On Tuesday May 24th, I attended the NBCU FYC House in Hollywood for the Bel-Air panel and reception.
The NBCU FYC House was beautifully decorated. Throughout the venue you could find costume displays from NBC shows including: Annie Live!, Candy, Project Runway, Russian Doll, The Equalizer, The Gilded Age, The Girl From Plainville, The Thing About Pam, and This Is Us to name a few.
The Peacock lounge was serving delicious pistachio lattes along with other coffee beverages thanks to the wonderful Hilltop Coffee. The walls were decorated with BTS photos from Michael Buble’s Christmas, Annie Live!, and Kelly Clarkson Christmas special.
Artist D Smoke performed a song before the panel began. Panelists included cast members Jabari Banks, Adrian Holmes, Cassandra Freeman, Coco Jones, Akira Akbar, and Jimmy Akingbola. Director/Co-Writer Morgan Cooper, and TJ Brady and Rasheed Newson, Co- Showrunners/Executive Producers sat alongside them.
The panel recapped the amazing first season run of Bel-Air. The cast had the opportunity to speak on some of their favorite moments, learning experiences as actors, as well as the bond they created while filming the first season. Actor Jabari Banks spoke on his transformation not only as an actor, but a person as well. Working on the show was a labor of love for the cast and crew as they leaned into their creativity and vulnerability.
After the panel, guests were invited to the rooftop to enjoy a reception filled with hor d’oeuvres and champagne. Guests were greeted with gorgeous sunset hues on the rooftop. Music was pumping thanks to DJ Jadaboo. The cast walked around and received congratulations for all of their hard work. Overall it was a celebratory evening.