Carlton was "an affluent teenager attending private school in the ritzy Bel-Air sub-section of Los Angeles", who wore "button-down collared shirts and sweaters (often knotted around his neck)".

[2] The character was loosely based on the children of Fresh Prince executive producer Quincy Jones,[2] and was named after Borowitz's classmate at Harvard University, Carlton Cuse.

[2] Screenwriter Rob Edwards described how he sought to ensure that Carlton would not be a "walking punch-line" like some sitcom antagonists, but would be a strong character, capable of effectively challenging the protagonist.

[2] Despite his faults, primarily arrogance, insecurity, and naïveté, Carlton is also shown as having a number of qualities that black viewers identified as positive even when they were held up to scorn—honesty, studiousness and dedication to education, and respect for his parents.

[7] Carlton Banks is played by Jelani Talib in the 2019 short film Bel-Air, a reimagining of the original show as a modern drama.

[8] Olly Sholotan was cast as Carlton in the actual reboot,[9] described in one review as "not the same nerdy Alfonso Ribeiro with a token funny dance.

[7] In December 2018, NBC and CBS reported that Ribeiro, along with Instagram star Russell Horning, aka Backpack Kid, and rapper Terrence Ferguson, aka 2 Milly, brought a lawsuit against Epic Games for their decision to feature respective choreographies in the popular game Fortnite.