Freeform has handed out a 13-episode series order to the Zoey Johnson-centering (Yara Shahidi) new series, which is set to be released in 2018.
- May 20, 2017
AceShowbiz - Freeform has greenlit "College-ish", a spin-off to "Black-ish" starring Yara Shahidi. The network has ordered a 13-episode first season of the series, which is set to premiere in early 2018.
"I never thought they'd let me put 'Black-ish' on the air let alone give me a spin-off," Kenya Barris, "Black-ish" creator, said in a statement. Barris continued, "I couldn't be more excited for the opportunity to continue working with Yara and the rest of this talented young cast. To any aspiring writers struggling to make it out there, I highly advise adding an '-ish' to any working title you might have. It seems to be the move."
"College-ish" will follow the eldest Johnson sibling, Zoey Johnson (Shahidi), as she adjusts as a young adult in college. The spin-off is described as "a contemporary take on the current issues facing both students and administrators in the world of higher education."
Deon Cole is set to star on the spin-off, reprising his "Black-ish" role as Charlie. Meanwhile, the rest of the main characters will be new characters and actors, who didn't appear in the pilot episode, both in the college administration and the student body.
The backdoor pilot for "College-ish" was aired in the May 3 episode of "Black-ish" season 3, during which Charlie was revealed to be moonlighting on campus as an adjunct marketing professor. The pilot of the series was developed at "Black-ish" home ABC, before the network passed the project to its sister network Freeform. Rumor has it that the new series was deemed to be a better fit for the younger Freeform audience.