Will Smith's new memoir Will delves into The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air jumping the shark and his decision to leave the show

Entertainment Weekly

"The storylines were becoming increasingly hokey and it was difficult to maintain the 'Freshness,'" Smith writes in Will, according to EW. "Anyone who has ever been on a sitcom can tell you the episode in which their show jumped the shark. Ours was season 5, episode 15, 'Bullets Over Bel-Air,' the one in which I got shot and Carlton started carrying a gun. I had successfully fulfilled a promise to myself that I would never get caught in a cycle of deterioration without having the next thing on tap. The show could easily sustain another season; this was my family; I loved them. But a movie career was now a viable option; I was at a crossroads." Smith writes that a long conversation he had with Fresh Prince guest-star John Amos -- whose Good Times character was killed off during a contract dispute --helped him with his decision to exit the show. Smith recalls Amos telling him, "None of these execs, or producers, or businesspeople, give a sh*t about your family. Do not let them f*ck off all of your hard work and passion. It is your responsibility to make sure these people get to leave this show with some dignity."