More than thirty years have passed since The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered on NBC, but unlike other family sitcoms of its era, it has remained culturally relevant and beloved by new generations of fans. In The Fresh Prince Project: How the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Remixed America (Atria Books; On Sale January 31, 2023; $28.00 Hardcover; ISBN 9781982185176), Chris Palmer shares a colorful and in-depth cultural history of the beloved nineties sitcom that launched Philadelphia rapper Will Smith to superstardom.

With fresh eyes on the show in the wake of 2022’s launch of a Fresh Prince reboot on NBC’s Peacock, THE FRESH PRINCE PROJECT brings us never-before-told stories based on exclusive interviews with the show’s cast, creators, writers, and crew. THE FRESH PRINCE PROJECT is an eye-opening exploration and celebration of a show that not only made Will Smith a household name but also helped redefine America’s understandings of race, sex, parenthood, and class.

Source: VALERIE MACON / Getty

THE FRESH PRINCE PROJECT explores never-before-told stories and insights including:

• How The Fresh Prince brought never before seen urban cool to Primetime
• The ways in which The Fresh Prince both held up a mirror to Black America and presented African Americans in a new light
• The strong pull of nostalgia the Fresh Prince holds and how the 90s are so in right now
• The lasting impact and legacy of The Fresh Prince and what Bel-Air means to the new generation

• How this book and show was so personal to the author and what he thinks of that Oscar slap…and so much more

Palmer perfects the compelling structure and subject matter of “TV show books” such as Seinfeldia by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, and The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s by Andy Greene. A DC native and graduate of Howard University Chris Palmer I currently resides in Los Angeles, CA and is an authority on all things Fresh Prince, he has authored six books, including the New York Times bestsellers WIDE OPEN, the autobiography of Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath, and Laker great Lamar Odom’s memoir, DARKNESS TO LIGHT.

Source: Adam Rose / Peacock

Season two of Peacock’s ‘Bel AIr’ returns on February 23. In the meantime, THE FRESH PRINCE PROJECT will be available to purchase on January 31. Tap in!