''Mixed-ish'' (stylized as ''ish'') was an American single-camera sitcom created by
Kenya Barris
Kenya Barris (born August 9, 1973) is an American film and television writer, producer, director, and actor. He is best known as the creator of the ABC sitcom ''black-ish'' (2014–2022).
Early life
Barris was born in Inglewood, California, th ...
, Peter Saji and
Tracee Ellis Ross
Tracee Joy Silberstein (born October 29, 1972), known professionally as Tracee Ellis Ross, is an American actress. She is known for her lead roles in the television series ''Girlfriends (2000 TV series), Girlfriends'' (2000–2008) and ''Black- ...
that premiered on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
on September 24, 2019. The series is a prequel to ''
Black-ish
''Black-ish'' (stylized as black·''ish'', `black·''ish'', and black''ish'') is an American sitcom television series created by Kenya Barris. It aired on ABC from September 24, 2014, to April 19, 2022, running for eight seasons. ''Black-ish'' ...
'', and the second series to be spun off from the parent series after the
Freeform series ''
Grown-ish
''Grown-ish'' (stylized as ''ish'') is an American sitcom series and a spin-off of the ABC series ''Black-ish''. The single-camera comedy follows the Johnson family's children as they go to college and begin their journeys to adulthood, only to ...
''. In May 2020, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on January 26, 2021. In May 2021, the series was canceled after two seasons.
Premise
Loosely based on the early life of Dr. Rania Barris (co-creator Kenya Barris' ex-wife), ''Mixed-ish'' chronicles Rainbow Johnson's childhood years as she recounts her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the 1980s. The family faces dilemmas over whether to assimilate or stay true to themselves when Rainbow's parents move from a hippie commune to the suburbs in 1985.
Cast
Main
*
Arica Himmel as Rainbow Sojourner "Bow" Johnson, a 12-year-old preteen who is coming into her own while embracing her biracial heritage.
**
Tracee Ellis Ross
Tracee Joy Silberstein (born October 29, 1972), known professionally as Tracee Ellis Ross, is an American actress. She is known for her lead roles in the television series ''Girlfriends (2000 TV series), Girlfriends'' (2000–2008) and ''Black- ...
as adult Rainbow Johnson (narration), who details her background and actual real-life events in each episode.
*
Tika Sumpter
Euphemia LatiQue Sumpter, better known as Tika Sumpter, is an American actress, singer, producer, television host, and model. Sumpter began her career as the host of '' Best Friend's Date''. From 2005 to 2010, she appeared in the daytime soap ope ...
as Alicia Johnson, Bow's mother who works hard as a lawyer at her father-in-law's practice and helps Bow embrace her African-American heritage.
*
Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar (; born March 1, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles, most notably as Zack Morris in ''Saved by the Bell''. In 1991, he won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Pri ...
as Paul Johnson, Bow's father. Paul is a stay-at-home white dad and is always there for the family. In season 2 he starts working as a teacher.
*
Gary Cole
Gary Michael Cole (born September 20, 1956) is an American television, film and voice actor. Cole began his professional acting career on stage at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985. On television, he has had starring roles in the T ...
as Harrison Johnson III, Bow's paternal grandfather; Paul's father. He died in 2007.
* Christina Anthony as Denise, Bow's maternal aunt; Alicia's sister. A very-loving woman from Tennessee who is not afraid to express her African-American heritage (since her idea of culture is "influenced" by ''
227'' and
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
), even though she tends to be stereotypical towards the family's biracial culture.
* Mykal-Michelle Harris as Santamonica Johnson, Rainbow's younger sister with a sassy attitude.
**
Rashida Jones
Rashida Leah Jones (; born February 25, 1976) is an American actress.
Jones appeared as Louisa Fenn on the Fox drama series ''Boston Public'' (2000–2002), as Karen Filippelli on the NBC comedy series ''The Office'' (2006–2009; 2011), and as ...
as adult Santamonica Johnson (in fast-forward clips)
* Ethan William Childress as Johan Johnson, Rainbow's brother, who has started to adopt a street culture and muscular attitude.
**
Daveed Diggs
Daveed Daniele Diggs (born January 24, 1982) is an American actor, rapper, and singer-songwriter. He is the vocalist of the experimental hip hop group Clipping, and in 2015, he originated the dual roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jeffer ...
as adult Johan Johnson (in fast-forward clips)
Recurring
*Paulet Del Castillo as Michaela
*Caitlin Kimball as Ms. Collins
*
Trinitee Stokes
Trinitee Stokes (born April 12, 2006) is an American child actress, singer and fashion designer. She is known for her role as Judy Cooper in the Disney Channel television series '' K.C. Undercover.''
