This Is A Story All About How Bel-Air Has A New Showrunner For Season 2 Now
It wouldn't be the first time the life of "Bel-Air" gets flipped turned upside down. The series, which is a dramatic adaptation of the 1990s comedy "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," once again changes showrunners ahead of its second season.
Carla Banks Waddles, who previously served as a writer and co-executive producer on the first season, will now take over as showrunner from TJ Brady and Rasheed Newson, who departed the series over creative differences, according to a source who spoke with Variety. They will still be credited as executive producers going forward, and Waddles will also receive an executive producer credit. The new showrunner is currently under an overall deal with Universal Television, which produces the series.
Brady and Newson themselves were not the first showrunners on this series. They were named co-showrunners on season 1 after Diane Houston left the show. She took over the helm after the original showrunner, Chris Collins, departed the show ahead of the season 1 premiere.
A town called Bel-Air
The new take on the beloved '90s sitcom is based on a viral video by Morgan Cooper. In September 2020, it was picked up for two seasons by Peacock — and at this rate, it might be a miracle if it makes it to three. Cooper also executive produces the series alongside Waddles, Brady and Newson, Will Smith, Malcolm Spellman, Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, Benny Medina, Quincy Jones, Andy & Susan Borowitz, and Anthony Sparks. Universal Television produces the series alongside Westbrook Studios.
The constant boss switch-up on this series doesn't exactly bode well for it at the moment. With the landscape of streaming television and film changing fast (thanks, Warner Bros. Discovery) and projects getting canceled, or worse, completely scrapped, left and right, it stands to reason that the instability on "Bel-Air" might make them a target at some point down the line. Peacock is obviously operating separately from WBD, but that doesn't mean their executives and shot-callers won't take pages from the Zaslav book and do some cuts themselves, especially considering how many projects are in the pipeline to be born at any given point. If there's something they think they might be able to capitalize on more that is less trouble, they will, despite the positive response to the first season of "Bel-Air."
"Bel-Air" stars Jabari Banks as Will, a West Philadelphian kid who comes to the upscale Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air to move in with, you guessed it, his auntie and uncle. Adrian Holmes, Cassandra Freeman, Coco Jones, Akira Akbar, Olly Sholotan, Jimmy Akingbola, Jordan L. Jones, and Simone Joy Jones round out the cast alongside Banks.
The premiere date for season 2 of "Bel-Air" has not yet been announced.