The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is the show that started Will Smith's acting career. It is a family oriented sitcom about the culture clashes of an African-American family living in Bel-Air, California. The main star of the show, Will Smith, plays Will Smith, and when he gets into a little trouble back home in West Philadelphia, his mother sends him to live with his aunt and uncle in Bel-Air. Since Smith grew up in a completely different environment than his cousins Carlton, Ashley, and Hilary, there are plenty of jokes from their indifferences. Like many, I grew up watching this show and I have very fond memories of it. Before my review of season two, it had been a few years since I last saw an episode and I was looking forward to seeing the Prince in action once again. Unfortunately I found that the show was not nearly as funny as I used to think it was. After watching season three, I found the opinion held. The show is funny enough to offer a few good episodes to watch here and there, but comes with limited replay value.

In general what I find attractive about this series is not its stories, as most of them are pretty similar to every other sitcom out there and sometimes they get beyond cheesy and a little hard to stomach. Instead it is the characters. They are all very animated and the goofy way they act together makes them funny and likeable. And while the stories tend to get cheesy, the characters never feel that way, despite their over the top attitudes. Be sure to check out DVD Talk's reviews of season one and season two.

In the series' first season, the general premise was setup, the characters outlined, etc. Smith was slowly adapting to his new way of life, as well as the Banks household getting accustomed to having him around. By the time we hit the second season, Smith had found his niche in the Bel-Air household. He was no longer the tough street kid from Philly, but a kid who thinks he's a tough guy living in a million dollar mansion and thoroughly enjoying the fruits of life. In season three the fun continues with Will and Carlton in their final year of high school and preparing to go off to college (season four), Hilary gets a new job, Ashley's growing interest in dating, Phil running for a herald judgeship, and Vivian's pregnancy and coming to term. In general the tone of season three is the same as the past seasons, with plenty of goofy situations and the characters overreacting to everything.

The season opens with "How I Spent My Summer Vacation". In this episode Will returns to Bel-Air after spending the summer back in Philadelphia. With Will's return, he comes back with a new look and uncle Phil reacts in an unkindly way. It is a fun way to start the season. In "That's No Lady, That's My Cousin" Ashley's interest in the opposite sex begins to peek. She starts to get tips from Will and Carlton about what of the opposite sex appeals to them and she begins to dress in a sexy and sleek manner, which set Will and Carlton into overprotective brotherly mode. It is pretty hilarious in the way both characters handle their reactions to Ashley's new look.

"Hilary Gets a Job" is funny episodes on in its own right. If you recall the season two episode "Hilary Gets a Life", Hilary took a job as a caterer to pay off credit card debt after Phil decided she needed to be more responsible. It is a comical episode with prissy Hilary trying to be something she is not, responsible. In "Hilary Gets a Job" she lands a position at a TV station reporting the weather, which she knows nearly nothing about it. This episode introduces her new love interest Trevor (Brian Stokes Mitchell), who makes a continued appearance into the beginning of season four.

"Mama's Baby, Carlton's Maybe" introduces a serious matter that is handled in a comical way. In this episode Carlton's ex-girlfriend comes to him with a child and says it is his. The irony is that Carlton is a virgin, but decides to take responsibility for the child. The episode "A Night at the Oprah" guest stars Oprah Winfrey and the Banks family makes an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, but Will is not included. In "Mommy Nearest", Will confronts his mother with the fact he wants to stay in Bel-Air and attend college in California and not return to Philadelphia after he graduates high school. It is a fun episode with Will imagining what life would be like living at home for the rest of his life.

"The Alma Matter" is another absurd episode where Will gets accepted to Princeton while Carlton is rejected. It is a big deal for Carlton, as he has wanted to go to Princeton since he was a little kid. "Just Say Yo" is another serious episode where Carlton overdoses on pills he mistook for vitamins. In the season finale "Six Degrees of Graduation", Will is failing his music class and in order to pass (and graduate) he has to sing with a class of grade schoolers. It is a funny sight to see Will with a bunch of eight year old kids.

All in all, season three of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air continues to offer fun family oriented comedy through some goofy interpretations of everyday life. The characters are good together and there is enough content to keep you laughing. However, while it is enjoyable, like season two I found it was not memorizing. You'll laugh and enjoy every minute, but it can only make you laugh so many times before the comedy starts to feel repetitive. This set makes a great rental.

Episode Guide
1. How I spent My Summer Vacation
2. Will Gets Committed
3. That's No Lady. That's My Cousin
4. Hilary Gets a Job
5. Mama's Baby. Carlton's Maybe
6. P.S. I Love You
7. Here Comes the Judge
8. Boyz in the Woods
9. A Night at the Oprah
10. Asses to Ashes
11. A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum
12. The Cold War
13. Mommy Nearest
14. Winner Takes Off
15. Robbing the Banks
16. Bundle of Joy
17. The Best Laid Plans
18. The Alma Matter
19. Just Say Yo
20. The Baby Comes Out
21. You Bet Your Life
22. Ain't No Business like Show Business
23. The Way We Were
24. Six Degrees of Graduation

The DVD

Video:
The video has been re-mastered for DVD. It looks pretty good and is presented in its original television aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame color. The picture gets a little grainy and the darker segments tend to show it off more. There are hints of edge enhancement and color distortions from video compression. Overall a pretty average looking release.

Audio:
The audio is given in English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo sound. The quality is average with respect to most TV on DVD releases. The track is fairly flat, dialogue is clear and easy to understand, and it includes a laugh track. There is little distinction between left and right channels. The release does come with subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

Extras:
The season three extras are pretty much the same as what was included with season two. The first item is "The Best of the Upper Bel-Air Crust". It is eight and a half minutes of various clips from season three with some trivia scattered throughout it. The final item is "Bel-Air Bloopers", which features seven minutes of funny goofs during filming.

Final Thoughts:
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is one of many television series that I hold in high regard. I grew up watching episodes of Will Smith getting into crazy situations with the Banks family and always enjoyed them. However, I have come to realize that the show is not quite as rich as some other sitcoms in its stories or dialogue. The characters are goofy enough to make you laugh, but typically the focus on comedy is the same thing in each episode. This season set is fun and worth sitting through, but I believe it has fairly low replay value.