Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Will Smith shares first photos of reunion on 30th anniversary of sitcom

Series is also getting a scripted dramatic reboot on NBC

Will Smith and HBO Max have shared the first photos from the upcoming reunion of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Most of the cast of the beloved Nineties sitcom are set to reunite for a one-off unscripted special.

In a picture posted to Smith’s Instagram, the I Am Legend star is seen smiling alongside Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Alfonso Ribeiro.

The only major absence is that of James Avery, known for playing Will’s uncle Philip. Avery died in 2013 at the age of 68.

It has also been disclosed that Smith conducted an interview with Janet Hubert, the actor who played Aunt Viv for the first three seasons of the NBC sitcom.

Hubert was replaced by Reid after being fired from the series – a move which has previously prompted criticism from Hubert, and Smith. 

The reunion will air on the US streaming service HBO Max in November. A press release has described the special as “a funny a heartfelt night full of music, dancing and more special surprise guests”.

Smith also announced this week that NBC had commissioned two seasons of a drama reboot of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

The new series will be set in the modern era, and will dramatise the show’s original premise - that of a young black US teenager’s transition from West Philadelphia to opulent Bel-Air.

The unscripted reunion, which is a separate project, is one of several such specials that are currently in development.

Popular 1990s series Friends also has a reunion in the works, with the six original stars getting together for an out-of-character catch-up and reflection on the series.