"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" Cast Reuniting for HBO Max Special
by Andy Swift
August 31, 2020


HBO Max is giving "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" fans something to be thankful for this fall. To celebrate three decades of Fresh-ness, the cast of the iconic sitcom is reuniting for “an unscripted special looking back at the series and the cultural impact [it] has had since its debut,” TVLine has learned.

Returning cast members include Will Smith (Will), Tatyana Ali (Ashley), Karyn Parsons (Hilary), Joseph Marcell (Geoffrey), Daphne Maxwell Reid (Aunt Viv No. 2), DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jazz) and Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton).




Even though HBO Max is teasing “special surprise guests,” we aren’t holding our collective breath for an appearance from Janet Hubert (Aunt Viv No. 1).

The reunion is scheduled to tape on Sept. 10 and will premiere around Thanksgiving. Marcus Raboyis on board to direct the special, with showrunner Rikki Hughes executive-producing alongside Miguel Melendez, Lukas Kaiser, and Brad Haugen for Westbrook Media.

https://tvline.com/2020/08/31/fresh-prince-reunion-special-cast-returning-hbo-max/

London-based actor Joseph Marcell debated whether he should risk his life for HBO Max's The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-09-22/fresh-prince-of-bel-air-reunion-joseph-marcell)

The longtime Shakespearean actor and board member of Shakespeare’s Globe theater in London, who famously played Geoffrey Butler on The Fresh Prince, says of participating in the recent reunion: “I had to ask myself ‘Am I willing to risk my life for this?’ But I was flattered that they included me and I felt certain they would do everything humanly possible to protect us. I spoke with my wife, my daughter and my son. It took a little consideration, and the only way to operate is to follow the guidelines — but of course... (laughs) I was going to do it." To film the reunion, Marcell had to fly from London, take two coronavirus tests, film the special over two days, then fly back to London and stay in quarantine for two weeks. “It’s a bit of an adjustment,” he says of the experience. “But I was thrilled to do it.”

Janet Hubert Whitten (Aunt Viv No. 1) also.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's HBO Max reunion gets a premiere date and trailer (https://www.primetimer.com/item/The-Fresh-Prince-of-Bel-Airs-HBO-Max-reunion-gets-a-premiere-date-and-trailer-2JSjBa)

The trailer not only features the two Aunt Vivs, but also a tribute to the late James Avery. The reunion special premieres Nov. 19.

Is it just me or is this edited to make Janet look like Cruella DeVille?

Will Smith and original Aunt Viv Janet Hubert reconcile in emotional Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-11-18/fresh-prince-of-bel-air-reunion-will-smith-janet-hubert-hbo-max)

Smith and Hubert ended their decades-long feud in a tense, roughly 15-minute segment taped for HBO Max's Fresh Prince reunion, which was released Wednesday. “I just wanted to know one thing: Why? Why so far? You guys went so far. I lost so much. How do we heal?” Hubert told Smith. In addition to Smith and Hubert meeting in-person for the first 27 years after trading barbs in the media, the special also features audition tapes, behind-the-scenes footage and a moving tribute to the late Uncle Phil actor James Avery. “I wasn’t unprofessional on the set; I just stopped talking to everybody, because I didn’t know who to trust, because I had been banished. And they said it was you who banished me,” Hubert said in the special, according to the Los Angeles Times. “You took all that away from me with your words, and words can kill. Calling a Black woman ‘difficult’ in Hollywood is the kiss of death. And it’s hard enough for a dark-skinned Black woman in this business.” Smith acknowledged that he wrongfully contributed to that situation and that “there was a certain foundational element that was broken when Janet left," adding: “She set a standard on this show that’s an integral part of the success of The Fresh Prince." Smith also said that based on his experience as a father who has experienced divorce, “I can see now the level of pain and the level of struggle that it was for you just to show up every day.” Hubert also revealed she wasn't fired from the series. Instead, Hubert said she was “trapped” after being offered a reduced salary in the third season, which stung even more with a newborn and a husband who was out of work. That led to Hubert opting to exit Fresh Prince and her role getting recast. “When I left the show, I had this new baby and no one,” said Hubert. “Family disowned me. Hollywood disowned me. My family said, ‘You’ve ruined our name.'" But she added: “I have to say, after 27 years, being here today and having the conversation that Will and I had together, it’s healing. I cannot tell you how unbelievable and wonderful it feels — I’m overwhelmed.” On Twitter, Hubert tweeted her appreciation for the reunion and the fan feedback. "Thank you all for the love...the understanding especially you Will. It was amazing seeing you all again," Hubert tweeted. "Be blessed, this is my story all about how...healing happened (https://twitter.com/OGJanetHubert/status/1329246156279455744)."

