'Black-ish' election special: Release date, plot, cast and all you need to know about ABC sitcom's two-part show
ABC's 'Black-ish' is known for more than just its two successful spin-offs, 'Grown-ish' and 'Mixed-ish' — it is known for its social messaging and for exploring the African-American experience through the Johnson family as they juggle several personal and sociopolitical issues while being a Black family living in a white-majority suburban area in California.
In fact, one of its episodes from 2018 was even pulled from television after there were "creative differences". The episode was finally released for the public to view in June 2020, in the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter protests following George Floyd's death. In the highly political episode, the show’s lead character, Dre, talked to his toddler son about the political unrest and racism in the country in the form of a bedtime story.
A new season of 'Black-ish' is set to premiere this fall, the delayed release date coming as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the show will be airing a special election-themed two-parter before the seventh season premieres. Read on to know more about the special.
Release date
The 'Black-ish' election two-part special will air on ABC on Sunday, October 4, at 10/9c.
Plot
Written by Eric Horsted, the live-action ‘Election Special Pt 1’ will see Marcus Scribner’s Junior pumped about finally being able to vote, only to find he has been dropped from the voters' list – and discovering the realities of why that occurred. The animated ‘Election Special Pt 2’ is penned by Graham Towers & Ben Deeb. The episode sees Stevens from Dre’s ad agency make a lunge for a Congressional seat — a lunge that takes Dre and his family down to the underbelly of modern-day politics.
Cast
Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson is an actor, comedian, writer and game show host. He is known for his roles in 'Me, Myself & Irene', 'Law & Order', 'The Shield' and 'The Departed'. He plays the role of Dre Johnson Sr.
Tracee Ellis Ross
Tracee Ellis Ross is an actress, singer and television host. She is known for her roles in 'Girlfriends', 'Hanging Up', 'Reed Between the Lines' and 'Daddy's Little Girls'. She plays the role of Dre's wife, Rainbow Johnson.
The series also stars Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson, Marcus Scribner as Andre "Junior" Johnson Jr, Miles Brown as Jack Johnson, Marsai Martin as Diane Johnson, Anna Deavere Smith as Alicia Johnson, Austin and Berlin Gross as Devante Johnson, Peter Mackenzie as Leslie Stevens, Deon Cole as Charlie Telphy and Jeff Meacham as Josh Oppenhol. Both Shahidi and Scribner will only appear in guest roles through Season 7.
Director
Matthew A Cherry
Both parts of the 'Black-ish' election special will be directed by Matthew A Cherry. Cherry is a former American football player who won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 2020 for 'Hair Love'. Cherry is also known for 'The Last Fall' and '9 Rides'.
Trailer
There is no trailer available for the special yet but keep watching this space for future updates!
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