Black-ish: why is the Tracee Ellis Ross comedy ending after eight seasons?

ABC sitcom Black-ish has been a hit with viewers since it first aired in 2014. Telling the story of the Johnson family who live in an affluent, mostly white neighbourhood, the show is loved by audiences for its family-friendly but boundary-pushing comedy.

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However, the series is now set to conclude with its eighth season, leaving plenty of viewers devastated. So why is it ending? Find out here…

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For longtime fans of the show, the news of its ending hasn't exactly come as a surprise. Back in 2018, series creator Kenya Barris had a clash over creative differences with ABC Studios, which resulted in his departure as co-showrunner. 

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However, Kenya continued to hold his role as executive producer on the show (and on spinoff Grown-ish) and in May 2021, he announced that the series would be coming to an end. Sharing a statement to Instagram, Kenya wrote: "To ALL the people in the world I love, honor, respect and care for it is both exciting and bittersweet to share that black-ish has been RENEWED by ABC for it's [sic] EIGHTH... and FINAL SEASON."

© Photo: Getty Images

He then explained that it was a mutual decision between himself and ABC to bring the show to an end. "In this day and age it is rare to get to decide when your show should come to an end, and we are grateful along with ABC to be able to make this final season exactly what we'd hoped for," he wrote. "And to do it with the entire and AMAZINGLY STELLAR cast coming back to close this chapter out with us the right way!"

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While it will be hard to say goodbye to Black-ish when season eight concludes, fans at least have more episodes of spinoff series Grown-ish to look forward to.

The series follows the Johnson's eldest daughter Zoey, played by Yara Shahidi, as she takes her first steps into the adult world as she heads off to college and is set to return for more episodes on 27 January on Freeform.

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