Janet Hubert's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air story is very familiar for women in the workplace (https://www.npr.org/2020/11/19/936486077/lets-talk-about-that-reconciliation-during-the-fresh-prince-reunion-special)

"The unspoken rules of gathering the cast of a beloved TV show for a reunion special are familiar," says Aisha Harris. "Gin up the nostalgia and warm, fuzzy feels. Montages and clip reels highlight the memorable onscreen moments from years past, as everyone jovially reminisces about the time spent playing and creating together on set. If a key member is absent because of behind-the-scenes drama or personal setbacks, try to avoid acknowledging they were ever a part of the show in the first place, and/or gloss over any tensions that might spoil the lovefest. Put on a happy face." HBO Max's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion followed this rule faithfully for nearly 45 minutes. But then the reunion special cut to Will Smith and Hubert addressing the elephant in the room (https://www.primetimer.com/item/Will-Smith-and-original-Aunt-Viv-Janet-Hubert-reconcile-in-emotional-Fresh-Prince-of-Bel-Air-reunion-GdSxKl): her unceremonious exit in 1993 after three seasons. Harris adds: "What's most striking about their exchange is how familiar Hubert's story is for women in the workplace. During Season 3 when she became pregnant, she says, she was facing challenges in her personal life (her then-husband was abusive and unemployed), which indirectly bled into how she approached her work on set. Hubert says this led to the much more powerful Smith painting her on set and in the media as someone who was 'difficult' to work with, and that she was told he was responsible for her being forced out. When she was offered a new, restrictive contract –she would only work two and a half months out of the year, her salary would be cut, and she would be prohibited from accepting other jobs outside of Fresh Prince – she refused to accept the offer."

ALSO:


The Fresh Prince special is a blueprint for streaming services selling nostalgia (https://mashable.com/article/fresh-prince-of-bel-air-reunion-hbo-max-review/): "This reunion was assembled to tell the story behind the story of Fresh Prince and its uniquely memorable characters," says Adam Rosenberg. But it's the level of care that went into bringing all the important pieces together — the cast, the set, the right clips, the key topics — that makes it work. It's so good, in fact, that other streaming services really ought to sit up and take notice. Based on Fresh Prince, HBO Max has this figured out. The long-discussed Friends reunion is still in the works and apparently shooting in March. Any service with that kind of historic programming in its archives should be looking to see which crews would be willing to get back together. NBC even tried it over the summer, timing a 30 Rock reunion to the launch of its Peacock streaming service. But that one seemed to fizzle out on arrival. Maybe the show is still too recent. Maybe the controversial moments it's been dinged for in hindsight turned people off. Or maybe, as Variety noted, 'the special was more of an opportunity for NBCUniversal to promote NBCUniversal.' Fresh Prince works as well as it does because it's just so pure. You can't simply replicate that in some other reunion, but you can reach for a similar result."
The special was moving and cathartic, but it would've benefitted delving into Fresh Prince's mostly white writers' room and its impact on 1990s Black sitcoms (https://mashable.com/article/fresh-prince-of-bel-air-reunion-hbo-max-review/): "The cast was always aware that most of the show’s writers were white — and it was thus incumbent upon them to contribute to the scripts," says Inkoo Kang. "...It’s genuinely heartwarming to see that the cast felt welcome to provide input, especially when it came to matters of race. But even the most cursory scan of the show’s Wikipedia page reveals the credits for Black writers like John Ridley, Winifred Hervey, Devon Shepard, Maiya Williams and Samm-Art Williams. Which isn’t to say that the Borowitzes couldn't have done more to bring in more Black voices and POVs behind the scenes — the reunion special’s table-read footage shows the Black cast often surrounded by white writers, producers and crew members. But it would've been fascinating to get a more nuanced perspective on the dynamics in the writers room and how they interplayed with the actors' requests. But that would've required bringing in viewpoints beyond the cast's. (Tatyana) Ali argues lyrically for the important representation that the show offered, but it also might’ve been more interesting to get a sense of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s role within the flourishing of Black sitcoms during the ‘90s, when the series overlapped with The Cosby Show, A Different World, Living Single, Martin, Family Matters, Sister, Sister and more. It’s particularly here that a scholar or a network exec’s perspective would’ve expanded the special’s examination of the show’s legacy."
The Fresh Prince special stood out in a year when so many classic TV show casts reunited seemingly out of boredom (https://twitter.com/derekjlawrence/status/1329446882645602310)
Here are the five most memorable moments from the Fresh Prince special (https://people.com/tv/fresh-prince-reunion-special-5-standout-moments/)
Will Smith shares an Instagram video of him reacting to each of the Aunt Vivs (https://people.com/tv/will-smith-shares-teaser-of-both-aunt-vivs-on-fresh-prince-reunion-set/)

