Before Peacock’s 2022 Bel-Air reboot, Fresh Prince nearly got a spinoff series starring actor Don Cheadle. While today’s media is often criticized for the growing number of reboots, spinoffs, revivals, and remakes, such as Bel-Air’s own dramatic reimagining, this has been common practice since television first took off. It took over 25 years for Fresh Prince to get an official twist on the classic sitcom, but there were plans for a character-centric spinoff right after its first 1990-1991 season.
Before becoming the critically acclaimed actor better known for his dramatic roles, franchise contributions, and comedy characters since the late 1990s, Don Cheadle notably had a pre-fame stint on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air season 1. Cheadle appeared as Ice Tray, Will Smith’s best friend from West Philadelphia who comes to visit the homesick protagonist. Cheadle only appeared in one episode, but his character made a lasting impression, as Bel-Air season 1 has reintroduced a more prominent version of his character portrayed by SteVonté Hart.
The Fresh Prince episode in which Don Cheadle appeared was praised for both his character and the themes he brought to Will Smith’s story, particularly in that while Will could escape West Philly by the power of his extended family’s wealth, Tray didn’t have the option to leave. Don Cheadle’s Ice Tray quickly became a fan-favorite, and Fresh Prince’s producers caught onto the charm of both Cheadle and the story his character brought to the table. Before Cheadle’s 1990 Fresh Prince episode had even aired, the producers asked him to sign onto a spinoff series titled In the House, surrounding Ice Tray’s life in West Philly.
Cheadle recalled the process of getting his spinoff to Uproxx, stating that he arrived at his Fresh Prince episode for a “table read on Monday, Tuesday rehearse, Wednesday rehearse, Thursday do it in front of a live audience,” and was approached for the spinoff on that same Thursday. Don Cheadle’s Fresh Prince spinoff even shot an entire pilot episode for the presumably grittier and raw version of the original show—similar to Bel-Air season 1—but the series wasn’t picked up by NBC. While an Ice Tray spinoff would have been an exciting way to give glimpses into the characters Will left behind in West Philadelphia, such as Fresh Prince’s Jackie, the series wasn’t meant to be at the time.
While Cheadle’s In the House series was canceled by the network, NBC would later use the title for the LL Cool J-starring 1995 series, which also featured original Carlton Banks actor Alfonso Ribeiro. Considering Ice Tray’s one-episode reception was positive enough to garner him a spinoff pilot episode, it’s surprising that Fresh Prince’s six seasons never brought back the character. Cheadle even mentioned in his interview that he was dating original Hilary Banks actress Karyn Parsons at the time of his guest-starring role, which makes sense as to why Tray and Hilary had a quick fling in his episode. While Don Cheadle’s Ice Tray never got his Fresh Prince spinoff, Bel-Air is giving the teenage character substantial depth and involvement to make up for it.