The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Season 3
DVD cover
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes24
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseSeptember 14, 1992 (1992-09-14) –
May 10, 1993 (1993-05-10)
Season chronology

The third season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered on September 14, 1992, and concluded on May 10, 1993.[1] This would be the last season to feature Janet Hubert-Whitten as Vivian Banks, as she left the show for professional and personal reasons. Janet Hubert-Whitten was replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid in the show's fourth season and for the remainder of the show's run.[2] Additionally, the character Nicky Banks was added to the cast toward the end of the season as Phillip and Vivian's newborn son,[3] due to Hubert-Whitten's pregnancy.

During the third season, the show was No. 1 among teenage viewers and was the top-rated comedy series among viewers aged 18 to 49.[4]

Episodes

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		 Viewers
(millions)
501"How I Spent My Summer Vacation"Shelley JensenWinifred Hervey StallworthSeptember 14, 1992 (1992-09-14)44695119.9[5]
Will returns home from spending the summer in Philadelphia and has about two weeks left before he starts his final year at Bel-Air Academy. However, he returns with a new look as well as a new beeper, which does not sit well with Philip. It angers Philip even more when Ashley starts to pick up Will's habits. Philip and Will argue about these matters, which results in Will walking out and leaving home.
512"Will Gets Committed"Shelley JensenLeslie Ray & David Steven SimonSeptember 21, 1992 (1992-09-21)44695222.7[6]
Philip and Vivian organize a cleanup effort in the riot-torn remains of their old LA neighborhood. Philip is mad at how Vivian calls him predictable and then refuses to talk to him. Will befriends a neighborhood kid named Noah (Shavar Ross) while Carlton tries to woo a girl named Simone (Rose Jackson). Noah gets mad at Will when the latter refuses to blow off his weekend plans to come back and help again. While looking around a ruined apartment, Will is ambushed by a man armed with a baseball bat, who turns out to be Phil and Vivian's friend Hector, whose grocery store they lived above. Realizing the apartment they are in was their old one, the family flashes back to the late 1970s when they used to live in this old neighborhood before Ashley was born. Also detailed is how Philip joined the Beverly Hills law firm of Firth, Wynn & Meyer, enabling him to move his family to Bel-Air. Vivian announces that she is pregnant.
523"That's No Lady, That's My Cousin"Shelley JensenBryan WinterSeptember 28, 1992 (1992-09-28)44695323.5[7]
Enrolled at the newly co-ed Bel-Air Prep, Ashley begins dressing to entice guys, using Will's preferences in women as her examples. As Will and Carlton prepare for their senior year, Philip and Vivian ask Hilary to move out, since the baby is coming, but Hilary found a place. It is at the pool house, since they said they want her out of the house, not off the property.
534"Hilary Gets a Job"Shelley JensenLisa Rosenthal & Efrem SeegerOctober 5, 1992 (1992-10-05)44695421.8[8]
Hilary gets a job on television as a weathergirl and finds herself attracted to the anchorman, Trevor Collins (Brian Stokes Mitchell). Will helped Hilary get a job and needs her help to get exposure to save a rec center from potential closure.
545"Mama's Baby, Carlton's Maybe"Shelley JensenMichael FryOctober 12, 1992 (1992-10-12)44695623.6[9]
Carlton prepares for a dinner date with his former girlfriend, Cindy (Lark Voorhies), 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.
556"P.S. I Love You"Shelley JensenLinda M. YearwoodOctober 24, 1992 (1992-10-24)44695511.8[10]
Philip intends to railroad the ineffectual Judge Robertson (Sherman Hemsley), who was Philip's mentor and teacher in law school, off the bench, while Will becomes the "love slave" of Lindsey Simon (Michole Briana White), a flamboyantly generous plain student. Will accepts many expensive gifts from her, including tickets to the Los Angeles Lakers game, a Harley-Davidson and even a jacket emblazoned with a motif of his hero Malcolm X. In the end, however, she reveals that she doesn't like him. She explains that she went with him to boost her own reputation.
