Bel-Air Mocks Itself & Modern Reboots In Episode 6
Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for Bel-Air episode 6!
Bel-Air episode 6 joins in on mocking itself and the slew of modern TV show reboots with a joke about another classic 1990s sitcom, Family Matters. Peacock’s 2022 Bel-Air series initially received criticism for remaking an already-beloved show, although, with Will Smith as an executive producer, the dramatic reimagining had significant support in its success. The primary reasoning behind rebooting The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was to give more emotional depth and complexities to the original characters while having conversations that couldn’t be had in the 1990s sitcom format, but the series does feature a meta-joke in which it recognizes the initial criticisms of its reboot.
The sitcoms of the 1990s featured several series documenting Black families in America, with the two most notable examples being The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Family Matters. The two series were often compared, especially in that they were two of the only major sitcoms tackling police brutality and institutional racism on Black Americans. As two contemporary shows, it’s no surprise that they would reference one another, with Will often making jokes about calling Carlton “Urkel” and Family Matters even bringing on James Avery during a credits scene to reference Fresh Prince’s original Uncle Phil.
Related: Bel-Air Corrects One Of Fresh Prince's Biggest Will Story Problems
In Bel-Air episode 6, Hilary’s boss Kylo tells her that followers don’t care about “family matters,” then quickly recalls how much he loved that show as a kid, saying “they should remake that.” The joke is clearly meant to reference Bel-Air itself, as the show is known as a remake of the classic 1990s sitcom that many of the
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