Freeform has given a 13-episode order to Black-ish spinoff College-ish starring Yara Shahidi and Deon Cole. The series will premiere in early 2018.
College-ish follows the Johnson's eldest daughter Zoey (Shahidi) as she heads to college and discovers that not everything goes her way once she leaves the nest. The series is described as a contemporary take on the current issues facing students and administrators in the world of higher education. Cole also reprises his role as Charlie, who moonlights as an adjunct marketing professor.
Kenya Barris and Larry Wilmore wrote the backdoor pilot, which aired as an episode of Black-ish this spring. Barris executive produces with Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland and Brian Dobbins. ABC Studios produces.
"I never thought they'd let me put Black-ish on the air let alone give me a spinoff. I couldn't be more excited for the opportunity to continue working with Yara and the rest of this talented young cast," said Barris. "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."
"Our goal at Freeform is to celebrate the power, possibility and inclusivity of youth culture through our shows," said Karey Burke, Executive Vice President of Programming and Development, Freeform. "Kenya Barris blazes new trails in the funniest way possible with College-ish and we can't wait to get schooled by the incredibly talented Yara Shahidi, who is the perfect addition to our Freeform family."
