ABC revealed their fall schedule yesterday and the only thing that seemed off was that they were holding their veteran and critically acclaimed comedy, black-ish, until midseason. In its place was a new comedy called Call Your Mother starring Kyra Sedgwick but it seems like the current state of affairs has prompted ABC to make a switch.
Black-ish will now premiere, as normal, during the fall and Call Your Mother will move to midseason. It appears this change came after ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke spoke to black-ish creator Kenya Barris and their creative partners about the show being needed on the air during a time when its voice is probably the most needed. Black-ish has always put a funny lens of serious issues but it’s never been one to ignore them. The show has addressed racial profiling and police brutality and has gained great critical praise in the past for doing so. Here is what Burke had to say about making the switch:
“Black-ish has a long-standing history of shining a light on current events and honoring Black voices through the lens of the Johnson family. After speaking with Kenya [Barris] and our creative partners, we decided it was important to tell these meaningful stories during this moment in time, so we are adjusting our premiere schedule and are committed to doing whatever it takes to bring this series back as soon as we possibly can. Following recent monumental events, it’s imperative that the dialogue continues and empowers viewers to raise their voices, and there is no other show that does that like Black-ish.”
Kenya Barris also showed his appreciation for the switch by commenting on the move himself:
“We are incredibly grateful to Karey, Dana [Walden] and Peter [Rice] for recognizing the importance of Black-ish in this moment and applaud them for making the necessary shifts to bring the show back as soon as possible. While the last few months have felt overwhelming at times, they have also underscored just how important it is that Black voices are not only heard but empowered and amplified as well; and our entire Black-ish team is humbled to be a small part of telling our stories and are excited to get back to these conversations.”
There is no set return date for premiere week for any of the networks this fall. Those that are committed to a fall schedule have all stated they believe it will not launch during the typical September period and could be pushed to mid-October.
