Why The 'Fresh Prince' Reboot Shouldn't Happen

If you thought that the Full House Netflix spinoff was the only '90s sitcom getting rebooted, well... you'd be wrong. Very wrong. It seems like every other beloved show and movie that sends our nostalgia levels spiking is getting the modern-day treatment, and now it's a certain Bel-Air family's turn to test itself out on a "fresher" audience. As reported by TVLine, a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot is in the works, and while I don't want to judge a TV series by its concept, I'm going to say now that I'm not completely sure how this thing is going to work. Can a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot really capture the magic that was the original series? Fans have a few reasons to be skeptical.

Obviously, the reason for my skepticism has nothing to do with a dislike for Will, Carlton, or any of the Bel-Air gang. In fact, it's my enduring love for these characters and this show that makes me question whether there's any real reason to bring it into 2015. According to TVLine, the general concept is still being pitched to various networks, so we still don't know what the specifics of the reboot are, like whether it's a Fuller House-esque spinoff with the same characters or just a reboot of the original series in 2015. Ultimately, I'm not sure it matters: There are some fundamental reasons why this isn't a great idea.

Here are a few reasons why I'm not sold on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot — at least, not yet, anyway:

1. Will Smith Won't Be On Screen

It's hard to imagine the Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air without, well, the fresh prince of Bel-Air. Unfortunately, if the show gets the greenlight, that's what we will be faced with: a world where Smith isn't our prince. Though Prince is onboard as producer (which means that whoever does get to play his character will get Smith-approval) I'm not thrilled with trading in the iconic character Smith created for a knockoff. Sorry not sorry.

2. The Concept Isn't Exactly Original

Just because the Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air was great doesn't mean that the concept was revolutionary. In fact, it's not all that different from pretty much every other sitcom out there: it's a relatively simple fish-out-of-water story that stood out because of its excellent characters and quirks. It's hard to strike lightning twice. Expecting a reboot to work because the original did is like attempting to recreate Friends by having the story be about six 20-somethings living in New York.

3. Where's The '90s Charm?

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air is so deliciously '90s that it's hard to separate the decade from the show. What do we have in 2015 that's nearly as fun? SnapChat?

4. Or The '90s Clothes?

Compared to the original Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, all of the costumes on the reboot will be basic as heck.

5. If It Is A Sequel, There's No Guarantee That Everyone Will Be Involved

Sadly, James Avery, who played Uncle Phil, passed away in January of 2014, which means that a big spirit of the original show is already gone. It would feel cheap to replace Avery with another actor, and even if they did, there's no guarantee that any of the other cast members would jump to do a spinoff. Without the core cast, what's the point?

6. There's Simply No Recapturing The Original Carlton Dance

Alfonso Ribeiro may be a killer dancer (he won Dancing With The Stars!) but it'll be a challenge to capture the whimsy of a high schooler getting down with this dance.

Sorry, but sometimes you just shouldn't mess with the original.

Images: Warner Bros. Television; Giphy (6)