Saw it on youtube it was pretty good

What about Ross Bagley as Nicholas Banks?

On Red Table Talk, an emotional Will Smith tries to figure out why he mistreated Fresh Prince co-star Janet Hubert (https://tvline.com/2020/11/20/will-smith-red-table-talk-janet-hubert-fresh-prince-feud-explained/)

During today's episode (https://www.facebook.com/538649879867825/videos/3823074501060289) of his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s Facebook Watch series, Smith watched his HBO Max reunion with Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star Hubert. According to TVLine, Smith appeared visibly shaken by his mistreatment of Hubert, who exited after Season 3 and who has accused him of ruining her career. "I’m trying to put some logic to it, but the sensation I feel… It’s not who I want to be, and it’s not how I want to make people feel,” he says. “My whole life and career is centered on aggressively trying to make people feel the opposite of that.” Smith was joined by psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasulae, who also appeared on the Red Table Talk episode where the Smiths discussed their relationship. Smith says he realized his upbringing and the need for female approval may have led to the way he treated Hubert.

I am glad to see Willard and Janet ended their long feud, it is long overdue

What about Ross Bagley as Nicholas Banks?

yes he made a surprise appearance, wasnt expecting to see him

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air demonstrates how forgiveness is supposed to work (https://www.themarysue.com/the-fresh-prince-reunion-demonstrates-how-forgiveness-should-work/)

The word "forgiveness" is thrown out a lot, but Will Smith and Janet Hubert showed the right way to forgive in ending their nearly three-decade feud for HBO Max's Fresh Prince reunion. "So let’s talk about forgiveness, especially since a lot of folks lately have been championing the idea of reaching out to those who’ve wronged you with no reassurance of growth on their part," says Briana Lawrence. "There’s this 'be the bigger person' narrative that can be really harmful to the wronged party if the person who’s hurt them has done nothing to earn the trust they’ve damaged. Here’s the first thing that really stuck out to me with this moment between Will and Janet: they talk to each other first. A lot of people, when they preach forgiveness, do it in a way that’s so public that it borders on being violating. There have been some very loud, very dismissive calls to forgive folks who have hurt us whether or not they’ve shown any signs (or interest) in doing better. These calls have been done in a way where you can absolutely be gaslit into just letting bygones be bygones. But on The Fresh Prince Reunion, Janet doesn’t immediately go into the room with the rest of the family. That wouldn’t be genuine and could’ve, potentially, done one of two things: 1) no one talks about it so no one gets uncomfortable, meaning it hangs in the air like an awkward elephant 2) everyone gangs up on the person they don’t side with. Besides, the conflict is between Will and Janet, so that’s who should be talking. The other thing I appreciate is that it’s clear that Will reached out to Janet. It’s clear that Janet is the hurt party in this scenario and she’s the one who was hit hardest (as she talks about during their conversation). Even if Janet clears the air over her publicized 'firing,' Will has to be the one to make the first move and make sure she’s comfortable enough to talk to him. He wasn’t hurt the way she was, so he needs to open up communication, not her. A lot of people leave it up to those who are hurt to reach out, never considering their feelings, and instead painting this 'bigger person' image that they think is a good look. What that actually does is force the hurt party to suffocate their feelings, not letting them air them out for necessary healing."

