Kenya Barris’ single-camera comedy series #blackAF will not be returning for a second season at Netflix. The renewal decision, announced a year ago today, has been reversed. Barris is in early conversations with the streamer to potentially turn #blackAF into a comedy movie franchise in the mold of National Lampoon’s Vacation, sources confirmed to Deadline.
#blackAF was one of several series Black-ish creator Barris developed under a mega overall deal at Netflix for his Khalabo Ink Society, which he exited late last year for a pact at ViacomCBS. In February, he teased the first series under the ViacomCBS agreement, a show examining contemporary relationships for Paramount+.
At Netflix, Barris also executive produced the Astronomy Club sketch comedy series, which ran for one season, and has the upcoming Kid Cudi adult animated music series Entergalactic.
Barris also remains actively involved in the Black-ish franchise, which has spawned three series to date: the mothership comedy, headed into its eighth and final season on ABC; Grown-ish on Freeform; and Mixed-ish, which aired on ABC for two seasons. Another potential offshoot, Brown-ish, is currently in the works.
#blackAF, whose end as a series was revealed by Barris in a magazine profile for THR, flips the traditional sitcom family on its head. Pulling back the curtain, it uncovers and explores the messy, unapologetic and often hilarious world of what it means to be a “new money” Black family trying to get it right in a modern world where “right” is no longer a fixed concept.
Genneya Walton, Iman Benson, Scarlet Spencer, Justin Claiborne and Ravi Cabot-Conyers co-starred.
