Will Smith (Hitch, I, Robot) stars as a teenager from inner city Philadelphia who's sent to California to live in with his wealthy relatives in the hopes that they will "straighten him out and teach him some good old-fashioned values," but Will soon takes his rightful place as The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Description courtesy of Amazon.com.

CRITIQUE

With reruns currently airing, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air is still one of the funniest shows on television. Season 1 was decently entertaining, however as the seasons progressed the show got funnier and funnier.

The cast here is quite excellent with each actor bringing something different to the table. Karyn Parsons does an excellent job of playing the ditzy, somewhat snobbish sister while James Avery easily portrays the ethical, serious head of the household. Will’s character seems a little too over the top (and somewhat annoying) at times, though Smith's acting is generally good.

Episodes not to be missed include: “Banks shot” (in which Will learns a lesson about hustling in pool halls) and “Courting Disaster” (Will is the star player but learns about the meaning of “team”). The show also deals with important issues like racism (“Mistaken Identity”) and black history (“The Ethnic Tip”).

THE VIDEO

Warner Bros. presents the show in 1.33:1 fullscreen format. Colors look decent and picture quality is overall good, but the show looks a bit dated. Optional subtitles include English, French and Spanish.

THE AUDIO

Warner Bros. presents the show in English Dolby Digital Mono. Dialogue and other sound effects are reproduced by the front speakers in a decent manner.

THE EXTRAS

The only bonus feature is a retrospective documentary entitled "Back to Bel-Air: A Fresh Look". This one sounded promising but the only cast members who were interviewed are James Avery, Tatyana Ali, and Joseph Marcell. The documentary does, however, take a look at the creation and making of the show.

FINAL THOUGHT

Though thoroughly entertaining, Season 1 simply serves as an appetizer for the later, funnier seasons.