When discussing the best dads on television, Carl Winslow is often mentioned, but one man gets brought up just as much if not more. Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was quite the role model, played by the late, great James Avery, with his booming voice, wisdom, and tough parental love. So how could anyone ignore an instance when these two icons of the small screen met? The season five, episode 12 meeting only happens for a few seconds and isn't even a part of the story in any way, other than a gag where Little G admits to Richie that Carl does look like Uncle Phil and gives him money, but that's okay.
The episode "Scenes from the Mall" has a completely different focus on multiple smaller stories, but the portion during the end credits sets up James Avery walking onto the set when Little G says his line again. This gets a genuine surprise reaction from everyone, but is best demonstrated, of course, by Reginald VelJohnson, and it is clear how shocked he is at the sudden appearance of his contemporary. The moment does include someone introducing James Avery to the audience while VelJohnson motions to him with respect. It makes one wonder if more had been planned or if the reveal was even better than that. Still, it's an incredible sight to witness as a small, but awesome, meeting in television history.