567"Here Comes the Judge"Shelley JensenSamm-Art WilliamsOctober 26, 1992 (1992-10-26)44695823.5[11]
Will is arrested for numerous parking tickets he claims he did not get, as Philip runs for judge against incumbent Judge Robertson. Once Will sees the tickets funds, Will realizes that he left the car with Jazz for the summer, and he is the one who got the tickets, not him. Will gets very furious with Jazz for not telling Will about the tickets because friends don't keep things like that from each other. He tells him that they are no longer friends, and that he is no longer welcome in the home. However, they work things out, and get back together as friends in the end.
578"Boyz in the Woods"Chuck VinsonSamm-Art WilliamsNovember 5, 1992 (1992-11-05)44695715.0[12]
Philip takes Will and Carlton on a camping trip that turns out to be a disaster when snow traps the unhappy campers before they head off to college. Will finds $25,000 dollars in a bag.
589"A Night at the Oprah"Shelley JensenLeslie Ray & David Steven SimonNovember 9, 1992 (1992-11-09)44695923.6[13]
The Banks are invited on The Oprah Winfrey Show as a replacement family, but what Will does not know is that there is no room for him to go. He disrupts the show, and it leads to Uncle Phil's poll ratings to go down.
5910"Asses to Ashes"Shelley JensenLeslie Ray & David Steven Simon & Bryan WinterNovember 16, 1992 (1992-11-16)44696022.7[14]
Election results are in and Philip fights to remain cool amid lies by Judge Robertson, which prompt Will to confront the outspoken incumbent. Chaos ensues when the judge dies after Will tells him to drop dead. Uncle Phil must give the eulogy at the funeral, where to Will's and Uncle Phil's surprise, everybody hated him and are glad he died. When Will protests that they shouldn't disrespect a man who just died, a guest asks who he is. He simply says, "I-I'm the dude that killed him." and is met with applause. After the funeral, Philip gets a call from the Governor and is appointed Superior Court Judge.
6011"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"Shelley JensenLeslie Ray & David Steven SimonNovember 23, 1992 (1992-11-23)44696122.7[15]
At Vivian's Lamaze class, Will cozies up to Danny Mitchell (Vanessa Williams), a pregnant sportswriter who takes Will to a game and delivers more than just fun. When she has her baby in the back of the limo, Will must put what he learned about breathing to the test for her.
6112"The Cold War"Michael PetersDavid Steven SimonDecember 7, 1992 (1992-12-07)44696222.5[16]
Carlton is very depressed after being rejected by Paula, unaware that she has left him for Will. Meanwhile, Philip and Vivian receive an envelope from their doctor containing an ultrasound picture revealing the sex of Vivian's fetus. Not wanting to spoil their surprise in the delivery room, they entrust the sealed envelope to their butler, Geoffrey. Then, curiosity gets the better of them.
6213"Mommy Nearest"Shelley JensenEfrem SeegerDecember 14, 1992 (1992-12-14)44696321.0[17]
Will's mother tells Will that she has broken her engagement to Robert, and eagerly awaits her son's graduation so they can return to Philadelphia together. A shocked Will is afraid to tell her that he wants to attend college in California and remain with his Bel-Air family and friends, and suffers a nightmarish fantasy of what it would be like still living with his mother when he is 72 years old.
6314"Winner Takes Off"Shelley JensenCasey Maxwell ClairJanuary 4, 1993 (1993-01-04)44696423.1[18]
Will and Carlton decide to play a trick on Geoffrey as revenge for an earlier hustle, and convince him that he has won a multimillion dollar lottery. However, this backfires when Geoffrey immediately quits his job after insulting the whole family. Upon learning the truth from the boys, Geoffrey is left so embarrassed he decides to leave anyway. He goes to work at a restaurant, and the boys try to get him to come back home by doing embarrassing things to make him crack, such as stealing other people's food and pretending that he is their father.
