best episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air poster

Will, a street-smart teenager, moves from the tough streets of West Philly to posh Bel-Air to live with his Uncle Philip, Aunt Vivian, his cousins — spoiled Hilary, preppy Carlton and young Ashley — and their sophisticated British butler, Geoffrey. Though Will’s antics and upbringing contrast greatly with the upper-class lifestyle of his extended relatives, he soon finds himself right at home as a loved part of the family.

6 Seasons
148 Episodes
Ended
Comedy Family
Cast & Characters
episode image Papa's Got a Brand-New Excuse
9.7/10 (3510 votes)

#1 Papa's Got a Brand-New Excuse

S4:E24

Ben Vereen plays Will's long-lost father, who breezes into town and promises Will the moon, which angers an unforgiving Philip.

episode image I, Done (2)
8.9/10 (1080 votes)

#2 I, Done (2)

S6:E24

The Banks move out. The Jeffersons are about to move in. And Will turns out the lights.

episode image Just Say Yo
8.8/10 (1051 votes)

#3 Just Say Yo

S3:E19

Will learns a sobering lesson after Carlton pops the wrong pills from Will's locker, mistaking amphetamines for vitamins, and winds up in hospital.

episode image Mistaken Identity
8.5/10 (1450 votes)

#4 Mistaken Identity

S1:E6

Jailed, Will and Carlton stage a media stunt.

episode image Bullets Over Bel-Air
8.5/10 (866 votes)

#5 Bullets Over Bel-Air

S5:E15

A planned camping trip is cut short for Carlton and Will when a robber approaches them at an automated bank-teller machine - and fires a gun.

episode image Strip-Tease for Two
8.2/10 (823 votes)

#6 Strip-Tease for Two

S2:E24

Will and Carlton lose their shirts investing on a tip - then take jobs as strippers to recoup their losses and get Vivian's bracelet out of hock.

episode image Banks Shot
8.1/10 (998 votes)

#7 Banks Shot

S1:E22

Will crawls to Philip for help after sneaking out on the town and getting hustled by sleazy pool sharks.

episode image 72 Hours
8.1/10 (983 votes)

#8 72 Hours

S1:E23

Will challenges Carlton to spend time in a tough neighborhood, trying to survive by masquerading as a financial consultant.

episode image Winner Takes Off
8.1/10 (760 votes)

#9 Winner Takes Off

S3:E14

Geoffrey humiliates himself by insulting the Banks family and quitting his job when Will and Carlton trick him into thinking he has won millions of dollars in the lottery.

episode image Knowledge is Power
8.0/10 (1018 votes)

#10 Knowledge is Power

S1:E13

Hilary becomes Will's personal maid when he threatens to disclose she's dropped out of UCLA.

episode image Boyz in the Woods
8.0/10 (761 votes)

#11 Boyz in the Woods

S3:E8

Philip takes Will and Carlton on a camping trip that turns out to be a disaster when snow traps the unhappy campers.

episode image Will Goes a-Courtin'
8.0/10 (738 votes)

#12 Will Goes a-Courtin'

S4:E6

When Phillip sues Will and Carlton for unpaid rent, two different versions of the dispute are aired - neither entirely truthful.

episode image I, Done (1)
8.0/10 (701 votes)

#13 I, Done (1)

S6:E23

The mansion's for sale and everybody's in the fast lane... except Will, who's stuck on life's soft shoulder.

episode image The Fresh Prince Project
7.9/10 (1690 votes)

#14 The Fresh Prince Project

S1:E1

Aunt Vivian tries to mediate between her husband Philip and the newly arrived Will.

episode image The Alma Matter
7.9/10 (717 votes)

#15 The Alma Matter

S3:E18

Depressed and suicidal over having ruined his chances of attending Princeton University, Carlton is visited by his Guardian Angel, who shows him how awful the Banks family would be if he weren't alive.

episode image Home is Where the Heart Attack Is
7.9/10 (689 votes)

#16 Home is Where the Heart Attack Is

S4:E10

Will sneaks greasy, high-fat foods to Philip after he promises to diet and exercise, then blames himself when Philip has a heart attack.

episode image It Had to Be You
7.8/10 (945 votes)