ALSO:


Alfonso Ribeiro says the Fresh Prince special "edited out a lot" (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/alfonso-ribeiro-talks-fresh-prince-reunion-and-the-slow-decline-of-sitcoms): "I really felt like that could have been a two-and-a-half-hour special, but short and sweet always works," he says. "Maybe they'll do The Reunion Special 2 one day, where they take the other stuff that we talked about. That’s the only thing I didn’t really know what to expect. I only did one day, but they shot for three days. How do you turn three days into an hour and 10 minutes?"
Janet Hubert makes it clear there's no bad blood between her and Ribeiro, who was missing when she reunited with the cast (https://toofab.com/2020/11/20/janet-hubert-alfonso-ribeiro-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-reunion/)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air demonstrates how forgiveness is supposed to work (https://www.themarysue.com/the-fresh-prince-reunion-demonstrates-how-forgiveness-should-work/)

The word "forgiveness" is thrown out a lot, but Will Smith and Janet Hubert showed the right way to forgive in ending their nearly three-decade feud for HBO Max's Fresh Prince reunion. "So let’s talk about forgiveness, especially since a lot of folks lately have been championing the idea of reaching out to those who’ve wronged you with no reassurance of growth on their part," says Briana Lawrence. "There’s this 'be the bigger person' narrative that can be really harmful to the wronged party if the person who’s hurt them has done nothing to earn the trust they’ve damaged. Here’s the first thing that really stuck out to me with this moment between Will and Janet: they talk to each other first. A lot of people, when they preach forgiveness, do it in a way that’s so public that it borders on being violating. There have been some very loud, very dismissive calls to forgive folks who have hurt us whether or not they’ve shown any signs (or interest) in doing better. These calls have been done in a way where you can absolutely be gaslit into just letting bygones be bygones. But on The Fresh Prince Reunion, Janet doesn’t immediately go into the room with the rest of the family. That wouldn’t be genuine and could’ve, potentially, done one of two things: 1) no one talks about it so no one gets uncomfortable, meaning it hangs in the air like an awkward elephant 2) everyone gangs up on the person they don’t side with. Besides, the conflict is between Will and Janet, so that’s who should be talking. The other thing I appreciate is that it’s clear that Will reached out to Janet. It’s clear that Janet is the hurt party in this scenario and she’s the one who was hit hardest (as she talks about during their conversation). Even if Janet clears the air over her publicized 'firing,' Will has to be the one to make the first move and make sure she’s comfortable enough to talk to him. He wasn’t hurt the way she was, so he needs to open up communication, not her. A lot of people leave it up to those who are hurt to reach out, never considering their feelings, and instead painting this 'bigger person' image that they think is a good look. What that actually does is force the hurt party to suffocate their feelings, not letting them air them out for necessary healing."

ALSO:


Alfonso Ribeiro says the Fresh Prince special "edited out a lot" (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/alfonso-ribeiro-talks-fresh-prince-reunion-and-the-slow-decline-of-sitcoms): "I really felt like that could have been a two-and-a-half-hour special, but short and sweet always works," he says. "Maybe they'll do The Reunion Special 2 one day, where they take the other stuff that we talked about. That’s the only thing I didn’t really know what to expect. I only did one day, but they shot for three days. How do you turn three days into an hour and 10 minutes?"
Janet Hubert makes it clear there's no bad blood between her and Ribeiro, who was missing when she reunited with the cast (https://toofab.com/2020/11/20/janet-hubert-alfonso-ribeiro-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-reunion/)



I damm sure would look at it lol if it was 4 hours

yes he made a surprise appearance, wasnt expecting to see him

Oh good, but maybe just a few appearances somehow along the way...

I finally watched this reunion, and most of it was boring.

About the only thing interesting was Janet Hubert's presence and story but one has to wait mid way for it, and some scenes remembering of James Avery just prior where she doesn't participate.

And I believe the Will Smith's make up was somewhat contrived and they brought on Janet just to make the special interesting.

i.e. He wouldn't bother to reach out to her if there was no HBO Max special being produced.

And apparently Alfonso didn't reconcile with her.

I finally watched this reunion, and most of it was boring.

About the only thing interesting was Janet Hubert's presence and story but one has to wait mid way for it, and some scenes remembering of James Avery just prior where she doesn't participate.

And I believe the Will Smith's make up was somewhat contrived and they brought on Janet just to make the special interesting.

i.e. He wouldn't bother to reach out to her if there was no HBO Max special being produced.

And apparently Alfonso didn't reconcile with her.

Janet Hubert part was too long

Janet Hubert part was too long

She needed a lot of catching up to succeed at the same time.