Mixed-ish (stylized as mixed·ish) is an American sitcom series created by Kenya Barris, Peter Saji and Tracee Ellis Ross, On May 2, 2019, it was announced that the Black-ish episode that was set to air May 7, 2019, would be shelved. The episode, titled "Becoming Bow", introduces a younger version of the character Rainbow living with her family, and will instead serve as the pilot episode for the new series, with the cast of the parent show appearing in a flash-forward cameo introduction. On May 14, 2019, it was announced that the series would premiere in the Fall of 2019 and air on Tuesdays at 9:00 P.M the series greenlit in October 2019 with 23 episodes for the first. The series premiered on September 24, 2019
A second season was annouced on May 21, 2020 the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on January 26, 2021 with "Sweet Child O' Mine and concluded with "Forever Young" on May 18, 2021 on May 14, 2021, it was cancelled after two seasons making the season 2 finale the series finale.
The series' theme song was performed by Mariah Carey.
Plot[]
In Mixed-ish, Rainbow Johnson recounts her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the '80s and the constant dilemmas they had to face over whether to assimilate or stay true to themselves. Bow's parents Paul and Alicia decide to move from a hippie commune to the suburbs to better provide for their family. As her parents struggle with the challenges of their new life, Bow and her siblings navigate a mainstream school in which they're perceived as neither black nor white. This family's experiences illuminate the challenges of finding one's own identity when the rest of the world can't decide where you belong.
Cast[]
- Arica Himmel as Young Rainbow Johnson
- Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson/Narrator
- Tika Sumpter as Young Alicia Johnson
- Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Young Paul Johnson
- Mykal-Michelle Harris as Young Santamonica Johnson
- Ethan William Childress as Young Johan Johnson
- Christina Anthony as Aunt Denise Johnson
- Gary Cole as Harrison Johnson III
Guest Cast[]
- Anthony Anderson as Andre Johnson
- Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson
- Marcus Scribner as Junior Johnson
- Marsai Martin as Diane Johnson
- Miles Brown as Jack Johnson
- Austin & Berlin Gross as Devante Johnson
Episodes[]
| Season | Episodes | Season premiere | Season finale | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | "Becoming Bow" | Sep 24, 2019 | "You Got It All" | May 5, 2020 |
| 2 | 13 | "Sweet Child O' Mine" | Jan 26, 2021 | "Forever Young" | May 18, 2021 |
Development[]
On May 2, 2019, it was announced that the Black-ish episode that was set to air May 7, 2019 titled "Becoming Bow," in which this was to introduce a younger version of the character Bow living with her family, would be shelved. The episode will instead serve as the pilot episode with the cast of the parent show appearing in a fast-forward cameo introduction.
Tracee Ellis Ross, who plays the adult Rainbow in Black-ish, will serve as both an executive producer and narrator on the series, with flagship costars Anthony Anderson and Laurence Fishburne also executive producing. The series is also the final one that Kenya Barris helped created prior to signing his deal with Netflix in August 2018 after he asked for an exit from his ABC Studios deal over issues with the studio's handling of controversial Black-ish episodes and rejected pilots he helped put together.
A day after that, it was announced that the series would premiere in the fall of 2019 and air on Tuesdays at 9:00 P.M. The series is set to debut on September 24, 2019.
Anders Holm was originally set to play Bow’s father, Paul Jackson, having played the role in the series’ original pilot episode, but he left the series before it was picked up by ABC. On June 19, 2019, Mark-Paul Gosselaar replaced Holm in the Paul Jackson role, with the scenes from "Becoming Bow" episode-turned-pilot being reshot. However ABC ran ads in July of 2019 that still featured Holm.
On May 21, 2020, ABC renewed the series for a second season which premiered on January 26, 2021. On May 14, 2021, ABC canceled the series after two seasons.
Intro[]
In Season 1, the intro shows episode clips and 80s pop culture (Princess Diana, Cyndi Lauper, Ronald Reagan, LL Cool J, etc.)
In Season 2, the intro was modified with Betty Boop.