The first season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air contained 25 episodes. It premiered on NBC on September 10, 1990, and concluded on May 6, 1991, establishing the premise of Will Smith’s move from West Philadelphia to live with the Banks family in Bel-Air.
The season introduced the show’s central ensemble: Will, Uncle Phil, Aunt Viv, Carlton, Hilary, Ashley, and Geoffrey. Its stories balanced broad family comedy with subjects such as class differences, racial profiling, growing up, family identity, and Will’s adjustment to a wealthy environment.
The episode count can be confusing because later seasons used different totals. The complete series ultimately ran for 148 episodes across six seasons, but the first-season tally is 25. Season 2 had 24 episodes, while seasons 4 and 6 had 26 and 24 respectively, so nearby numbers may appear in episode guides or home-video listings.
The first season’s 25 episodes include the pilot, “The Fresh Prince Project,” and end with “The Ethnic Tip,” which aired in May 1991. That count refers to the original season, not the number of episodes in the whole sitcom.