“Where To?” reinterprets the most famous episode of one of the most popular comedies ever. Their take on “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse,” the Season 4 episode of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” when Will (Will Smith) visits his father who abandoned him as a kid, then vanishes.
In this version, Lou (Marlon Wayans) didn’t abandon Will (Jabari Banks) voluntarily. Instead, he spent 13 years in prison, which he kept hidden from Will his whole life. Geoffrey (Jimmy Akingbola), who plays the “Fresh Prince” for “Bel-Air,” digs out a file on Lou and provides it to Will, forcing Phil (Adrian Holmes) to fire him. Lou then to Bel Air to meet Will. After a difficult start, Will and Lou warm up to each other – until Lou insults Vy, causing a fight.
In a world of reboots and revivals, Peacock’s “Bel-Air” stands out. Carlton’s tense demeanor is explained by a severe anxiety illness that pushes him to use cocaine, a secret that adds intensity to his competition with Will. The relaunch has its own visual language, which Newson and Brady attribute to the 2019 short film by Morgan Cooper on which “Bel-Air” is based.
Variety spoke to Newson and Brady about their relationship with the source material and what viewers can expect from the show’s second season. (Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars was not discussed.)
Will’s father Lou was absent due to his incarceration, rather than just abandonment, as in the original series. Will had defined himself by his father abandoning him, and he had created a shield around himself. We wanted to challenge the basic premise of the first series: Lou was a slacker. We needed additional layers, so you could understand why Lou made certain decisions.
Bel Air Season Finale T.J. Brady:
Our view of the show goes far beyond Will’s. We wanted to include Aunt Viv and Vy. We made up a story about them telling a four-year-old boy and couldn’t decide when to tell the truth. Don’t tell a four-year-old, “Your father is in prison.” People in our writers’ room had seen it and the harm it did to youngsters. We wanted Lou to be able to say, “I don’t want him to see me like this.” But when do you say? How old is too young? Six-year-old? Seven? When Will wanted to be told, they jointly resolved not to tell him the truth. Now we want to play the consequences.
Lou was trying to end a cycle. “Delete me.” “I became the way I became because I witnessed my father go through the prison,” he believes, and he didn’t want his son to go through the same. It’s both loving and selfish. Lou doesn’t appear until Season 4 of “Fresh Prince.” Making him a father figure earlier in “Bel-Air” helps Will’s emotional growth. Why so early?
Newson: It has to be done. Will comes to them in a time of need, and I think Phil enjoys that position. It gave substance to the season that Phil should earn this boy’s heart — and ultimately lose it. Will too had a push-pull. Initially, he states, “I never had a father, I don’t need a father.” But he’s clearly desired that his whole life. So when the chance arises, he seizes it.
It was surprising how close Will and Carlton became by the end of the season, given their intense rivalry in the first few episodes.
Brady: We made that a priority. Carlton liked to think of himself as the prince of Bel-Air before Will came along and knocked the crown off his head. Then he cares about Will. Will is kin. His personal troubles were mirrored by Will, and he wanted Will in his life. So I appreciate your delight. Ich hoffe, es überrascht das.
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Why did you decide to give Carlton an anxiety disorder?
Newson: He was tremendously driven in the original series, with a frenzied intensity below. Any setback was traumatic for the original character. We started with Carlton, the original prince of Bel-Air, but we believed it was difficult for him. Being popular was difficult for Carlton, but easy for Will. Will unintentionally steals your thunder, which annoys Carlton.
As for his anxiety issue, we first displayed his drug use because we were in Will’s head. That immediately connotes “spoiled rich kid doing drugs.” Write him off — but it got us going. People began to understand once we explained why he was acting that way. Everyone mentions Will’s lack of a parent. Also, neither of these lads has a brother. And being thrown into that relationship isn’t easy. Especially as a teen. So I think we’ve seen both of them learn to be brothers this season.
Newson: You could have said the same thing about [Will and Carlton] observing Phil and Jeffrey before it went sour. They worked together but were friends. They were trusted. And the boys do too.
Did your performers ever surprise you with their readings of your work? Was there ever a script to screen change? Coco [Jones] and Jordan [L. Jones] as Hilary and Jazz surprised me. In my head, he’d be flirting with her and she’d reject him. But Coco said, “I’m interested.” It was amusing with amazing chemistry. It accelerated our relationship.
Brady: You pounce on gold. We hadn’t planned on it, but when that cut came in — The day we shot it! — we were like, “There’s something wonderful here.” Many of “Fresh Prince’s” big tensions are contained in Season 1, so where do you intend to go in Season 2? Will we see more of Lou? Brady: We want to see more of Los Angeles outside of Bel-Air, as Will seeks to discover it and himself after leaving Philadelphia. We wish Lou well. I’m not sure if it’ll be in Season 2. But we haven’t ruled him out.
Newson: We’ve spoken about bringing some… grandma energy. We just haven’t had it. Grandmas are amazing because they can say whatever they want. We believed we could open a door for Will by asking, “What do you know about the other side of the family?” You didn’t just miss him. And his siblings? “Mother?” Will has much more to discover.
This scene. 😭 The #BelAirPeacock season finale is streaming now. pic.twitter.com/wLaV0UCJG5
— Peacock (@peacockTV) March 31, 2022
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What did you learn from starting a relaunch of a famous show?
Brady: It allowed me to see something I don’t see much on TV: people tuning in to detest it and ending up loving it. That has been the most rewarding response, whether from distant friends and family or Twitter threads. People tell me, “Wow, this is better than I expected.” It’s difficult to stand out on crowded TV. And I’m proud. I owe Morgan. He never said reboot. A reinvention, he said. Instead of trying to remake the show, we reimagined the concept, which allowed Rasheed and me to do our finest work.
This interview has been modified.
Join me & send my brother @iamadrianholmes some big happy birthday love! 🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂
Bro I’ve said it many times & I’ll say it again. You are a 👑 you are family and I’ve loved working with you. Have a fantastic birthday as we say farewell to Season 1 of #BelAir #belairpeacock pic.twitter.com/ZXB38pGz5k
— Jimmy Akingbola (@JimmyAkingbola) March 31, 2022
