ABC may be interested in expanding the world of Black-ish. It is being reported that the network is considering a prequel series that will be centered on a teenage Rainbow, played as an adult by Tracee Ellis Ross on the parent series.
The flashback-centric Rainbow episode is set to air during the current fifth season of Black-ish and is still looking to cast the role for shooting in March. No deals are done but the episode could become a backdoor pilot for a potential prequel series. Black-ish executive producer Peter Saji is in talks to write the episode, set in the 1980s-90s, which will revolve around Rainbow’s growing up. If deals make and the episode indeed becomes a planted spinoff, Black-ish creator Kenya Barris is expected to be an executive producer on the potential prequel but likely won’t have day-to-day creative involvement given his overall deal commitment to Netflix.
Black-ish has already successfully expanded its universe with Grown-ish, which airs on Freeform. That series originated as a backdoor pilot episode of the mothership series featuring Yara Shahidi’s character, Zoey Johnson, as she goes to college. The spinoff has proven to be one of Freeform’s most successful series and it was recently renewed for a third season.
Black-ish centers on an affluent African-American family struggling to raise their kids in the largely white culture of well-to-do suburbia. The series stars Anthony Anderson as Dre, Ross as Rainbow, Marcus Scribner as Andre Jr., Miles Brown as Jack, Marsai Martin as Diane, Jenifer Lewis as Ruby, Laurence Fishburne as Pops, Peter Mackenzie as Mr. Stevens and Deon Cole as Charlie Telphy.
Black-ish has also been a critical favorite with multiple awards and nominations including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for Ross, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, and a TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy.
