“Black-ish” executive producer Courtney Lilly has been promoted to showrunner for the ABC comedy’s forthcoming sixth season, ABC Studios announced on Tuesday.
Lilly, who is currently under an overall deal with the studio, has been a writer on the Anthony Anderson-led family comedy since Season 1. He takes over the reins from former co-showrunners Kenny Smith and Jonathan Groff.
Prior to “Black-ish,” Lilly’s credits include the Fox run of “Arrested Development” and “The Cleveland Show,” UPN’s “Everybody Hates Chris,” TBS’s “My Boys,” and “Guys With Kids” and “Undateable” on NBC.
Lilly’s promotion comes ahead of the Season 6 premiere on Sept. 24. Back in May, ABC picked up another season of “Black-ish” in addition to ordering a full season of the prequel spinoff “Mixed-ish” to air alongside it in the fall.
Written by “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris and executive producer Peter Saji, “Mixed-ish,” 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. Karen Gist has been tapped to serve as showrunner of the spinoff.