In the debut episode of
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, it's difficult to say who is more upset when South Philly teenager Will Smith (played by rap artist
Will Smith!) is uprooted from his old neighborhood and shipped off to his wealthy Los Angeles relatives by his concerned mother Vy. Will himself didn't ask to be moved, and has a lot of trouble warming up to his pampered cousins Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro), Hilary (Karyn Parsons) and Ashley (Tatyana M. Ali); meanwhile, his Uncle Philip (James Avery), a prominent attorney, is convinced that Will is a bad influence on his kids--especially after Ashley performs some impromptu rap lyrics in front of Phillip's astonished law partners. It is up to Will's Aunt Vivian (Janet Hubert-Whitten), Vy's sister, to act as mediator--and to convince both Will and Phillip that they've got a lot to learn about patience and tolerance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide