Baby Nicky was introduced on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in season 3.
Nicky Banks was written into the series as Philip and Vivian Banks’s newborn son near the end of the third season. His arrival expanded the Banks family and created new story possibilities, especially for Will, who became an older cousin and another influence in Nicky’s life.
The character’s introduction was connected to Janet Hubert-Whitten’s real-life pregnancy. Hubert-Whitten played the original Vivian Banks, and the pregnancy was incorporated into the storyline. Nicky was therefore not part of the show’s original setup: the first season began with Will living alongside Phil, Vivian, Carlton, Hilary, and Ashley.
Viewers sometimes remember Nicky as a season-four or season-five character because his role changed substantially after the introduction. In later episodes, Ross Bagley played Nicky as a preschool-aged child, while infants portrayed him during the earlier seasons. Season 3 ran from September 14, 1992, to May 10, 1993, and was also the final season featuring Hubert-Whitten as Vivian before Daphne Maxwell Reid took over the role.