‘Bel-Air’ Is Getting Its First-Ever Spinoff Series at Peacock

Peacock’s dramatic reimagining of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ spent four seasons proving that a beloved sitcom could be reworked into something considerably heavier without losing what made the original special. Since debuting in February 2022, ‘Bel-Air’ became one of the streamer’s breakout hits, wrapping its story in December with a finale that gave most of its characters a clear, settled ending.

That sense of closure hasn’t stopped Peacock from wanting more. According to Deadline, the streamer is developing ‘Hilary,’ a spinoff centered on Coco Jones’ character Hilary Banks, Will Smith’s cousin and one of the reboot’s most closely followed arcs across all four seasons. If the project moves forward, it would mark Peacock’s first scripted original series ever to spawn a direct spinoff.

The premise sends Hilary considerably further from home than fans might expect. According to the show’s official logline, “After accepting an unexpected job offer from celebrity chef Yvonne Durand, Hilary Banks impulsively moves to New York determined to prove herself beyond her Bel-Air connections, only to find that success, friendship and love in the city come with a cost she never anticipated.”

That New York setting marks a deliberate departure from where ‘Bel-Air’ left Hilary’s story. In the reboot’s final season, Hilary chose to stay in Bel-Air and open her own café, having grown into an accomplished chef in her own right. The proposed spinoff instead pulls from a different piece of franchise history, mirroring how Karyn Parsons’ original Hilary left for New York in the finale of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ back in the 1990s.

‘Hilary’ is written by Tracy Oliver, best known for ‘Girls Trip’ and ‘Harlem,’ marking her first involvement with the ‘Bel-Air’ franchise. Jones and Oliver are set to executive produce alongside Will Smith, Terence Carter, David Boorstein, and Miguel Melendez of Westbrook Studios, joined by Benny Medina, Andy Borowitz, Susan Borowitz, Morgan Cooper, the Jeff Pollack trust, and the Quincy Jones estate, largely the same production team behind the original series.

Peacock has not yet issued a formal series order or announced a release date, meaning ‘Hilary’ remains in active development rather than confirmed for production. It’s also unclear which, if any, other ‘Bel-Air’ cast members might return in recurring or guest capacities, given Hilary’s storyline ended the original series married to Jazz, played by Jordan L. Jones, whose potential involvement in the spinoff hasn’t been addressed.

‘Bel-Air’ itself grew out of Morgan Cooper’s viral 2019 fan film reimagining the original sitcom, eventually becoming a full dramatic series starring Jabari Banks as Will alongside Adrian Holmes, Cassandra Freeman, Olly Sholotan, and Akira Akbar. Jones’ performance as Hilary was frequently singled out as one of the show’s standout elements throughout its run, giving the character a natural foundation to carry her own series.

With Jones continuing to build out her career beyond ‘Bel-Air,’ including recent film work and a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album, ‘Hilary’ represents a chance for Peacock to extend one of its signature franchises while giving one of its most popular cast members a true leading role. Whether the streamer ultimately greenlights the series remains to be seen, but the concept alone has already generated significant buzz among fans of the original show.

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