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The Best Episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Every episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air!

Binge this in 2d 9h•Peaking at 9.7/10

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

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 4 Episode 24 - Papa's Got a Brand-New Excuse
    9.7/10(4382 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.

    Director:Shelley Jensen
    Writers:David Zuckerman, Bill Boulware

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  2. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 6 Episode 24 - I, Done (2)
    9.0/10(1132 votes)

    #2 - I, Done (2)

    S6:E24

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

    Director:Shelley Jensen
    Writer:Jeff Pollack

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  3. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 3 Episode 19 - Just Say Yo
    8.8/10(1100 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.

    Director:Shelley Jensen
    Writer:Efrem Seeger

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  4. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 1 Episode 6 - Mistaken Identity
    8.5/10(1510 votes)

    #4 - Mistaken Identity

    S1:E6

    Jailed, Will and Carlton stage a media stunt.

    Director:Jeff Melman
    Writers:Andy Borowitz, Susan Borowitz

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  5. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 5 Episode 15 - Bullets Over Bel-Air
    8.5/10(916 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.

    Director:Shelley Jensen
    Writers:Maiya Williams, Eddie Gorodetsky

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  6. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 1 Episode 22 - Banks Shot
    8.2/10(1046 votes)

    #6 - Banks Shot

    S1:E22

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

    Director:Jeff Melman
    Writer:Bennie R. Richburg Jr.

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

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  7. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 2 Episode 24 - Strip-Tease for Two
    8.2/10(859 votes)

    #7 - 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.

    Director:Shelley Jensen
    Writers:Leslie Ray, David Steven Simon

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  8. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 1 Episode 23 - 72 Hours
    8.1/10(1033 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.

    Director:Rae Kraus
    Writer:Rob Edwards

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  9. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 3 Episode 14 - Winner Takes Off
    8.1/10(796 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.

    Director:Werner Walian
    Writer:Casey Maxwell Clair

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  10. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 1 Episode 13 - Knowledge is Power
    8.0/10(1073 votes)

    #10 - Knowledge is Power

    S1:E13

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

    Director:Jeff Melman
    Writer:Rob Edwards

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  11. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 3 Episode 8 - Boyz in the Woods
    8.0/10(797 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.

    Director:Chuck Vinson
    Writer:Samm-Art Williams

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  12. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 4 Episode 6 - Will Goes a-Courtin'
    8.0/10(770 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.

    Director:Shelley Jensen
    Writer:Bill Boulware

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  13. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 6 Episode 23 - I, Done (1)
    8.0/10(736 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.

    Director:Shelley Jensen
    Writer:Jeff Pollack

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  14. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 1 Episode 1 - The Fresh Prince Project
    7.9/10(1773 votes)

    #14 - The Fresh Prince Project

    S1:E1

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

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writers:Andy Borowitz, Susan Borowitz

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  15. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 2 Episode 11 - The Butler Did It
    7.9/10(847 votes)

    #15 - 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.

    Director:Ellen Gittelsohn
    Writer:Bryan Winter

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  16. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 3 Episode 18 - The Alma Matter
    7.9/10(749 votes)

    #16 - 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.

    Director:Shelley Jensen
    Writer:Bryan Winter

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  17. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 4 Episode 10 - Home is Where the Heart Attack Is
    7.9/10(722 votes)

    #17 - 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.

    Director:Shelley Jensen
    Writer:Eddie Gorodetsky

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  18. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 1 Episode 19 - It Had to Be You
    7.8/10(1001 votes)

    #18 - 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.

    Director:Jeff Melman
    Writer:Cheryl Gard

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  19. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 2 Episode 3 - Will Gets a Job
    7.8/10(859 votes)

    #19 - 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.

    Director:Ellen Gittelsohn
    Writer:Efrem Seeger

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  20. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 4 Episode 26 - The Philadelphia Story
    7.8/10(697 votes)

    #20 - The Philadelphia Story

    S4:E26

    Will returns to the City of Brotherly Love and discovers he's the butt of old friends' jokes, prompting him to go into training to settle an old score and clear his reputation as a chicken.

    Director:Shelley Jensen
    Writers:Maiya Williams, Eddie Gorodetsky

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  21. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 1 Episode 4 - Not with My Pig, You Don't
    7.7/10(1254 votes)

    #21 - 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.

    Director:Jeff Melman
    Writer:Lisa Rosenthal

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  22. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 1 Episode 11 - Courting Disaster
    7.7/10(1058 votes)

    #22 - Courting Disaster

    S1:E11

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

    Director:Jeff Melman
    Writers:Sandy Frank, Lisa Rosenthal

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  23. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 2 Episode 9 - Cased Up
    7.7/10(840 votes)

    #23 - 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.

    Director:Ellen Gittelsohn
    Writer:Bennie R. Richburg Jr.

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  24. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 3 Episode 5 - Mama's Baby, Carlton's Maybe
    7.7/10(768 votes)

    #24 - 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.

    Director:Shelley Jensen
    Writer:Michael Fry

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  25. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 3 Episode 9 - A Night at the Oprah
    7.7/10(764 votes)

    #25 - 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.

    Director:Shelley Jensen
    Writers:Leslie Ray, David Steven Simon

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Best Episodes Summary

"Papa's Got a Brand-New Excuse" is the best rated episode of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". It scored 9.7/10 based on 4382 votes. Directed by Shelley Jensen and written by David Zuckerman, Bill Boulware, it aired on 5/9/1994. This episode scored 0.7 points higher than the second highest rated, "I, Done (2)".