6415"Robbing the Banks"Shelley JensenWinifred Hervey StallworthJanuary 18, 1993 (1993-01-18)44696626.7[19]
Philip is quick to judge Luther (M. C. Gainey), an ex-con Will advised him to hire as a handyman, after the house is robbed, only to realize it was Philip's former assistant Edward (Phil LaMarr), who confesses to robbing the house.
6516"Bundle of Joy"Shelley JensenMyles Avery Mapp & K. SnyderJanuary 25, 1993 (1993-01-25)446974N/A
As Vivian's delivery date approaches, the family fantasizes about what the baby will mean to each of them: Ashley feels all but invisible, Hillary plans on using the child as her own personal slave, Carlton is angry to share the will and their father's money and Geoffrey feels overwhelmed by the family's demands, so he tricks Vivian into thinking she is having triplets. Will fantasizes his perfect family and not exactly how they turn out.
6617"Best Laid Plans"Shelley JensenLeslie Ray & David Steven SimonFebruary 1, 1993 (1993-02-01)44696527.1[20]
Will tries to dupe a girl, Monique (Kim Fields) into intimacy. Monique will not have sex with him unless they are married, so Will arranges for Jazz to impersonate a priest and performs a fake marriage ceremony. In the end, Will has an attack of conscience and backs out, though this results in Monique driving off in Uncle Phil's car when she finds out, and an equally angry Uncle Phil deciding to think long and hard for a cruel enough punishment for him.
6718"The Alma Matter"Shelley JensenLisa Rosenthal & Bryan WinterFebruary 8, 1993 (1993-02-08)44696824.5[21]
Ed (Earl Boen), a representative from Princeton University, begins interviewing students at Bel Air Prep. When Will makes a good impression in his interview, and gets a conditional acceptance by acting naturally, Carlton thinks that is trickery and decides to imitate him – only for this to backfire badly and earn him an outright rejection, as well as a suspension from school, after unintentionally making a death threat toward Ed out of desperation. After initially lying that he got in on a full scholarship, a phone call from the principal forces him to admit the truth to his furious family. Feeling utterly depressed and wishing he'd never been born, Carlton soon gets a visit from his guardian angel Tom Jones, who helps him see the light. After his suspension is over, Phil grounds Carlton for his suspension and learns why he messed up his interview.
6819"Just Say Yo"Shelley JensenMyles Avery Mapp & K. SnyderFebruary 15, 1993 (1993-02-15)44696930.6[22]
While juggling basketball practice, education, home life and his social life, Will is offered amphetamines, known as speed, by a friend. After debating whether or not to use it, he doesn't and stores the drugs in his locker. While at the prom, Carlton finds the drugs and, thinking it's Vitamin E, takes the bottle, ending up in the hospital.
6920"The Baby Comes Out"Shelley JensenWinifred Hervey StallworthFebruary 22, 1993 (1993-02-22)44696726.7[23]
Vivian's baby is a week late, but family members and her visiting sisters Vy and Janice are at a beauty salon when it is time to rush to the hospital. Uncle Phil and Will are stuck in an elevator with a smoker. The only people left in the house are Geoffrey and Ashley. Geoffrey can't handle a car, while Ashley, although 13, knows how to drive. The baby comes out and the family decide his name. They all come up with names like Nicholas, Andrew, Sha-bang, Rufus, Brad etc. before settling on Nicholas.
7021"You Bet Your Life"Chuck VinsonSamm-Art WilliamsMarch 1, 1993 (1993-03-01)44697024.4[24]
Will and Carlton go to Nevada to check out a college, when their car wrecks on their way there, forcing them to stop at a funky cafe-casino, only to realize Jazz was there all the time (inside the car trunk) and they have no money to pay the car's repair, so they test their luck at the casino, but just when they got money and the car is ready to go, Carlton gets obsessed with gambling, forcing Will and Jazz to leave him there and get out. Soon after that, Will gets worried about his cousin, so he and Jazz get back to the casino, only to get to see a local bully known as Bo (played by Heavyweight boxing champ Riddick Bowe) wreaks havoc with Carlton's mind and Will's face. In order to defend his cousin, Will fights Bo instead.
