Fans of Peacock’sBel-Airhave a reason to celebrate and more today. The series, which offered a unique dramatic redo of the popular sitcomThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, will be back for a fourth season, but it comes with the announcement that it will be its last…and it will have a lower than usual episode count. So, alongside the celebrations also comes some bad news, sadly.
PerThe Hollywood Reporter,Peacock Premiumhas renewedBel-Airfor a fourth and final season that will consist of eight episodes, down from the typical ten episodes of previous seasons. The news of the renewal decision arrives three months after the Season 3 finale was released on the streaming service on Sept. 5. An exact reason for the decision to end the show with Season 4 wasn’t given, but some reports say that budgetary reasons could be a factor, which is why the renewal news came later than usual. Season 3 was announced before the Season 2 finale made its premiere on the platform.
Bel-Airwas the first Peacock original series to gain any real traction for the streamer, and they pursued the project in a big way when it came to fruition in 2020. Peacock was so determined to acquire the series that they committed to a two-season pickup right out the gate. In 2022, Peacock announced thatBel-Airwas their most-streamed original series and that it had reached 8 million accounts by May of that year.
‘Bel-Air’ Began As a Viral YouTube Fan-Made Short
Bel-Airbegan life due to a viral YouTube video by Morgan Cooper. The video flipped the script onThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Airby reimagining it as a hard-hitting drama that stripped it of its sitcom beginnings. The video proved to be such a hit that it gotthe attention of Will Smith, who headlined the original series for six seasons. Smith wanted to expand Cooper’s concept, which resulted inBel-Airbeing the subject of a bidding war between Netflix, HBO Max (now Max), and Peacock, with the latter ultimately winning the bid.
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The new series follows the outline of the sitcom but with an added layer of drama. Will Smith (Jabari Banks), at the start of the series, begins a complicated journey from West Philadelphia to the prestigious gates and affluence of Bel-Air. Through modernizing the original idea,Bel-Airdives into race relations and the added element of culture shock as Will has to try to adjust to being a part of the Black bourgeoise of his new community. The series also stars Cassandra Freeman, Jimmy Akingbola, Olly Sholotan, Coco Jones, Akira Akbar, Simone Joy Jones, Jordan L. Jones and Adrian Holmes. The show alsosaw members of the original castofThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Airmake appearances, albeit as different characters. Those special guest stars include Daphne Maxwell Reid, Tatyana Ali, Vernee Watson-Johnson and Joseph Marcell.
Bel-Airwas well-received by critics, registering a 66% on Rotten Tomatoes for its first season and improving on that to 90% for its second season. Season 3 is the best-performing season to date critically, with a score of 100%. The show did receive some criticism for its uneasy mix of realism and for dropping the more comedic elements of its predecessor, but notices improved with each season as the show found its footing.
Apremiere date for the fourth and final season ofBel-Airhas yet to be announced.
