The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Starring Will Smith, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a television sitcom that aired on NBC from 1990 until 1996. It was created by Quincy Jones, an American record, film, and television producer, with Andy Borowitz and Susan Borowitz. 

Playing a fictionalized version of himself, the opening theme song details Will's backstory: as a teenager from West Philadelphia (born and raised), he's sent to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle in Bel-Air, California after getting into a fight. Will's street-smarts and working-class background clash with the lifestyle of his extended upper-class family members, in particular his uncle Will. The show is based loosely off the experience of one of the show's producers, Benny Medina, who lived with a rich white family in Beverly Hills. In an interview with Ebony magazine, he explained the decision to change the family to a rich black family so "That way we could explore black-on-black prejudice as well as black class differences." 

Along with Blossom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air anchored NBC's Monday night programming lineup. Over 40 celebrities appeared on the Fresh Prince, including Naomi Campbell, Evander Holyfield, Queen Latifah, and Ken Griffey Jr. After the show was syndicated, reruns aired on WGN America, TBS, ABC Family, Nick at Nite, MTV, BET, and VH1. Smith was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for his work on the show for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical in 1993 and 1994. It also made a star out of Alfonso Ribeiro, who played the character of Carlton. One of the series most memorable scenes, a dance sequence where Ribeiro lip-syncs to Tom Jones, has more than 21 million views on YouTube. 

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