THE FRESH PRINCE PROJECT

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was known for its laughs, but this layered history also showcases its impact on race relations, popular culture, and the TV business.

With telling interviews and deep research, Palmer, best known for his work for ESPN, uncovers plenty of new insights on the show that turned Will Smith into a superstar. His chats with the show’s original showrunners, husband-and-wife team Andy and Susan Borowitz, provide a nuanced understanding of the launch of the show and the multiple issues at play. For one thing, many were concerned about Smith’s inexperience as an actor. Then there were the business issues facing NBC, which was struggling at the time, and the involvement of big egos like late NBC President Brandon Tartikoff and producer Quincy Jones. However, it was the racial impact of an all-Black cast, playing a wealthy and powerful California family, that created even more challenges, especially with the 1990s backdrop of the Rodney King riots and the O.J. Simpson trial. As Palmer notes, the writers were largely up to the challenge, and they “deftly navigated the balance between comedic fun and the show’s important messaging on the Black American experience, without becoming too preachy or too heavy for white audiences to handle. All this with a nearly all-white writing staff that had little knowledge of virtually any aspect of Black culture.” With a breezy, anecdote-heavy style, Palmer balances all these issues well, but he struggles when addressing the controversies, including the firing of Janet Hubert, the original Vivian Banks. The author also offers little discussion of Smith’s temper, on display when he slapped Chris Rock at this year’s Oscars. Nonetheless, the book will appeal to fans of the show.

An insightful TV history that tracks how Will Smith became a star but leaves some questions unanswered.