The Best Family Sitcom Of The 90s Is Streaming On Max
The 1990s were a decade rife with high quality feel-good TV, as evidenced by the continued popularity of many classic 90s franchises. Despite the wide array of excellent dramedies airing today, many audiences around the globe continue to use streaming services to binge and rewatch their favorite comfort shows, which mostly include half hour sitcoms from decades past. For my money, the best sitcom of all time is The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which is currently streaming in full on Max.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
For those that don’t know, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a delightful sitcom which originally aired on NBC from 1990 through 1996. The series stars A-list actor Will Smith, and served as his major breakout role, eventually launching him to super stardom.
The series has even inspired a dramatic reimagining with the 2022 Peacock series Bel-Air, though most fans tend to agree that the new show doesn’t hold a candle to the original classic.
Will Smith Is The Fresh Prince
The premise of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air sees a fictionalized version of Will Smith experiencing major culture shock as he uproots his life in West Philadelphia and moves into his uncle’s opulent Bel-Air mansion.
As the Bad Boys: Ride Or Die actor explains in the opening title sequence of the show, Will’s single mother felt that sending him to live with his extended family would keep him out of trouble, and help him to have a better life.
This ultimately proves to be true, though you’d never know it by watching the first few episodes, as Will’s urban flavor intersects clumsily with that of his affluent cousins.
Six Hilarious Seasons
As Will integrates into the Bel-Air home, audiences are introduced to characters such as Will’s uncle and aunt, Philip and Vivian Banks, as well as their children Carlton, Hilary, Ashley, and later in the series, baby Nicky. The family also has a quick-witted British butler named Geoffrey, who Will affectionately refers to simply as “G.”
Over the course of six hilarious seasons, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air tackles a number of social and political issues, while delivering some truly hilarious character dynamics, running gags, and occasionally a fourth wall break that would make Deadpool blush.
The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Ages Well
Personally, I find The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to be the best and most well-aged sitcom of all time. Looking back at the show with 30 years of hindsight, it still manages to be funny, boundary-pushing, and appropriate for audiences of all ages, without ever pandering to the sensitivities of the lowest common denominator.
James Avery’s performance as Uncle Phil continues to be one of the most impactful depictions of masculinity and fatherhood on television, which has made the character and actor alike a symbol of positivity for generations of viewers.
Streaming The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
If you’ve somehow never seen an episode of the show, or you’re simply debating whether it’s worth rewatching today, be sure to check out The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Max.
Like many of the greatest sitcoms, the series is definitely defined by the time when it aired, though I’d argue that just enough time has passed for the ever-present feeling of the 1990s in the show to be comforting and nostalgic.
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