When Black-ish debuted in 2014, it didn’t take long for the sitcom to become a hit. Not only did the show feature a star-studded cast, but its humor allowed Black-ish to touch on topics that other series wouldn’t dare explore. In addition to building its own success, Black-ish also spawned three spin-offs and there’s yet another one that could possibly be in the works. With all of its parts moving like a well-oiled machine, it seemed like there was no end in sight for the popular show. That being said, there were quite a few people who were disappointed when it was announced that Black-ish would be ending after its upcoming eighth season. Some, however, felt like the writing was on the wall long before the official announcement was made. But why is the show going off the air when it’s seemingly still successful? Keep reading to find out.
Here’s Why Black-ish Is Ending
Usually, when a show reaches its end, poor ratings are usually the culprit. However, when it comes to Black-ish, that’s not exactly why the show won’t be back for season nine. Apparently, it’s as simple as the old adage, ‘all good things must come to an end’. To put it simply, the show’s creator, Kenya Barris, is actually the one who decided that it was time to bring Black-ish to a close.
In a statement via the show’s official Twitter account, Kenya said, “To ALL the people in the world I love, honor, respect, and care for, it is both exciting and bittersweet to share that black-ish been RENEWED by ABC for it’s EIGHTH… and FINAL SEASON. In this day and age it is rare to get to decide when your show should come to an end, and we are grateful along with ABC to be able to make this final season exactly what we’d hoped for – and to do it with the entire and AMAZINGLY STELLAR cast coming back to close this chapter out with us the right way!”
One of the show’s stars, Tracee Ellis Ross, followed up with her own farewell message tweeting, “Hard to imagine that it’s been 7 yrs of @blackishabc & this will be our 8th & final season. The joy & pride in what we made is immeasurable. Thx 4 laughing, crying & growing with the Johnsons! To the #blackish family: my love 4 you runs deep! Stay tuned y’all. It’s gonna be good!”
Lots of fans chimed in to share their feelings on the show’s end with many commenting how sad they were. During its time on the air, Black-ish has meant a lot to people, and it’s going to be a hard one for fans to say goodbye to.
What To Expect From Season 8 Of Black-ish
Even though it’s sad that Black-ish is coming to an end, the good news is that producers have the opportunity to wrap the show up neatly. At the moment, there hasn’t been any information revealed on what season 8 is going to be like, but based on Kenya Barris’ statement, viewers can at least expect to see some loose ends tied up. Unfortunately, however, viewers are going to have to wait to see how things pan out for the Johnson family. According to Newsweek, the eighth season likely won’t air until January 2022.
Usually, long breaks in between seasons can cause people to lose interest. But since this will be the show’s last season, there’s a good chance people will still tune in. As one of the only Black sitcoms of the 2010s and 20s, I think it’s safe to say that Black-ish will always have a special place in a lot of people’s hearts.
What Is Going To Happen To The Spin-offs?
Now that Black-ish is gearing up for its last season, some people are wondering what is going to happen to the show’s spin-offs. Sadly, it has already been announced that Mixed-ish would end after two seasons. However, it appears that Mixed-ish is still going strong and it has already been renewed for a fourth season.
Another spin-off, Old-ish, is currently in the works and is set to star Laurence Fishburn and Jenifer Lewis. Old-ish isn’t the only Black-ish spin-off that Kenya Barris is working on, though. Sources have recently reported that another show called Brown-ish is in the pipeline. Brown-ish is said to follow a similar format to Black-ish, except the family featured in the show will be Latino. It’ll be interesting to see how Barris and the rest of the team are able to navigate these new shows without becoming corny and cliche, but it looks like he has some special things in store.
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