The Fresh Prince Project

Will Smith's 6 season run as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air began in this sharply written pilot that aired in 1990, and is happily being enjoyed now by a whole new generation of people via Netflix.

All the things that make this show so good are highlighted here. The clash between the urban and the upper class worlds, the fab relationship between Smith and the dearly missed James Avery. In short this episode does everything a pilot should do.

Will Smith is the epitome of cool here, and it's very hard to work out how much of his performance is ad-libbed. Whatever he has gone on to do since, or will do in the future, for many he will always be associated with this show.

Will arrives at the Banks residence and reacquaints himself with the family.

What the pilot does very well is introduce Will and all the main characters in a short space of time. After the iconic opening credits sequence that provides the necessary exposition in an entertaining way, it's all about Will's banter with each character and his memorable first clash with Uncle Phil.

The humour is reasonably sharp and inoffensive, with material that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Comedy is in the eye of the beholder as always, but it works for me, as it did for me back in 1990. You need to appreciate Will's persona to fully enjoy.

It's a 7.5/10 for me but I round upwards.

I loved it. Every minute, it's funny. A great introduction to a great Tv Show.