh prince!" And they just green lit the same terrible idea without looking. Because that's only reason I can imagine this was made. Should have dropped the tacted on reboot angle and just made this Diet Coke empire. This formula doesn't work.

All of those people expecting a comedy, that is NOT what this is. I love the concept of taking the frame of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and tackling some serious issues.

Starts pretty dramatic, and even though the music is a little OTT, it draws you in.

But as the series gets into it's rhythm it rolls more like a soap. Kind of overacted, played for drama - but not in a captivating story arc way, more of a 'this thing, then that thing' flow. Basically fresh prince without the laughs.

There's also a few forced woke elements, that are distracting. Some of the characters like jazz are very toned down. And carlton is almost likeable but they overplay the antagonism.

I can't believe this. Just a hard NO to everything.

The main character does not invoke any traits of the original Will's character. The whole depiction is atrocious.... I don't see a light at the end of the tunnel and this current version just glamorizes terrible behaviour.

It's the modern reboot we didn't know we needed. More drama than the original but the humor is definitely still there it's just more subtle, like for people who don't need a laugh track to tell em something is funny if you know what I mean you'll probably like this jawn. Good acting too.

I agree with the majority of reviewers saying this is totally different than the original Fresh Prince of Belair. If you're looking for a straight remake, or even just a comedy, you will not be satisfied. BUT, it is pretty good on its own. I like seeing the similarities and differences in the original vs new characters. I also particularly adore what they did with Geoffrey's character. It's a very fitting, witty re-imagination from the original character. Give this a shot with an open mind and you might like it!

I have never seen so many forced positive reviews on any platform....this show is a fail from top to nottom and the fact that people are really trying to depict it as anything other than is comical. Its not about "ruining childhoods", its about the endless reboots that are usually correctly predicted to be a dumpster fire...Belair continues those correct predictions. Anybody who saw trailers or read up on this prior to this being relesded should have known this was not going to be a comedy, so jokes on you for even expecting that kind of tone....i knew going in that this would not being a comedy and its still a swing and a miss. Eventually Hollywood will accept that remixing everything from the 90s is not going to work. You cant recapture the same ambeience after watering down the product to fit today's parody of societal standards. People are trying way too hard to make this show something that it will simply never be and thats watchable. Let it go. We understand you wanted it to work and that you were anticipating the hell out of this, but you should have known better. You didnt really think this was going to carry the torch did you? 😂😂😂😂😂😂. You wont be getting a second season.