Alfonso Ribeiro is a beloved figure in show business. He has starred in multiple sitcoms and TV movies.
He rose to fame in the ’90s for his role as Will Smith’s cousin Carlton Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, earning him widespread notoriety for his signature “Carlton dance.”
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)
Filmed in 1990, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a sitcom starring Will Smith as an orphan from West Philadelphia who moves with wealthy relatives to Bel-Air, California. The series chronicles Will’s adjustment to his new lifestyle and family as it follows him throughout his new journey.
Will’s mother (Vernee Watson-Johnson), wants him to learn the values of wealth and success from his upper class relatives in California. However, Will quickly disrupts their sophisticated atmosphere with his sharp tongue and often finds himself at odds with conceited cousins Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) and Hilary (Karyn Parsons).
The series also features the theme song “Yo Home to Bel-Air,” written and performed by Smith with music composed by Quincy Jones III.
Though the film contains some humor, it largely recycles similar material found in other movies and TV shows of its era. Furthermore, it lacks seriousness or dramatic tension despite a starry cast and strong lead performance from Will Smith.
On several episodes, singer Isiah Thomas makes an appearance. Other cast members include Janet Hubert-Whitten, Daphne Maxwell Reid, James Avery, Joseph Marcell and Tatyana Ali.
The family of affluent banker Philip Banks (James Avery) are shocked when their street-smart Philadelphia relative Will Smith (Will Smith) moves into their Bel-Air mansion. Through Will’s jokes and exploits, he gradually makes his way into their sophisticated social circle; meeting Aunt Vivian (Janet Hubert-Whitten), Geoffrey the butler for the banker, Ned (Jonathan Emerson), and Vivian’s dedicated taskmaster Ned (Jonathan Emerson). However, eventually their dysfunctional relationship comes to a head.
In the House (1997–99)
In the House was a sitcom starring LL Cool J and Alfonso Ribeiro that premiered on UPN in 1997. Despite its low rating, UPN picked up and aired it for two seasons until May 1998 when it was ultimately cancelled.
In this sitcom, a single football player rents a house and runs a sports clinic. He must deal with various people including an unmarried mom and her children. Additionally, there were other characters such as Carl (Ken Lawson) and Raynelle (Gabrielle Carmouche).
The premiere season of In the House was filmed in 1995 and introduced several new characters such as Dr. Maxwell Stanton (Alfonso Ribeiro), a self-absorbed clinical doctor who owns his clinic.
Despite its somewhat predictable nature, the show still manages to be entertaining and funny. The first few episodes of the season featured many jokes that proved highly entertaining.
However, after the second season, the show started to become less engaging and dull. The plots weren’t very inventive and it appeared that more actors were coming and going than actually staying for the entire run of the show.
Only during the fourth and final season did things begin to improve, though not quite to the level seen at the start. While introducing some new characters like Marion and Max, these additions didn’t add anything new to the show.
This sitcom had great potential, but it could’ve been much better. The cast was terrific, but the storylines were rather predictable and plots weren’t as captivating as they could have been.
Extreme Ghostbusters (1984)
In 1984, Ghostbusters made history as the first comedy film with elaborate special effects. It proved enormously popular, grossing $282.2 million on a $30 million budget and becoming the highest-grosing comedy until Home Alone (1990) overtook it a few years later.
Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis created Ghostbusters while both were still working on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in the early 1970s. Aykroyd had been a cast member of SNL for many years, while Ramis had directed episodes of SNL as well as other television shows.
Rewriting the script, Aykroyd and Ramis chose to set the film in New York City, allowing them to use many SNL actors such as Bill Murray and John Belushi for roles.
The film begins with the Ghostbusters starting their business in New York. However, most of the actual shooting took place in Los Angeles, with all three characters living together in an apartment in Hollywood Hills.
During filming, some actors expressed concerns about the weight of the proton packs; nevertheless, the film received critical acclaim for its dark humor and special effects.
Though often over-hyped and underrated, this comedy from the eighties is actually one of its funniest. Plus, it’s a classic example of Ramis and Aykroyd’s trademark satire on supernatural ghouls.
Ghostbusters was based on the beloved 1980s cartoon series that ran in syndication for seven seasons and remains one of the longest-running animated series ever. In addition to its animated counterparts, Ghostbusters inspired several comic books and a video game.
The Tap Dance Kid (1983)
Filmed live onstage in New York City, The Tap Dance Kid was a 1983 Broadway musical about a Black family trying to find their place in society while trying to prevent their son from becoming a professional tap dancer. Written by Charles Blackwell with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics by Robert Lorick, The Tap Dance Kid follows this struggle for them as they seek acceptance within society.
The show centers around Willie (Alexander Bello), a 10-year-old Black boy who dreams of becoming an accomplished tap dancer. However, his father William (Joshua Henry) disapproves. Although Ginnie (Adrienne Walker) secretly supports her son’s ambition, William sees it as an uncouth fad and wishes him to pursue law like himself.
Though not as captivating or inspiring as some of Encores!’s recent shows, The Tap Dance Kid still makes for an enjoyable theatrical outing. Alexander Bello and Trevor Jackson lead an experienced cast that turns this age-old musical into an enjoyable night at the theatre.
There’s also an engaging story, though it can feel clunky and creaky at times. It was prescient for a 1980s show, with Emma (Shahadi Wright Joseph), Willie’s 14-year-old daughter who wants to be a lawyer just as much as her dad but can’t quite reach the heights she deserves due to being female.
Steve Condos delivers an impressive tap dancing performance, perfecting the precision and speed of tap dance while matching it perfectly to swing and bebop tempos. He is joined by DeWitt Fleming Jr. from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Carleton.
Dancing with the Stars (2014)
Alfonso Ribeiro, best known for his role as Carlton Banks on the hit 1990s TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, will return to Dancing with the Stars as co-host alongside Tyra Banks. Good Morning America broke the news on Tuesday (watch below).
Theater veterans such as Ribeiro and Jordan Fisher are popular choices to appear on Dancing with the Stars due to their ability to translate their stage presence to the ballroom. Other successful theater stars have included Gal Gadot and Lynda Carter, who both had great success on the series.
Ribeiro was a champion on DWTS Season 19, pairing Whitney Carson in 2014 and winning the Mirror Ball trophy. He returned to the show in 2017 alongside Frankie Muniz for a trio Jive performance.
Ribeiro’s dances are always entertaining and humorous, so we can expect plenty of sassiness from him this year. He will definitely be one to watch out for on the dance floor this season – particularly during a night of Latin dancing with Pitbull as guest judge!
Another theater veteran to watch out for on DWTS is Cameron Dallas, who has amassed millions of followers on social media. He could bring in a younger demographic that the show loves to showcase.
Tom Thomas, even though he wasn’t a former child star, has an impressive acting resume and could make an excellent addition to the judging panel. He’s featured in several films and TV shows alike.
The “Dancing with the Stars” franchise has a long tradition of casting former “The Bachelor” alums, so it would be fitting if one former winner made an appearance this season. Four “Bachelor” alumni have competed on the show and Rachel Lindsay became its first African-American woman winner and also hosted a season.
