Alfonso Ribero to Star in Fresh Prince Spin-Off
Actor Alfonso Ribero is set to reprise his most famous role,Â bringing Fresh Prince's beloved Carlton Banks to a new Showtime series. The primium net announced today that it has greenlit production on an eightÂ episodeÂ first season of Carlton UnchainedÂ - a single camera dark comedy penned by Weeds creator Jenji Kohan. The series will pick up the story of CarltonÂ -the lovable preppy trust funder from the long running 90's sitcomÂ The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air .Â  According to the show's continuity, after graduating from Princeton Carlton goes directly to Wall Street and lands a high-powered job at powerhouse investment bank Lehman Brothers. He rises quickly up the ranks andÂ achievesÂ success in life and love.n But when the firm goes under he loses everything, including his job, his marriage, and all his parents' savings. 'Unchained'Â focuses on Carlton"s quest forÂ vengeanceÂ through hisÂ vigilanteÂ efforts to punish those responsible for Lehman's collapse and the Global Financial Crisis. Its Not Unusual Kohan got her start writing for Fresh Prince,Â and says she's thrilled to be working with Ribero again: "I always loved the charecter of Carlton. And when I was writing for the showÂ I thought we could do more with him." "He was a Regan Republican, very into trickle down. I thought it would be interesting to explore how he would react to a crisis in free marketÂ capitalism." Kohan explains that while 'Unchained' is inspired by the charecters and story of Fresh Prince, the format andÂ subjectÂ matter are a radical departure: "This is going to be a very different show. It has a very dark sensibility. Tone-wise its kinda likeÂ White CollarÂ meetsÂ DexterÂ meetsÂ Breaking Bad.Â Its about someone who's lost everything and hasÂ nothingÂ to lose as he seeks revenge."Â Â  Banks v Banks Ribero is also excited to be returning to the role that made him famous: "At first I was hesitent to revisit the past. But I was drawn to this new take on theÂ character. Â I'm a huge Breaking Bad fan and I was interested in exploring who CarltonÂ wouldÂ be if he lost everything." "Basically every week I find a someone responsible for the collapse of Lehman Brothers or the financial crisis and I destroy their lives." "Sometimes I plant drugs on people and send them to jail. Other times I hireÂ prostitutesÂ to seduce them and then ruin their marriages with a sex tape. Otherwise I just hack into their bank accounts and donate the money to charity." "This is the most fun I've ever had filming. Its been a great experience. I've even gotten toÂ reuniteÂ with some old friends." Fresh PrinceÂ co-stars Will Smith, Tatyana Ali, and Karyn Parsons are set to be making guest appearances, with Ali possibly joining the cast as a regular should the show be picked up for a second season. "Carlton Unchained" is produced by Warner Brothers Television and Kohan's Tilted Productions. The series premiere is set to bow on Showtime in Spring 2013. Take Action:Â Congratulate Alfonso on his new show! Â