“Anytime you do a reboot or develop well-known IP, we always ask, ‘Why now?’” Lisa Katz, president of scripted entertainment content for TV and streaming at Peacock’s parent company NBCUniversal, told BuzzFeed News. “Morgan [Cooper] had a really strong vision for how to take the story from a family comedy and turn it into [an] aspirational drama that felt very modern and relevant.”
Bel-Air’s season 2 showrunner Carla Banks-Waddles, who was an executive producer and writer on the first season, praised Peacock for a willingness to depict “nuanced conversations” around race, mental health, queer identity, and education.
“[Peacock was] on board with these culturally nuanced conversations we wanted to tell and creatively willing to take those risks with us, helping us push the envelope and saying, ‘Don’t hold back,’” she told BuzzFeed News.
There are also the show’s aspirational elements, which are a cornerstone of the Fresh Prince brand. In the reboot, coveting Hilary’s wardrobe and ogling over the family mansion may hook viewers, but Banks-Waddles believes the key to the show’s success isn’t dreamy elements. It’s capturing the spirit of a modern-day Black family.
