The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air came to a close in 1996 after six seasons and nearly 150 episodes, and here's why the show ended when it did. A widely beloved sitcom of the 1990s, one wonders if The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air would be remembered so strongly today if it hadn't launched Will Smith into a level of superstardom few actors ever experience. Smith is truly one of the most successful A-listers in Hollywood history, and it all traces back to a comedy some thought was a risky move, as Smith had never acted before.
Smith wasn't the only Fresh Prince cast member to jump-start their career thanks to the show either. James Avery, the man behind Will's beloved guardian Uncle Phil, would enjoy a long, prolific career as both an onscreen and voice actor. Alfonso Riberio, who portrayed Will's dorky but charming cousin Carlton, ended up mostly moving away from acting and using his charisma to reinvent himself as a game show host and reality TV star, and also spent years directing for TV. Then there's Tatiana Ali, who grew up on TV as young Ashley, and has been working steadily since.
It's safe to say that The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a good career move for many, and the resounding cheer when the entire series was finally made available to stream on HBO Max points to just how popular it remains. So, why did such a popular series end after only six seasons, and not keep going until its wheels fell off like so many others? As one might imagine, the answer comes down to one man.
Why Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Ended After Season 6 (Was It Cancelled?)
As much as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air did to cement Will Smith as a Hollywood staple, by 1996, Smith was quite ready to leave Bel-Air behind. It's not that he had come to dislike making the show, or working with the cast and crew around him, it's that Smith, still very young and hungry to conquer the pop culture world, correctly foresaw a bright future for himself on the big screen. With that in mind, Smith saw six seasons as enough, and was content to put the series to bed. So The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air wasn't canceled, its lead star made the decision to end it, similarly to Jerry Seinfeld with Seinfeld and Jim Parsons with The Big Bang Theory. Here's Smith's full comments on the matter, as made to the Los Angeles Times back in 1996:
"You become a family. On some weeks you spend more time with your TV family than you do with your real family. It’s hard to say goodbye to that atmosphere, but we felt like it was time. We’ve all grown as actors and as people, we had an incredibly talented cast, but the show is just limiting."
"TV is a good workout facility, where you get to work on your timing and other paces, but I think I’ve had enough time in the gym. Now I’m ready for the coach to put me in the game . . . motion pictures."
Additionally, while The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was still popular in the ratings during season 6, that was actually two years longer than the network had wanted the show to run. After season 4, executives noticed that new episodes were rating only slightly better than re-runs. They then made the calculation that it would be more cost effective to just cancel the show and make big bucks in syndication, having already produced nearly 100 episodes. Thankfully, fans and local NBC affiliate stations rallied around Fresh Prince, getting it a stay of execution. By the time Smith expressed a desire to move on, one assumes NBC was perfectly willing to accommodate him.