Early life and education
Stokes was born i ...
as Tamika
*Isabel Myers as Rebecca
*Luca Luhan as Bryce
Guest
*
Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson (born August 15, 1970) is an American actor, comedian and game show host. He is best known for his leading roles in drama series such as Marlin Boulet on '' K-Ville'', and as NYPD Detective Kevin Bernard on the NBC crime drama ' ...
as Andre "Dre" Johnson, Bow's future husband ("Becoming Bow", "Doctor! Doctor!", "Forever Young")
*
Marcus Scribner
Marcus Scribner (born January 7, 2000) is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Andre "Junior" Johnson Jr. in all eight seasons of the American Broadcasting Company, ABC sitcom ''Black-ish'', before starring as Junior in its Spin-of ...
as Andre "Junior" Johnson, Bow's future oldest son ("Becoming Bow")
*
Miles Brown as Jack Johnson, Bow's future second oldest son ("Becoming Bow")
*
Marsai Martin
Caila Marsai Martin (born August 14, 2004) is an American actress, best known for her role as Diane Johnson on the ABC sitcom ''Black-ish'' (2014–2022).
In 2019, Martin starred in the comedy film '' Little'', which she also produced, becomin ...
as Diane Johnson, Bow's future youngest daughter ("Becoming Bow")
* Austin and Berlin Gross as Devante Johnson, Bow's future youngest son ("Becoming Bow")
* Blake Anderson as Shaman Dave ("Becoming Bow")
* Dallas Young as Rodney ("Let Your Hair Down")
* Leiloni Arrie Pharms as Young Denise ("Love Is a Battlefield")
* Daria Johns as Shanice ("It's Tricky")
* Carolyne Maraghi as Wendy Whiteman ("Weird Science")
*
Wayne Brady
Wayne Alphonso Brady (born June 2, 1972) is an American television personality, comedian, actor, and singer. He is a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' He was the host of ...
as Geoffrey, a geologist and Denise's boyfriend ("Every Little Step")
Episodes
Season 1 (2019–20)
Season 2 (2021)
Development
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 premiered on September 24, 2019.
Tracee Ellis Ross, who plays the adult Bow in ''Black-ish'', will serve as both an executive producer and narrator for the series, with flagship costars
Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson (born August 15, 1970) is an American actor, comedian and game show host. He is best known for his leading roles in drama series such as Marlin Boulet on '' K-Ville'', and as NYPD Detective Kevin Bernard on the NBC crime drama ' ...
and
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III (born July 30, 1961) is an American actor. He is a three time Emmy Award and Tony Award winning actor known for his roles on stage and screen. He has been hailed for his forceful, militant, and authoritative charact ...
also executive producing. ''Mixed-ish'' is the final series that Barris helped create prior to signing his deal with
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
in August 2018. Barris had asked for an exit from his
ABC Studios
ABC Signature is an American television Filmmaking#Production, production studio that is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a division of Walt Disney Television, which is part of the List of assets owned by The Walt Disney Company#Disne ...
deal because of the studio's handling of controversial ''Black-ish'' episodes and of rejected pilots he had helped put together.
Anders Holm
Anders Christian Holm (born May 29, 1981) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is one of the stars and creators of the Comedy Central show ''Workaholics'' and starred in the short-lived NBC series ''Champions''. He, along wit ...
was originally set to play Bow's father, Paul Jackson, and played the role in the series’ pilot episode, but he left the series before it was picked up by ABC. On June 19, 2019,
Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar (; born March 1, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles, most notably as Zack Morris in ''Saved by the Bell''. In 1991, he won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Pri ...
replaced Holm in the Paul Jackson role, and scenes with Holm in the "Becoming Bow" episode-turned-pilot were subsequently reshot with Gosselaar.
In the promos, the family is called "the Johnsons" (the same surname as Bow's family on ''Black-ish''), even though the surname of the characters Harrison and Paul is ''Jackson'', which implies that Bow's maternal family still uses the name ''Johnson''. This was brought up during the
''Black-ish'' second season episode "Johnson & Johnson," in which Dre learns that Bow never formally took his last name after their marriage. In addition, the episodes listed are named after songs, television shows, and movies that were made during the 1980s.
On October 28, 2019, the series received a full season order of 23 episodes.
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.
Release
Marketing
On May 14, 2019, ABC released the first official trailer for the series.
Music
On August 5, 2019, singer-songwriter
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
confirmed that she recorded the series' theme song, entitled "
In the Mix." The song was written and produced by Carey and songwriter-producer Daniel Moore and reached number nine on the
''Billboard'' U.S. R&B Digital Song Sales chart.
During a panel discussion with Barris and Carey, Barris explained that he wants Carey to appear as a guest on the show.
Reception
Critical response
On
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, ''Mixed-ish '' holds an approval rating of 76% based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 7.10/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "While it needs more time to establish its own comedic voice, ''mixed-ish'' and its appealing cast are off to a sweet and smart start." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, it has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Ratings
Season 1
Season 2
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Kenya Barris
Black-ish
American Broadcasting Company original programming
English-language television shows
2010s American single-camera sitcoms
2010s American sitcoms
2020s American single-camera sitcoms
2020s American sitcoms
2019 American television series debuts
2021 American television series endings
Fiction about interracial romance
Nonlinear narrative television series
American prequel television series
American television spin-offs
Television series by ABC Studios
Television shows set in Los Angeles
Television series set in the 1980s
Television series about families
Race and ethnicity in television