Anthony Anderson recently opened up about the Emmy Award-winning television show “Black-ish” and reports that the show may have been axed by ABC. The comedy series is currently gearing up for its eighth and final season after the network announced plans to end the Kenya Barris creation earlier this year.
During a recent appearance on 105.9’s “The Breakfast Club” on Friday, Nov. 12, the actor was questioned about why exactly the show was ending with only eight seasons. Anderson did not appear to have a clear-cut answer, but he did note that he would’ve loved to continue doing the show, which also stars actress Tracee Ellis Ross.
“You’re gonna have to ask ABC,” the “Kangaroo Jack” star said in response to why the show was ending. He continued, “But we had a nice run — a nice eight-year run. That’s a long time, especially in today’s climate with all the streaming services and 300-plus channels to choose from. To have a television show last eight years, 24 episodes a year, is a beautiful thing. We have more stories to tell. I would’ve loved to have squeaked out 10 years.”
“So wait a moment, this an ABC thing?” co-host Charlamagne Tha God questioned, to which Anderson responded, “I didn’t wake up one day and say ‘You know what? I’m tired of making this money and making this show!’ No.”
The 51-year-old revealed other details about the show, including that it was “a high-priced show to make.” “Sometimes it just comes down to dollars and cents,” he added. “But eight beautiful many years, man. We’ve done a lot for the culture. We’re in the zeitgeist now for what we’ve talked about and the subject matter that we’ve talked about. It’s a show to be proud of.”
Fans were devastated when news was made public last May, including one Twitter user who believed that with the series coming to an end, there would no longer be positive representation of Black families on cable television.
As for the chances of the show appearing on another network, like it’s spinoff series “Grown-ish” which airs on Freeform, Anderson doesn’t “believe that is feasible,” but is open to the idea.
“But I would like to But you gotta get the cast together man and see if they wanna do it. But again, eight years, man. Almost 200 episodes — that’s nothing to sneeze at! And we’re gonna go out with a bang too,” he added. “Don’t blame me and Tracee and the kids, don’t blame us.”
Following the interview, Charlamagne shared a snippet of the interview on Instagram and in the caption said that while he understands the nature of the television business, he questioned “Why are the black shows always the first to go when it comes to finances even when they are successful???”
