Normally, remakes of shows and movies are met with disdain because they take something that the public loves and turn it into something unrecognizable. This wasn’t the case with Peacock's Bel-Air, which was a remake of the classic 1990s sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Going into Bel-Air, people may have assumed that this was going to be a goofy comedy with a lot of deep moments and lessons within the jokes. Instead, the creative team made it one of the deepest shows on TV. The series hit on topics like racism, homophobia, colorism, and other topics that everyone can relate to. Sometimes it was heavy and hard to watch, but it was important, nonetheless.
The series concluded at the end of 2026 with an appearance from the actor Will Smith (the star of the original), who talked to his younger self about not being worried about the future. It seemed like the perfect end for that character. However, that was only the ending for one of the characters. That must have been intentional since the universe will continue with Coco Jones returning to star in Hilary.
What we know about Hilary's story
At the end of season 4, Hilary opened up her own restaurant in California. Now, according to Deadline, the new star of the show will take her talents to the East Coast.
"In the proposed spinoff, after accepting an unexpected job offer from celebrity chef Yvonne Durand, Hilary Banks (Jones) impulsively moves to New York determined to prove herself beyond her Bel-Air connections — only to find that success, friendship and love in the city come with a cost she never anticipated.”
In a brilliant move, Hilary will be written by Tracy Oliver, who is the woman behind Girls Trip, The Blackening, and Harlem. I call this brilliant because a show starring someone as fantastic as Coco Jones needs to be written by a person who understands Black culture and Black women. That’s why Oliver was the right choice.
Bel-Air did a great job of making jokes and light of certain things in Black culture without things coming off as offensive. The same will be needed for Hilary to succeed. I’ve seen Girls Trip and The Blackening and bits and pieces from Harlem. That’s enough for me to know that Jones and Hilary Banks are in the right hands.
Hilary and Jazz
At the conclusion of Bel-Air, Hilary and Jazz end things romantically, but there was always the possibility that they could get back together. However, her moving to New York may put an end to that. Jazz is running a successful business, and it would be out of character for him to leave his shop to be with Hilary. And, honestly, it’s time to move on from them as a couple.
The “will-they-won’t-they” with Hilary and Jazz was great in the first series, but it’s not needed going forward. If Hilary is starting a new life, that should mean new love interests and lessons after having new romantic partners. That can’t happen if Jazz is still in the picture. That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be featured, just that Jazz shouldn’t be her love interest.
Expectations
I fully expect this to be a series that people will enjoy. It will have all of the depth that Bel-Air had, but funnier. The latter will be thanks to Tracy Oliver’s writing. She knows how to place raunchy, wholesome, and sarcastic comedy better than a lot of writers. There’s no reason to believe she won’t do the same here.
Because Hilary's writer is different than the one on Bel-Air, I anticipate that Jones will get a chance to show her range. Fans of hers know that she's an amazing singer and talented dramatic actress, but they may be on the fence about her in comedic roles. This is an opportunity for her to show the world that she can and will excel at everything she does. Stay tuned to Show Snob to see if that’s the case.
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