#17 It Had to Be You

S1:E19

Will has girl problems after a date with Jazz's domineering sister, who's ready to pick out a china pattern before the night is over.

episode image Will Gets a Job
7.8/10 (821 votes)

#18 Will Gets a Job

S2:E3

Will tries to juggle school and a new job in order to earn money for the homecoming party, at the same time Ashley's classmate Tina becomes interested in Carlton. Will starts becoming paranoid when he constantly is getting confused with Carlton.

episode image The Butler Did It
7.8/10 (810 votes)

#19 The Butler Did It

S2:E11

Bell Biv DeVoe shoots a video at the Bankses, courtesy of Carlton, who rents the house while his parents are away.

episode image Not with My Pig, You Don't
7.7/10 (1200 votes)

#20 Not with My Pig, You Don't

S1:E4

Will tries to smooth things between Philip and his very rural parents when they visit to see him receive an award.

episode image Courting Disaster
7.7/10 (1007 votes)

#21 Courting Disaster

S1:E11

Carlton feels overshadowed by Will, who's become a basketball star at school.

episode image Cased Up
7.7/10 (803 votes)

#22 Cased Up

S2:E9

A pompous lawyer who's dating Hilary is no fan of Will's after he's sideswiped by Will's roadster.

episode image A Night at the Oprah
7.7/10 (731 votes)

#23 A Night at the Oprah

S3:E9

The Bankses appear on Oprah's show and fail to invite Will on-stage, which may cause Philip to lose the election.

episode image Robbing the Banks
7.7/10 (696 votes)

#24 Robbing the Banks

S3:E15

Philip is quick to judge an ex-con Will urged him to hire as a handyman and temporary assistant after the house is robbed.

episode image Six Degrees of Graduation
7.7/10 (680 votes)

#25 Six Degrees of Graduation

S3:E24

Vy anticipates Will's graduation with enthusiasm, but there may be discord when she learns Will is failing music. To pass his music class, Will must sing at the graduation ceremony - with a class of eight-year-olds.

episode image All Guts, No Glory
7.7/10 (693 votes)

#26 All Guts, No Glory

S4:E3

Registration day finds Will signing up for no-brainer classes, plus one that might truly challenge him - a philosophy course he takes to meet a girl.

episode image It's Better to Have Loved and Lost It...
7.7/10 (660 votes)

#27 It's Better to Have Loved and Lost It...

S4:E5

After Will's friends guys rib Carlton about being a virgin, Miss Right appears and sweeps Carlton off his feet. Elsewhere, Geoffrey confesses a secret of his own.

episode image Blood is Thicker Than Mud
7.7/10 (689 votes)

#28 Blood is Thicker Than Mud

S4:E8

A bro with dough? Carlton's upper-class upbringing may make him unwelcome at a black fraternity.

episode image M is for the Many Things She Gave Me
7.7/10 (664 votes)

#29 M is for the Many Things She Gave Me

S4:E22

It's double trouble for Will when Philip's old flame visits with her daughter, who's attracted to Will.

episode image Not, I Barbecue
7.7/10 (631 votes)

#30 Not, I Barbecue

S6:E6

Will and Carlton's double date ends unromantically when a big bruiser shows up looking for his squeeze.

episode image Eye, Tooth
7.7/10 (630 votes)

#31 Eye, Tooth

S6:E22

William Shatner stars as Hilary's talk-show guest, but Will must find a way to beam him from the dentist's chair to the set. Meanwhile, Hilary's show treks to New York and Ashley insists on tagging along.

episode image Guess Who's Coming to Marry?
7.6/10 (828 votes)

#32 Guess Who's Coming to Marry?

S2:E6

Tensions spill over just before the wedding of Will's Aunt Janice when Will's mom meets Janice's intended - and forbids Will to attend the interracial wedding.

episode image She Ain't Heavy
7.6/10 (793 votes)

#33 She Ain't Heavy

S2:E8

Will hits it off with the full-figured Dee Dee, but her size keeps him from asking her to the dance.

episode image My Brother's Keeper
7.6/10 (771 votes)

#34 My Brother's Keeper

S2:E15

On the basketball court, winning is everything to Will, as it is to an opponent from Malibu Prep, who can't afford to lose.

episode image That's No Lady, That's My Cousin
7.6/10 (719 votes)

