The original Fresh Prince is one of my favorite sitcoms and is generally considered a legendary show but I'll agree with Apophis, this show is a B.
Positives
- Great looking cast, very realistic looking family, and the women are very sexy. They did well with the eye candy
- Topical without being preachy
- Didn't overly rely on original show storylines
- Plenty of respect paid to the original show.
- Reimagined versions of classic characters are done well (except Ashley)
- Cassandra Freemon's Vivian blends the best elements of Janet and Daphne's versions, while adding her own touch.
- The ending was satisfying
Negatives
- Peacock didn't respect this show
- Ashley is basically reduced to being "Judy Winslow."
- The genderbending/pronoun shit will not age well (and it's already stale)
- Some of Phil's actions are a bit of a departure from what you expect from James Avery's Phil
- I have mixed feelings about Geoffrey's storyline because it starts to turn Bel-Air into Power.
Ashley is the weak spot, Akira Akbar is a cutiepie, but they just didn't give her anything to work with, and the "big brother" relationship with Will that contrasts her relationship with Carlton from the original show doesn't really develop here. They basically just turn her into the stereotypical Gen-Z "cause girl" which gets stale very fast. She goes from dating a girl in one season to a non-binary boy in the next. Thankfully, this doesn't dominate the show.
Carlton is a big departure from Alfonso's version, but I think it works out well, and it is a true portrayal of the things rich Black kids deal with.
The final season will have a rushed feeling, and this show sometimes never really finds its footing. In season 4, you can see Jabari getting better handle on the role of "Will Smith." You can see where he implements attributes of Will's version of the character, while putting his touches on, but we'll never see how this develops any further because the show is done.
I also like the fact that they didn't have Will focus totally on basketball; he kept his options open but I'm not sure totally dropping basketball for a year was realistic or something that one would advise a young man.
I really like the colleges that the boys chose; this was a big departure from the original and works well.
In the end, the loose ends were tied up despite the rushed feel.
If you like Fresh Prince, you'll probably like it and have a fun time with it. Everybody else might have mixed feelings on it.
Positives
- Great looking cast, very realistic looking family, and the women are very sexy. They did well with the eye candy
- Topical without being preachy
- Didn't overly rely on original show storylines
- Plenty of respect paid to the original show.
- Reimagined versions of classic characters are done well (except Ashley)
- Cassandra Freemon's Vivian blends the best elements of Janet and Daphne's versions, while adding her own touch.
- The ending was satisfying
Negatives
- Peacock didn't respect this show
- Ashley is basically reduced to being "Judy Winslow."
- The genderbending/pronoun shit will not age well (and it's already stale)
- Some of Phil's actions are a bit of a departure from what you expect from James Avery's Phil
- I have mixed feelings about Geoffrey's storyline because it starts to turn Bel-Air into Power.
Ashley is the weak spot, Akira Akbar is a cutiepie, but they just didn't give her anything to work with, and the "big brother" relationship with Will that contrasts her relationship with Carlton from the original show doesn't really develop here. They basically just turn her into the stereotypical Gen-Z "cause girl" which gets stale very fast. She goes from dating a girl in one season to a non-binary boy in the next. Thankfully, this doesn't dominate the show.
Carlton is a big departure from Alfonso's version, but I think it works out well, and it is a true portrayal of the things rich Black kids deal with.
The final season will have a rushed feeling, and this show sometimes never really finds its footing. In season 4, you can see Jabari getting better handle on the role of "Will Smith." You can see where he implements attributes of Will's version of the character, while putting his touches on, but we'll never see how this develops any further because the show is done.
I also like the fact that they didn't have Will focus totally on basketball; he kept his options open but I'm not sure totally dropping basketball for a year was realistic or something that one would advise a young man.
I really like the colleges that the boys chose; this was a big departure from the original and works well.
In the end, the loose ends were tied up despite the rushed feel.
If you like Fresh Prince, you'll probably like it and have a fun time with it. Everybody else might have mixed feelings on it.
