Mr. and Mrs. Smith, This Is Your Life

For the full story on two movie stars’ marriage, a new comedy series may be as close as you can get.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are the de facto subjects -- and two of the executive producers -- of “All of Us,” premiering Tuesday on UPN. The show deals with such matters as post-divorce relationships and children from previous marriages, as Duane Martin (“Deliver Us From Eva”) and Elise Neal (“The Hughleys”) play characters inspired by the Smiths. Robert is an entertainment reporter awaiting the finalization of his divorce, which also is anticipated by his current girlfriend, schoolteacher Tia.

She wants to marry him as soon as possible, but two other people may cause delays: Robert’s soon-to-be-ex-wife, Neesee (LisaRaye, “The It Factor”), who intends to remain prominent in his life; and their young son, Robert Jr. (Khamani Griffin, “Daddy Day Care”). Watching from the sidelines is Robert’s publicist and pal, Dirk (Tony Rock, Chris’ brother), something of an expert on divorces, since he’s on his third.

Will and Jada intend to make guest appearances as “All of Us” proceeds; meanwhile, they’re staying involved by sharing behind-the-scenes duties with “Friends” alumna Betsy Borns and James Lassiter, Will’s regular production partner.

“I love the day-to-day, week-to-week [pace] of a sitcom,” Will Smith says, drawing on memories of his “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” years. “It is the purest, most natural form of human ‘silly.’ You can do anything, you can say anything, you can try anything. You’ve had a line that hasn’t been working all week, then somebody pitches something and it’s perfect and you go in and do it. Just the whole energy of the sitcom world -- I definitely miss that.”

Smith stresses that “All of Us” is “really just loosely based” on his life with his current wife. “It’s more about blended families,” says the veteran of such movie hits as “Independence Day,” “Men in Black” and “Bad Boys.” “We worked with a couple of psychologists, we talked to our friends and parents, and we had focus groups and really got an essence of the struggles of blended families.”

The former Mrs. Smith has signed off on the result, her ex-husband says: “She loves the show. She thinks it’s wonderful, and she thinks everyone should watch it.”

The last comment finds Smith’s tongue in his cheek, but his current spouse wants “All of Us” to be a hit. Any network would love to have a series from a star as big as Will Smith, and Jada Pinkett Smith (seen recently in “The Matrix Reloaded”) explains that UPN was “the most excited. That was what was most important to us. They really got what we were trying to do. Dawn [Ostroff, UPN’s chief programmer] is kind of going through something similar, since she also has a blended family. We wanted to do a sitcom that really reflects a piece of life that you don’t see often on television.”

For the male star of the show, “All of Us” is deja vu to a degree, since Martin introduced Will and Jada to each other. “My first job ever,” Martin recalls, “was a TV pilot that I did with Jada and my wife [Tisha Campbell-Martin, “My Wife and Kids”]. The three of us used to hang out all the time, and I watched Jada grow, and I watched her date. I kind of felt the guys who were dating her were afraid to lose her -- but Will didn’t care [about such things], and that’s the kind of guy she needed. She needed a firm man, so I thought it would be a great match.”

As for how he and his wife will turn up on camera in “All of Us,” Will reveals, “Jada will play Robert’s sister, who comes into town essentially to check out Tia and see how things are going. I want to do a three-episode arc where I play Neesee’s first boyfriend after the divorce.”

Whether Will Smith will do additional “All of Us” remains to be decided. “They pay me too much money to make movies,” he says. (Will confirms that the couple’s three children will appear in some episodes, since youngsters are needed for classroom scenes with co-star Neal.)

Specific as the main characters’ marital circumstances are, Jada Pinkett Smith believes “All of Us” holds potential appeal for all viewers. “It’s universal,” she says. “It’s really something that I’m sure all of us have experienced in some form or fashion.” Will Smith seconds his wife’s sentiment. “She put the title of the show in,” he notes. “That’s hot. That’s why I married her.”

Jay Bobbin writes for Tribune Media Services.

“All of Us” airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. on UPN. The network has rated it TVPG (may be unsuitable for young children).

Cover photograph courtesy of UPN.