#35 That's No Lady, That's My Cousin

S3:E3

Enrolled at the newly coed Bel-Air Prep, Ashley begins dressing to entice guys, using Will's preferences in women as her examples.

episode image Mama's Baby, Carlton's Maybe
7.6/10 (735 votes)

#36 Mama's Baby, Carlton's Maybe

S3:E5

Carlton prepares for a dinner date with his former girlfriend, Cindy (Lark Voorhees), forgiving her for rejecting him several months earlier, but when she arrives with a newborn baby named Carlton Jr., the entire Banks family is stunned.

episode image Where There's a Will, There's a Way (2)
7.6/10 (599 votes)

#37 Where There's a Will, There's a Way (2)

S4:E2

Will and Carlton begin their first year of college by moving into their own apartment, while Philip and Vivian enjoy their newborn son. Hilary learns that Trevor plans to propose marriage to her during an elaborate stunt on his TV news show.

episode image Hex and the Single Guy
7.6/10 (679 votes)

#38 Hex and the Single Guy

S4:E7

Will disses a seance - until the spiritualist zaps him with a hex that (uh-oh) seems to work.

episode image Sleepless in Bel-Air
7.6/10 (651 votes)

#39 Sleepless in Bel-Air

S4:E14

Will pays for putting off studying for a midterm until the last minute, and Ashley pays for staying out late on her first date.

episode image You'd Better Shop Around
7.6/10 (626 votes)

#40 You'd Better Shop Around

S4:E19

A car dealer hires Will, then persuades him to drop out of college.

Cast & Chracters

character image Will Smith

Will Smith

Actor: Will Smith
character image Philip Banks

Philip Banks

Actor: James Avery
character image Vivian Banks

Vivian Banks

Actor: Daphne Maxwell Reid
character image Carlton Banks

Carlton Banks

Actor: Alfonso Ribeiro
character image Hilary Banks

Hilary Banks

Actor: Karyn Parsons
character image Ashley Banks

Ashley Banks

Actor: Tatyana Ali
character image Geoffrey Butler

Geoffrey Butler

Actor: Joseph Marcell
character image Nicky Banks

Nicky Banks

Actor: Ross Bagley

The highest rated episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is "Papa's Got a Brand-New Excuse" (S4E24) with a rating of 9.70.

This episode received 3,510 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "Someday Your Prince Will Be in Effect (1)" (S1E8) with a rating of 6.30.

This episode received 1,087 votes.

The highest rated episode is "Mistaken Identity" (S1E6) with a rating of 8.50.

This episode received 1,450 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "Someday Your Prince Will Be in Effect (1)" (S1E8) with a rating of 6.30.

This episode received 1,087 votes.

The highest rated episode is "Strip-Tease for Two" (S2E24) with a rating of 8.20.

This episode received 823 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "Granny Gets Busy" (S2E5) with a rating of 7.20.

This episode received 775 votes.

The highest rated episode is "Just Say Yo" (S3E19) with a rating of 8.80.

This episode received 1,051 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "The Way We Were" (S3E23) with a rating of 6.30.

This episode received 660 votes.

The highest rated episode is "Papa's Got a Brand-New Excuse" (S4E24) with a rating of 9.70.

This episode received 3,510 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "For Sale by Owner" (S4E25) with a rating of 6.60.

This episode received 678 votes.

The highest rated episode is "Bullets Over Bel-Air" (S5E15) with a rating of 8.50.

This episode received 866 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "Love in an Elevator" (S5E24) with a rating of 6.60.

This episode received 572 votes.

The highest rated episode is "I, Done (2)" (S6E24) with a rating of 8.90.

This episode received 1,080 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "Get a Job" (S6E2) with a rating of 7.10.

This episode received 597 votes.

Name Department Job
Joann Kozloff Costume & Make-Up Makeup Department Head
Stacey Morris Costume & Make-Up Hairstylist
Andy Borowitz Production Executive Consultant
Gary Considine Production Executive In Charge Of Production
Larry Wilmore Production Co-Producer
Quincy Jones Production Executive Producer
Werner Walian Production Producer
Will Smith Production Executive Producer
DJ Jazzy Jeff Sound Theme Song Performance
Quincy Jones III Sound Original Music Composer
Jeff Pollack Writing Screenplay

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