Black-ish Stars Say Goodbye As They Wrap Up Production

Stars of ABC sitcom Black-ish took to social media to share their goodbyes as the show wraps up production after eight seasons.

Written by Kenya Barris, Black-ish follows successful advertiser Andre Johnson(Anthony Anderson) and his African American family as they navigate their life living in Sherman Oaks’s suburban neighbourhood. Andre tries to keep his family in touch with their black heritage and prepare them for the realities of being black in America.

Since its first episode aired in September 2014, Black-ish has received accolades for speaking on societal issues affecting minorities, particularly blacks. The show has brought issues on racism, police brutality, colourism, education, history, segregation, and several others to the limelight.

The show’s exploration of these stories using humorous storytelling and rib-cracking dialogues has added to its increased popularity. Blackish has received 68 nominations and 28 wins from various academic and television bodies and has even merited a shout-out from the white house.

The show’s commercial success also led to the birth of two spin-offs; Grown-ish follows the adventure of the eldest daughter, Zoey Johnson(Yara Shahidi), going off to college and Mixed-ish, a throwback to Bow’s adolescent days in the late 80s.

After the showrunners announced the wrap up of productions, cast members took to social media to express their gratitude and ardent remarks on the personal and global impact of the show.

Marcus Scribner, who played Junior, the Johnson’s first son, shared on Instagram, “This is my final scene filming blackish. I’m so thankful to each and every person who helped to make blackish possible. These past 8 years have been the best of my entire life and have allowed me to make my dreams come true. To my beautiful cast and crew. I love you, and you are my family. Lastly, thank you to you all for allowing our family into your homes and tuning in each week to laugh and learn with us. This is only the beginning!!! ❤️❤️❤️.”

Yara Shahidi also wrote on Instagram, “🤎♾JOHNSON FAMILY ♾ 🤎 I sit in such gratitude for the family I gained 8 years ago. I’m so thankful for this journey – starting with my FIRST audition with @anthonyanderson and @kenyabarris and having SUCH a fun time that I immediately knew how special this was! I send so much love to my cast who I’ve grown up with and gotten to tell so many incredible stories (thank youuu writers!) alongside. Of course I never stop talking about how incredible our crew is. From the folks that have been with us from the beginning to every wonderful new edition- your passion in telling these stories is evident and you make every episode art 🖼 Talking with Laurence, we reflected on how the beauty of @blackishabc is not only the magic we got to share on-screen, but how many talented folks touched this project and went on to do their own incredible projects- the butterfly effect is surreal and impactful. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU #blackish #abc #family”

The show’s final season will premier on January 4, 2022.