Lou didnt abandon his son; he was just serving time behind bars.
The series hails from Jada Pinkett Smith and Will SmithsWestbrook Studiosand Universal Television, part of Universal Studio Group.
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DEADLINE Whats the journey been like on this show?
Adrian Holmes as Phillip BanksTyler Golden/Peacock
Has it taken a while to find the shows voice?
ADRIAN HOLMESNo, I think weve had it all along.
Were very lucky to have Carla Banks Waddles come on and take the lead.
She marches to the finish line so beautifully.
The whole writers room came together and rallied to verify that we didnt suffer.
The show has a lot of edge.
Theres some great love triangles this season that people are gonna really love and enjoy.
I dont think that we lost anything with the changeover.
It just grew and expanded.
DEADLINE The show is obviously much grittier than the original.
HOLMESWe have a go at stay at the current temperatures we live in.
We want to be an accurate representation of the world outside of our window.
Were not trying to bePower.Theres a lane for that show, and there is one for ours.
Fortunately, theres not a lot of shows like ours in our lane.
We have a responsibility.
Our show is like therapy to the community, to the culture.
We tackle a lot of important issues that people deal with on a regular basis.
We give a blueprint to how they can deal with them.
HOLMESNo, not this season, no.
He text messaged me.
His presence is definitely felt by all of us.
We wouldve loved to have seen him.
That would have been a nice surprise.
Well have a third, fourth, fifth, sixth season and beyond.
Well get to see him some more.
Weve got a fan base that is very loyal.
I wasnt as worried about it, as a lot of people thought.
Yeah, I wasnt too worried about it, to be honest.
Most people I spoke to were just like, we love the show.
Its such a great show, and what youve done with it is just brilliant and genius.
Its something that we all need.
Its like medicine for the community, for the culture.
People tap in and they get to be entertained, but they also learn something.
I think thats the most important part of the story, just being a part of a positive narrative.
Its what the world needs right now.
We live in such a sad, dark world, you know?
We need as much light as we possibly can.
I think our show is that light.
Our show was recognized with an NAACP Award for Best Drama.
Thats not a small thing.
I really take a lot of pride in that because its hard to do.
So I pray that we will be around for a long time.
To re-imagine an iconic sitcom and for it to have legs is a miracle.
DEADLINE So Phil didnt get to be District Attorney.
Whats in store for him now?
HOLMESYeah, poor Phil.
Phil is a man of principle.
He has come from humble beginnings.
He is a beautiful soul.
I just love playing him so much.
He dropped out of the race at the end of last season for good reason.
For his family, for Will.
His definition of success is taking care of his family and seeing that theyre healthy and well.
He learned a lot when he was running for DA, about what the community needs.
DEADLINE Ofthose new guest stars, are there any who directly impact Phil?
We worked together 26 years ago.
It was really nice to reconnect with him.
Hes definitely a direct connection and influence to Phil.
There are a couple others but I dont really wanna spoil the pot just yet, you know?
Its gonna be worth the wait.
DEADLINE So where do things stand between Phil and Will?
HOLMESThe trust between Phil and Will has been questioned.
Will has left the Banks household.
He wants to be independent.
He wants to do his own thing and have control of his life.
Hes trying to prove to the Banks that he doesnt need them.
Hes adopting a lot of his West Philly traits.
His intentions are good.
Hes all about fairness, equality, and the betterment of humanity.
He thought he was doing right by Will, by not sharing the information about his father.
So this season is about the rebuilding of trust between Will and Phil.
The trust between Phil and Geoffrey (Jimmy Akingbola) has been fractured, as well.
Geoffrey is Phils brother.
You dont have to share blood to be brothers.
DEADLINE So were probably going to see Wills dad again?
I can neither confirm nor deny.
DEADLINE Where does Phil stand with his kids?
Does he really know whats going on with all of them?
HOLMESYeah, he does.
That is a very prevalent topic in the world today.
I think that we handle it very carefully, very responsibly.
As for Hillary (Coco Jones), she is now a leader at the influencer house.
She also come to terms with her sexual identity.
And thats something that doesnt happen overnight.
Ashley (Akira Akbar) is all about justice and equality.
You see the activist coming out in her and Carlton as well.
