Is the third season still happening or not? If you’re curious to know more, then continue reading to find out more about Bel-Air Season 3.
As we have finally completed the first half of 2023, fans are now wondering what the current status of the reimagined version of the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has been since the second season ended earlier this year, which has caused fans to speculate what’s in store for Will Smith as his complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air continues!
The fandom is wondering when he will return to navigate through the glitz and glamor of Bel-Air at every turn, which promises to be an exhilarating ride! To say the least, the viewers will be curious to see how the story of these beloved characters and their journey will be explored for another season.
So, if you are wondering what new developments have been happening so far behind the scenes, then we can assure you that you have reached the right place to know all your answers about the much-anticipated third season, which we definitely think is going to captivate the audience once again as it has done for the well-known previous two seasons! Here is everything we know so far about Peacock’s Bel-Air Season 3.
Bel-Air Season 3 Release Date: When will it premiere?
Attention fans! The much-awaited second season of the drama television series, which is developed by Morgan Cooper, Malcolm Spellman, TJ Brady, and Rasheed Newson for Peacock, is officially on the way! The series was renewed right after the success of the second season as it became one of the most streamed television series, making it highly popular among viewers. Hence, the early third season’s renewal was a no-brainer move in order to meet the fan’s demands.
Even though the series isn’t going anywhere, we would like to highlight that the prospective premiere date for the third season has yet to be acknowledged due to the ongoing 2023 WGA and 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes, which have put a halt on major Hollywood production houses across various television and streaming networks. To add official confirmation, showrunner Carla Banks Waddles has confirmed to be a part of the writers who are striking, per her Instagram post.
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So depending on how long the strikes go on, we might have to wait sometime to see Bel-Air Season 3! According to a report by Variety, the strikes have directly impacted the release date for Bel-Air Season 3, which has ultimately been “delayed to 2024.”
Our best guess is that the potential release window might be set to happen sometime around early February 2024 at the same designated time slot of 5 a.m. ET/2 a.m. PT on Peacock, just like the prior two seasons. We would like to highlight that, at this point in time, this is just speculation and can only happen if the production starts on a proper schedule once the strike reaches an agreement with the writers and actors in the coming weeks.
In conclusion, as we now know, Peacock hasn’t confirmed the release date for the third season. As these strikes don’t seem to end anytime soon, causing further delays in the completion of scripts, it makes sense why we won’t get Bel-Air Season 3 anytime soon, let alone later this year! Until there is any formal confirmation, we would suggest that fans keep a close eye on the social media handles of the network to learn about any new updates and developments.
In the meantime, take a look at the official renewal announcement for the new season below, as shared on the official Instagram handle among the followers, quoting, “The fam isn’t done yet. Bel-Air Season 3 is coming. Season 2 of #BelAirPeacock is now available on Peacock.”
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Bel-Air Season 3 Plot: What to expect in the new season?
The official synopsis of the series states, “Bel-Air is a reimagining of the ’90s Will Smith sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that follows Will’s (Jabari Banks) complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. As these two worlds collide, Will reckons with the power of second chances while navigating the conflicts, emotions, and biases of a world far different from the only one he’s ever known.”
There’s no question that the next season will pick up right from the second season’s finale episode, “Don’t Look Back,” in which the viewers got to see that the Banks family comes together for the announcement of the Founder’s Award, and Will embraces moving forward in an unexpected way. The plot ended with a crucial note for the story to pick right up from there without unnecessarily diverging the plot into something new, which it truly doesn’t deserve at this point in the show.
We’ll just have to wait for the official synopsis of the third season to get the complete picture which will be released later. To be honest, not much has been disclosed about the third season, but as we are going to step into the third season, in an exclusive interview with thedailybeast.com, Sholotan talked about Carlton’s future.
He stated that he has never envisioned anything fatal happening to Carlton, even though his character is particularly involved with drugs and alcohol, quoting: “At the end of the day, it’s about telling the story,” he says. “And I know that no matter what decision the writers make, I trust them to tell an incredible story. So I’m willing to put myself and my character’s life in their hands.” He also adds, “Also, thank you for putting this fear in the pit of my soul,” he laughs.
Sholotan also added that he’s excited to see Carlton “in recovery.” With the exception of getting rid of his classmate Connor, who was included in the infamous N-word tape that circulated the school this season, he doesn’t have many more specific goals for his character. “Get him away from Connor,” Sholoton quickly says. “Please, bro. I love Tyler [Barnhardt], the actor who plays Connor. He’s fantastic. But get Carlton away from Connor yesterday.”
Bel-Air Season 3 Cast: Who will reprise their roles?
The main cast members who are expected to reprise their roles are as follows Jabari Banks as Will Smith, Cassandra Freeman as Vivian Banks, Jimmy Akingbola as Geoffrey Thompson, Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks, Coco Jones as Hilary Banks, Akira Akbar as Ashley Banks, Simone Joy Jones as Lisa Wilkes, Jordan L. Jones as Jazz, and Adrian Holmes as Philip Banks. Tatyana Ali, who played Ashley Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, is expected to be a recurring character as an English literature teacher.
There can be some additions and removals from the cast, which will be disclosed later. The crew members of the show include Carla Banks Waddles, who serves as the showrunner for the series. Executive producers are Morgan Cooper, Anthony Sparks, Malcolm Spellman, Will Smith, Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, Benny Medina, Quincy Jones, Andy & Susan Borowitz, TJ Brady, and Rasheed Newson. The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Westbrook Studios.
“We love to include that OG cast in this re-imagining, but never [want] them to feel forced or wedged. It’s so organic because this character of Ms. Hughes, and by Tatyana playing that, she touches on everybody in the Banks family and the Bel-Air Academy family,” she told Boardroom in the March issue. Further adding, “To see OG Ashley and present-day Ashley and Tatyana and Akira in the same scene and fist-bumping each other, it was just so poetic on so many levels. She just brought so much to the show and so much to that dynamic that just felt special.”
Ambition never sleeps. Stream season two of #BelAirPeacock now, and see what everyone was tweeting about on @peacock. pic.twitter.com/T6XZOie3K0
— Bel-Air on Peacock (@BelAirPeacock) May 2, 2023
Bel-Air Season 3 Episodes: Where to stream?
The next season is expected to consist of ten episodes with an average runtime of 40–60 minutes, just to be consistent with the last two seasons. Of course, this is subject to change if the network wants to make a bigger season, which will be confirmed later. In addition to this, the series is available exclusively on Peacock, with all the prior seasons also accessible on the streaming platform with a range of membership options based on viewers’ locations. You can also stream current binge-worthy TV shows and exclusive Originals – plus news, live sports, WWE, and more.
In addition to this, the network hasn’t released any teasers for the third season, so we urge readers to revisit the second season, which has a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating “generally favorable” reviews on Metacritic. The season follows Will at a crossroads as a new figure comes into his life who challenges what he’s learned in Bel-Air and competes for control of his influence. He juggles this while navigating his home life with the Banks family and trying to rebuild the trust that was broken at the end of last season.
We’ll see Will and Carlton’s brotherhood start to evolve as they grow closer, but they’ll still challenge each other about their differences. We’ll also see Hilary evolve as she becomes more of a boss in her influencer world and how that spills over into her relationship with Jazz, and we’ll also highlight the relatable struggles around Viv and Phil balancing marriage and family while trying to forge their own career paths and reconnect to the things that are important to them. In the meantime, take a look at the official trailer for Bel-Air Season 2 below:
Catch up on all the episodes, and let us know what you think of Bel-Air being renewed for Season 3 in the comments.