9.7/103,427 votesLoading...#1 - Papa's Got a Brand-New Excuse
Season 4 Episode 24 - Aired 5/9/1994
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
Writer: David Zuckerman, Bill Boulware
8.9/101,077 votesLoading...#2 - I, Done (2)
Season 6 Episode 24 - Aired 5/20/1996
The Banks move out. The Jeffersons are about to move in. And Will turns out the lights.
Director: Shelley Jensen
Writer: Jeff Pollack
8.8/101,044 votesLoading...#3 - Just Say Yo
Season 3 Episode 19 - Aired 2/15/1993
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
8.5/101,433 votesLoading...#4 - Mistaken Identity
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/15/1990
Jailed, Will and Carlton stage a media stunt.
Director: Jeff Melman
Writer: Andy Borowitz, Susan Borowitz
8.5/10867 votesLoading...#5 - Bullets Over Bel-Air
Season 5 Episode 15 - Aired 2/6/1995
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
Writer: Eddie Gorodetsky, Maiya Williams
8.2/10822 votesLoading...#6 - Strip-Tease for Two
Season 2 Episode 24 - Aired 5/4/1992
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
Writer: Leslie Ray, David Steven Simon
8.1/10996 votesLoading...#7 - Banks Shot
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 2/25/1991
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.
8.1/10979 votesLoading...#8 - 72 Hours
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 3/11/1991
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
8.1/10755 votesLoading...#9 - Winner Takes Off
Season 3 Episode 14 - Aired 1/4/1993
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
8.0/101,008 votesLoading...#10 - Knowledge is Power
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 11/26/1990
Hilary becomes Will's personal maid when he threatens to disclose she's dropped out of UCLA.
Director: Jeff Melman
Writer: Rob Edwards
8.0/10756 votesLoading...#11 - Boyz in the Woods
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 11/5/1992
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
8.0/10735 votesLoading...#12 - Will Goes a-Courtin'
Season 4 Episode 6 - Aired 10/18/1993
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
8.0/10705 votesLoading...#13 - I, Done (1)
Season 6 Episode 23 - Aired 5/20/1996
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
7.9/101,686 votesLoading...#14 - The Fresh Prince Project
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/10/1990
Aunt Vivian tries to mediate between her husband Philip and the newly arrived Will.
Director: Debbie Allen
Writer: Andy Borowitz, Susan Borowitz
7.9/10714 votesLoading...#15 - The Alma Matter
Season 3 Episode 18 - Aired 2/8/1993
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
7.9/10688 votesLoading...#16 - Home is Where the Heart Attack Is
Season 4 Episode 10 - Aired 11/15/1993
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
7.8/10935 votesLoading...#17 - It Had to Be You
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 2/4/1991
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
7.8/10819 votesLoading...#18 - Will Gets a Job
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 9/23/1991
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
7.8/10808 votesLoading...#19 - The Butler Did It
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 11/25/1991
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
7.8/10662 votesLoading...#20 - The Philadelphia Story
Season 4 Episode 26 - Aired 5/23/1994
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
Writer: Eddie Gorodetsky, Maiya Williams
7.7/101,190 votesLoading...#21 - Not with My Pig, You Don't
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/1/1990
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
7.7/101,000 votesLoading...#22 - Courting Disaster
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 11/12/1990
Carlton feels overshadowed by Will, who's become a basketball star at school.
Director: Jeff Melman
Writer: Sandy Frank, Lisa Rosenthal
7.7/10803 votesLoading...#23 - Cased Up
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 11/11/1991
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.
7.7/10732 votesLoading...#24 - A Night at the Oprah
Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 11/9/1992
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
Writer: Leslie Ray, David Steven Simon
7.7/10694 votesLoading...#25 - Robbing the Banks
Season 3 Episode 15 - Aired 1/18/1993
Philip is quick to judge an ex-con Will urged him to hire as a handyman and temporary assistant after the house is robbed.
Director: Shelley Jensen
Writer: Winifred Hervey
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!
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...
Genres:ComedyFamily
Network:NBC
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 3427 votes. Directed by Shelley Jensen and written by David Zuckerman, Bill Boulware, it aired on 5/9/1994. This episode scored 0.8 points higher than the second highest rated, "I, Done (2)".