7122"Ain't No Business Like Show Business"Shelley JensenStory by : Jeff Pollack & Will Smith
Teleplay by : Jeff Pollack		April 12, 1993 (1993-04-12)44697119.4[25]
Will lands himself a spot in a comedy showcase after accompanying Keith Campbell (D. L. Hughley), a comedian friend to an audition.
7223"The Way We Were"Maynard C. VirgilMichael FryMay 3, 1993 (1993-05-03)44697318.8[26]
Series clips illustrate family recollections as the kids put together a scrapbook for Vivian and Philip, who want to renew their vows on their anniversary.
7324"Six Degrees of Graduation"Shelley JensenBryan Winter & Efrem SeegerMay 10, 1993 (1993-05-10)44697217.6[27]
Vy anticipates Will's graduation with enthusiasm, but there may be discord when Vy learns Will is failing music. Carlton is named Valedictorian and has trouble coming up with his speech. To pass his music class, Will must sing at the graduation ceremony with a class of children.

References

  1. ↑ Ritz, David (February 1993). "Will power". Essence. p. 60. ProQuest 223187694. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  2. ↑ Johnson, Peter; Gable, Donna; Donlon, Brian (August 5, 1993). "A new mom moves in at 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air': [FINAL Edition]". USA Today. pp. 03D. ProQuest 306600689. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Fresh Prince starts new season with new star and is winning in its time period". Jet. November 15, 1993. p. 54. ProQuest 199941071. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  4. ↑ Duffy, Mike (October 3, 1993). "At 24, Will Smith is staying hot in film, music and as Fresh Prince on TV: [FINAL Edition]". The Gazette. pp. F4. ProQuest 432514463. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  5. ↑ Gable, Donna (September 23, 1992). "CBS wins with some old friends". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  6. ↑ Gable, Donna (September 30, 1992). "'Murphy' wave carries CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  7. ↑ Gable, Donna (October 7, 1992). "Monday lineup bolsters No. 1 CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  8. ↑ Donlon, Brian (October 14, 1992). "Rankings omit Perot' paid ad". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  9. ↑ Gable, Donna (October 21, 1992). "Baseball hits big for CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  10. ↑ Gable, Donna (October 28, 1992). "Baseball cleans up for CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  11. ↑ Gable, Donna (November 4, 1992). "Politics, Halloween scare up an ABC win". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  12. ↑ Gable, Donna (November 11, 1992). "Election news, football kick up ABC's ratings". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  13. ↑ Gable, Donna (November 18, 1992). "'Jacksons,' solid gold for ABC". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  14. ↑ Gable, Donna (November 25, 1992). "Jacksons help as-easy-as-ABC win". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  15. ↑ Gable, Donna (December 2, 1992). "'Weapon 2' serves CBS well". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  16. ↑ Donlon, Brian (December 16, 1992). "No royal ratings for ABC's 'Charles and Diana'". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  17. ↑ Donlon, Brian (December 23, 1992). "Early Christmas gift for CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  18. ↑ "Women help push CBS to victory". Life. USA Today. January 13, 1993. p. 3D.
  19. ↑ Gable, Donna (January 27, 1993). "Inaugural gala helps carry CBS to top". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  20. ↑ Gable, Donna (February 10, 1993). "CBS rides to top on wings of 'Skylark'". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  21. ↑ Gable, Donna (February 17, 1993). "King of Pop and 'Queen' rule the ratings". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  22. ↑ Donlon, Brian (February 24, 1993). "'Queen' rules in CBS' royal sweep". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  23. ↑ Gable, Donna (March 3, 1993). "Grammy show a winner for CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  24. ↑ Gable, Donna (March 10, 1993). "CBS holds steady at No. 1". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  25. ↑ Donlon, Brian (April 21, 1993). "New shows find their niches". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  26. ↑ Donlon, Brian (May 12, 1993). "Sturdy 'Home' helps lift ABC". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  27. ↑ Gable, Donna (May 19, 1993). "'Cheers' nudges NBC to No. 1". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
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