The “Black-ish” universe is expanding again.
In addition to renewing the family comedy for a sixth season, ABC has also picked up the Bow-centric prequel series, the network announced on Thursday. Titled “Mixed-ish,” the new comedy is set in the 1980s and stars Arica Himmel as a young version of Rainbow Johnson, the character played by Tracee Ellis Ross in the flagship comedy.
Per ABC, the new series will see Rainbow Johnson recount “her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the ’80s and the constant dilemmas they had to face over whether to assimilate or stay true to themselves. Bow’s parents Paul and Alicia decide to move from a hippie commune to the suburbs to better provide for their family. As her parents struggle with the challenges of their new life, Bow and her siblings navigate a mainstream school in which they’re perceived as neither black nor white. This family’s experiences illuminate the challenges of finding one’s own identity when the rest of the world can’t decide where you belong.”
Tika Sumpter, Christina Anthony, Mykal-Michelle Harris and Ethan Childress are also set to star in the ABC Studios series.
“Black-ish” executive producer Peter Saji and creator Kenya Barris are writers and executive producers on the spinoff along with Ross, Randall Winston, Brian Dobbins, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland and Anthony Anderson.
“Mixed-ish” marks the third show in the “Black-ish” universe, following the Yara Shahidi-led “Grown-ish,” which is heading into its second season on ABC’s sister network Freeform this summer. The new spinoff was originally planned to be introduced via a backdoor pilot titled “Becoming Bow” later this season, but the episode will now be held for next season.
The critically acclaimed “Black-ish” stars Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laurence Fishburne, Yara Shahidi, Marcus Scribner, Miles Brown, Marsai Martin, Jenifer Lewis, Peter Mackenzie and Deon Cole. Barris is creator and executive producer alongside Jonathan Groff, Kenny Smith, Gail Lerner, Courtney Lilly, Lindsey Shockley, Peter Saji, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland and E. Brian Dobbins.