While the real Will Smith is still working to rehab his Hollywood image following his hand connecting with Chris Rock’s face — a.k.a. the slap heard ‘round the world — at the 2022 Oscars, the fake Will Smith (Jabari Banks) is still living with fictional auntie and uncle in Bel-Air.
Following on the heels of Cobra Kai and other small-screen nostalgia plays, Bel-Air — a reimagined and definitely darker and more dramatic version of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the goofy sitcom that helped turn (the real) Smith into a Hollywood powerhouse — premiered in 2022 to generally positive reviews. Yes, even without a Carlton Dance to lean back on whenever the storylines seemed sluggish. Of course, it didn’t take long for Peacock to order a second season of the series, which is executive produced by Smith himself. Bel-Air season 2 made its triumphant return on February 23, 2023, when the first three of the season’s 10 episodes dropped.
If you haven’t given the gritty reboot a chance yet, you can stream all of season 1 on Peacock now. Since the first season, too, consists of just 10 hour-long episodes, that should give you plenty of time to catch up to the show’s existing fan base, who are turning into Peacock each week to watch new episodes once they drop Thursdays at 5:01 am EST/ 2:01 am PST.
