‘Grown-ish’ Star Yara Shahidi, Creator Kenya Barris on ‘Pivotal’ Moments of Growth Over 100 Episodes and Saying Goodbye
variety.comMegan Vick Kenya Barris was deeply inspired by “The Cosby Show” when he created “Black-ish” in 2014. The writer and executive producer wanted to create a similarly beloved family sitcom that was expressly Black, not only with the characters, but also in the subject matter the show covered.
That mission was achieved, and like “The Cosby Show,” “Black-ish” went on to spawn a TV universe that would also make an impact. “Grown-ish” was the first “Black-ish” spinoff.
It has now gone six seasons and will air its 100th episode this month. Similar to “A Different World” with Lisa Bonet’s Denise Huxtable from “The Cosby Show,” “Grown-ish” has chronicled the college adventures of “Black-ish” characters Zoey Johnson (Yara Shahidi) and later Andre Johnson Jr. (Marcus Scribner). “Grown-ish” has become a tentpole series for Freeform, according to Simran Sethi, exec VP of programming and content at Freeform and ABC.
The series has tackled storylines about college athlete pay, college investment in for-profit prisons, depression in the Black community and so much more, making it a marquee title in new adult storytelling. “We’ve watched these kids go through the journey of this period of life.
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