It feels like old times to me. Remakes and reboots reclaim space on TV:

SAVED BY THE BELL is rising back up and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air is rebooting family love.

What do you think about that? Is this the multimedia’s way to “get the mind of our country back?”

I don’t know, but it sure feels like so –

and I am not mad. In fact, I’m kind of glad.

Let’s look at it;  we may as well. Let us start with analyzing the reboot of Saved By The Bell.

According to Peacock.com the reboot is premised on ‘mirrored evolution.’ The series reboot positioning statement is:

“When California governor Zack Morris gets into hot water for closing too many underfunded high schools, he proposes they send the affected students to the most well-funded schools in the state – including Bayside High. The influx of new students gives the privileged Bayside kids (who never have a problem that can’t be solved in twenty-two minutes) a much-needed dose of reality.”

The positioning statement speaks volumes in the redirection department.  I was a fan of Saved By The Bell in the ‘80’s when I was in middle school and just like it’s successor FRIENDS, there were no Black cast members besides Lark Voohries on the show. How could that have been right or reflective of society at the time? It wasn’t. The reboot of Saved By The Bell, according to its positioning statement addresses the oversight of ethnic diversity.  

When my siblings and I would watch the show as children, we all wanted to be friends with Lark’s character, so that “she wouldn’t be alone.” Just the fact that we were feeling that way, is proof of composition ignorance that was yesterday’s industry trend. Whew. I’m certainly glad that’s coming to an end. Or is it?

The new cast appears to only have one Black American male and two Hispanic female descendants; that makes it diverse from the original cast, by one additional person of color. So instead of having one Hispanic male and one black female from the original cast, they have added one additional person of color. NO JUDGEMENT towards the script composition or the morals therein, because I have not read one script nor have, I seen one episode. Still, I’m curious as to how one new person-of-color as a student will flip the moral messaging of this OG sitcom.

Diverse cast members can better relay moral messaging to a diverse viewership. Isn’t that what success is? Diverse & direct messaging that leads to a call-to-action. What’s the call-to-action? Morality; integrity.

Peacock isn’t the only network looking to fly with yesterday’s view, HBO MAX is clocking interest fast with reboot news of THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR.  The recent cast reunion is still resonating through social conversation 11-days past its broadcast.

The series reboot positioning statement is:

“The Banks family is back! Will Smith will be joined by series regulars for a funny and heartfelt night full of music, dancing, and unscripted fun. The special looks back at the series and the cultural impact it has had since its debut 30 years ago.”

With the exception of the OG Uncle Phil, the entire cast reunited. America’s Black History is still intact and with a happy heart we welcome our fresh family back.

Am I worried that there isn’t enough race diversity in the cast? No. I am not.

The entire composition of this show is premised in a white suburb. This series was crafted to diversify the people-view in Bel-Air. Before The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air debuted how many Black people did you know or had heard of that live in the Bel-Air community? While I am sure there are a few, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air series introduced me to domestic life in Bel-Air, California and I can tell you, “it looked nothing like the upscale Catholic private school that I attended in Dallas, TX.”

The Black population wasn’t super dense on my academic campus, but we easily amounted to one-third of the population. Our Mother Of Mercy Catholic School was located in the hood with no school bus system; each child was escorted by car. It was the good life that incorporated a wealth of ethnicities and little room for feeling “different.” I did not learn about the shortcomings of racial tensions until I left private school.

I wish every child to have a carefree beginning like the one that I had, and perhaps the reboot of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air can deliver all of our children into a new era of understanding; we all have more in common than we do apart. Cultural exchanges are fun and adds dimension and depth to each of our worlds.

Have you ever been to the hoods of Philly? How about the hills of Bel-Air?
Buckle in because The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot is going to take you there.

Let’s go! I’ve got shot-gun,

I’m Qui

Ready to reboot diverse series fun.

No judgement

just love and

unity binding our summon.

The FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR reboot is a DRAMA and not a COMEDY. Peep the insight here: