History Trivia / TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir

* ActorAllusion: "Will, there's something you have to learn. Sometimes, parents just don't understand". (cue AsideGlance)
** "Will, you're only seventeen. You don't have a rep yet." (AsideGlance)
** "Oh, please, like they're gonna take [[SelfDeprecation someone who's never acted before]] and give him his own TV show!" (another AsideGlance)

** "Vivian, you are so naive. You'd believe that boy if he told you he was a rap star whose latest album just went platinum!" (cue AsideGlance from Janet Hubert-Whitten rather than Will)

** CloudCuckoolander Judge Robertson, played by Sherman Hemsley, gets in a heated argument with Philip once he learns he's running against him for Superior Court Justice, culminating with Robertson shouting "[[Series/TheJeffersons Lionel, show him to the door!]]" before running up the Banks' stairs. Hemsley showing up later in the run to reprise his role as George Jefferson makes this HilariousInHindsight.

* ActorAllusion: "You don't get it, Will. Parents just don't understand". (cue AsideGlance)

** And in something of a subversion, Jada Pinkett (now Jada Pinkett Smith because she married Will Smith) was turned down for a role as Will's girlfriend due to a lack of chemistry.

* HeyItsThatVoice: James Avery's voice will be instantly recognizable to children of the 80s as [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 the Shredder]].

* OldShame: In-universe example. Geoffrey's secret was that he was a long distance runner who cheated while representing Britain at the 1976 Olympics. He got ahead of the other racers by '''taking a cab to the stadium'''. He was immediately found out and his gold medal was taken away. In England, he is "The Shame of a Nation."

* TomHanksSyndrome: Will Smith ran into a career block when trying to keep up the hip, street-savvy black guy he started portraying with this show. Ironically, no one remembered him as "The Fresh Prince" after ''Film/IndependenceDay''.

* TheOtherDarrin: The role of Vivian Banks was recast after Janet Hubert-Whitten violated her contract when she became pregnant; the pregnancy and birth of her character's child, Nicky Banks, was worked into the plot to accommodate the situation. After she was fired, Hubert-Whitten's character was played by Daphne Maxwell Reid for the remainder of the show's run. According to both Will Smith and Hubert-Whitten, they had difficulties working together long before her pregnancy. The other cast members also admitted to having difficulties working with Hubert-Whitten mainly due to her trying to make the show be more about Aunt Vivian and Uncle Phil despite the fact that Will was the central character.

* TheDanza: Subverted, Will Smith plays Will Smith. However, in real life, Will's actual name is Willard, while in-show, Will's name is William. On an episode of DavidLetterman and again [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFjwbKMlmF4&feature=relmfu on Graham Norton]], Smith said that Alfonso Ribero advised him to do this, because people would be calling him by his character's name for the rest of his life, as demonstrated by the fact they went out and were called "Will!" and "Carlton!"

* ExecutiveMeddling: At the start of Season 4, Janet Hubert-Whitten is no longer part of the cast, and the role of Vivian is recast to Daphne Maxwell Reid. No reasons were given to the public for over a decade, but Whitten fills that Creator/WillSmith played a role in her sacking.
** Alfonso Ribeiro confirms that the whole cast was like one big family, except for Whitten, who was difficult to work with and toxic to be around, and really killed the mood on set.
*** Further corroborated by James Avery in a June 2013 edition of OMG! Insider, in which he remarks that he constantly had to remind Whitten that the show was "The ''Fresh Prince'' of Bel-Air," not "Philip and Vivian of Bel-Air."

* IAmNotSpock: Defied: Will Smith chose to call his character "Will Smith" because he knew he would be referred to as his character's name for the rest of his life. According to interviews, he was acting on the advice of Alfonso, who hasn't quite escaped this. "When we go out together, people are like: 'Will, Will! Carlton!'"

** And in something of a subversion, Jada Pinkett (now Jada Pinkett Smith because she married Will) was turned down for a role as Will's girlfriend due to a lack of chemistry. Irony As She Is Not Cast, maybe?

* OldShame: In-show example. Geoffrey's secret was that he was a long distance runner who cheated while representing Britain at the 1976 Olympics. He got ahead of the other racers by '''taking a cab to the stadium'''. He was immediately found out and his gold medal was taken away. In England, he is "The Shame of a Nation."
* TheOtherDarrin: The role of Vivian Banks was recast since Janet Hubert-Whitten violated her contract when she became pregnant; the pregnancy and birth of her character's child, Nicky Banks, was worked into the plot to accommodate the situation. After she was fired, Hubert-Whitten's character was played by Daphne Reid for the remainder of the show's run. According to both Will Smith and Hubert-Whitten, they had difficulties working together long before her pregnancy. The other cast members also admitted to having difficulties working with Hubert-Whitten mainly due to her trying to make it more about Aunt Vivian and Uncle Phil despite the fact that Will was the central character.

** A literal case with the fifth and sixth seasons; the show was actually canceled during the fourth. See UnCanceled.

** At one point during the end of "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse", Will goes off script from his rant about the present he got for his father to a speech based on his own life experiences and how he will be a better man than his father (eventually breaking down in tears). You can tell from the look on James Avery's face (when he becomes confused) when the change occurs.

* UnCanceled: The show was actually canceled during its fourth season, with "The Philadelphia Story" serving as the GrandFinale. The overwhelming response, with viewers writing in by the truckload to NBC and Will Smith, convinced the network to go back on this decision, allowing it to run for what became two more seasons.

* TheOtherDarrin: Janet Hubert-Whitten was replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid in 1993.
** Lampshaded in one episode, where Jazz comments that there's been something different about Vivian ever since she gave birth to Nicky and Will then breaks the fourth wall to stare at the audience.

* ThrowItIn: At one point during the end of "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse", Will goes off script from his rant about the present he got for his father to a speech based on his own life experiences and how he will be a better man than his father (eventually breaking down in tears). You can tell from the look on James Avery's face (when he becomes confused) when the change occurs.

* OldShame: In-show example. Geoffrey's secret was that he was a long distance runner who cheated while representing Britain at the 1976 Olympic. He got ahead of the other racers by '''taking a cab to the stadium'''. He was immediately found out and his gold medal was taken away. In England, he is "The Shame of a Nation."

** A literal case with the fifth and sixth seasons; the show was actually canceled during the fourth.

** A literal case with the fifth and sixth seasons; the show was actually canceled during the fourth. See UnCanceled on the Trivia page.

* ExecutiveMeddling: At the start of Season 4, Janet Hubert-Whitten is no longer part of the cast, and the role of Vivian is recast to Daphne Maxwell Reid. No reasons were given to the public for over a decade, but Whitten fills that WillSmith played a role in her sacking.

** Will's best friend from Philly, "Jazz" was played by DJ Jazzy Jeff.

* IAmNotSpock: Averted: Will Smith chose to call his character "Will Smith" because he knew he would be referred to as his character's name for the rest of his life. According to interviews, he was acting on the advice of Alfonso, who hasn't quite escaped this. "When we go out together, people are like: 'Will, Will! Carlton!'"

* ThrowItIn: At one point during the end of "Papa's Got a Band New Excuse", Will goes off script from his rant about the present he got for his father to a speech based on his own life experiences and how he will be a better man than his father (eventually breaking down in tears). You can tell from the look on James Avery's face (when he becomes confused) when the change occurs.

** Alphonso Ribiero confirms that the whole cast was like one big family, except for Whitten, who was difficult to work with and toxic to be around, and really killed the mood on set.

* IAmNotSpock: Averted: Will Smith chose to call his character "Will Smith" because he knew he would be refered to as his character's name for the rest of his life.

** Lampshaded in one episode, where Jazz comments that there's been something different about Vivian ever since she gave birth to Nicky and Will then breaks the fourth wall to stare at the audience.

* ExecutiveMeddling: At the start of Season 4, Janet Hubert-Whitten is no longer part of the cast, and the role of Vivian is recast to Daphne Maxwell Reid. No reasons were given to the public for over a decade, but Whitten fills that WillSmith played a role in her sacking.