# Grown-ish
**Grown-ish** (stylized as grown·ish) is an American sitcom and the first spin-off of the ABC series *Black-ish*, created by [Kenya Barris](https://www.edgepedia.org/kenya-barris) and [Larry Wilmore](https://www.edgepedia.org/larry-wilmore) and aired on Freeform from January 3, 2018 to May 22, 2024[1](https://blackish.fandom.com/wiki/Grown-ish). It stars **Yara Shahidi** as Zoey Johnson, the eldest child of the Johnson family, as she leaves home and starts at the fictional college Cal U[1](https://blackish.fandom.com/wiki/Grown-ish) • [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv6lBHs2TJY).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Spin-off of *Black-ish*, created by Kenya Barris and Larry Wilmore; announced May 3, 2017 and greenlit to series on May 19, 2017 with 13 episodes[1](https://blackish.fandom.com/wiki/Grown-ish) |
| Network | Freeform, Disney's young adult television and streaming network[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv6lBHs2TJY) |
| Run | Six seasons, 96 aired episodes, January 3, 2018 to May 22, 2024[1](https://blackish.fandom.com/wiki/Grown-ish) |
| Lead cast | Yara Shahidi as Zoey; Trevor Jackson, Diggy Simmons, and Marcus Scribner as Andre Johnson Jr. from season 5[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7018644/) • [4](https://www.nexttv.com/news/freeform-greenlights-sixth-season-of-grown-ish-tca) |
| Recognition | Two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour), 2021 and 2022[5](https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/grown-ish) |
| Reception | Season 1 Metascore of 71 (generally favorable) on Metacritic; 6.6/10 user rating on IMDb from about 7,400 ratings[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grown-ish/critic-reviews/) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7018644/) |
| Setting | The fictional Cal U, a large West Coast university[7](https://www.tvline.com/news/grownish-season-1-college-portrayal-accurate-commentary-freeform-929358/) |
## Premise and characters
The series centers on Zoey Johnson, the fashionable, popular, socially involved oldest child of Dre ([Anthony Anderson](https://www.edgepedia.org/anthony-anderson)) and Rainbow ([Tracee Ellis Ross](https://www.edgepedia.org/tracee-ellis-ross)) from *Black-ish*, who starts college and soon finds that life away from home does not always work out in her favor[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv6lBHs2TJY). Its premise is described as a contemporary take on the current issues facing both students and administrators in the world of higher education[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv6lBHs2TJY).
**Ensemble.** Zoey's college circle is assembled in the pilot from students she meets in a late-night class taught by Charlie ([Deon Cole](https://www.edgepedia.org/deon-cole)), a character carried over from *Black-ish*[8](https://www.theringer.com/2018/01/03/tv/grown-ish-review). The group includes the campus activist Aaron (Trevor Jackson), the artist Luca ([Luka Sabbat](https://www.edgepedia.org/luka-sabbat)), the sexually adventurous Nomi (Emily Arlook), STEM student and drug dealer Vivek (Jordan Buhat), and Zoey's socially conservative Cuban roommate Ana ([Francia Raisa](https://www.edgepedia.org/francia-raisa))[8](https://www.theringer.com/2018/01/03/tv/grown-ish-review). Twin track stars Jazz and Sky are played by Chloe x Halle, who also performed the show's theme song[8](https://www.theringer.com/2018/01/03/tv/grown-ish-review).
From the fifth season, [Marcus Scribner](https://www.edgepedia.org/marcus-scribner) joined as a lead, reprising his *Black-ish* role as Andre Johnson Jr., Zoey's younger brother, who enrolls at his sister's alma mater and tries to step out of her shadow[9](https://abc.com/show/4f7af459-cc1a-42ae-8705-4ec3d4f5cfab/about-the-show) • [10](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/41/44/4144311D-CF2C-0500-A559-379720542D83/press-release-6-1242842.pdf). The sixth season also starred [Diggy Simmons](https://www.edgepedia.org/diggy-simmons) and Daniella Perkins alongside Shahidi and Scribner[4](https://www.nexttv.com/news/freeform-greenlights-sixth-season-of-grown-ish-tca).
## Place in the Black-ish universe
*Black-ish*, which debuted on ABC in 2014, launched two spin-off series: *Grown-ish* and *Mixed-ish*[11](https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/news/how-black-ish-sparked-conversations-along-with-laughter/). The series is set at a university close enough to the Johnsons' Sherman Oaks home for weekend visits, which laid the groundwork for cameo and crossover episodes[8](https://www.theringer.com/2018/01/03/tv/grown-ish-review). Critics have compared it to *A Different World*, the college spin-off of *The Cosby Show*[8](https://www.theringer.com/2018/01/03/tv/grown-ish-review) • [12](https://www.wral.com/archive/17245320/).
## Production
The series is produced by Khalabo Ink Society, Wilmore Films, Cinema Gypsy Productions, and Principato-Young Entertainment, with Anthony Anderson, Brian Dobbins, and Helen Sugland as executive producers[1](https://blackish.fandom.com/wiki/Grown-ish). Later seasons credited an expanded executive-producer group including Shahidi herself, Kenya Barris, Zakiyyah Alexander, Courtney Lilly, Craig Doyle, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland, E. Brian Dobbins, and Michael Petok[4](https://www.nexttv.com/news/freeform-greenlights-sixth-season-of-grown-ish-tca).
Every episode of the first season was named after a popular rap album or song, the pilot being called "Late Registration"[8](https://www.theringer.com/2018/01/03/tv/grown-ish-review).
## Broadcast history
Freeform ordered 13 episodes in May 2017; the first season premiered on January 3, 2018 and concluded on March 28, 2018[1](https://blackish.fandom.com/wiki/Grown-ish). On January 18, 2018, the network renewed the series for a second season of 20 episodes, which ran from January 2 to August 7, 2019[1](https://blackish.fandom.com/wiki/Grown-ish). The third season premiered on January 16, 2020 and concluded March 18, 2021; the fourth premiered on July 8, 2021 and concluded March 24, 2022; the fifth premiered on July 20, 2022[1](https://blackish.fandom.com/wiki/Grown-ish).
Freeform greenlit a sixth season in January 2023 during the Television Critics Association Winter press tour[4](https://www.nexttv.com/news/freeform-greenlights-sixth-season-of-grown-ish-tca). On March 29, 2023 it was announced that the sixth season would be the show's last; the season was split in half and the series finale aired on May 22, 2024[1](https://blackish.fandom.com/wiki/Grown-ish).
## Themes and reception
**Content.** The show takes up college hot topics such as Adderall use ("study drugs") and [hookup culture](https://www.edgepedia.org/hookup-culture), and, like its parent series, treats race in everyday life; storylines touch on code-switching and differences between and within peer groups[8](https://www.theringer.com/2018/01/03/tv/grown-ish-review) • [12](https://www.wral.com/archive/17245320/). Season 1 earned a Metascore of 71 on Metacritic, with critics praising Shahidi's performance and the show's culturally relevant storytelling while noting a needed adjustment period from the parent series[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grown-ish/critic-reviews/). Common Sense Media rates it suitable from age 15 up, citing frank depictions of drugs, alcohol, sex, and bleeped strong language[13](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/grown-ish).
The show was a finalist in the TV Show category of the 11th Annual Shorty Awards, credited with portraying the journey from youth into adulthood in a relatable way[14](https://shortyawards.com/11th/grownish). It also drew attention for its partnership with the scholarship app Scholly, running a competition to donate $125,000 toward paying off students' debts[14](https://shortyawards.com/11th/grownish).
**Personal parallels.** Shahidi delayed her freshman year at Harvard University to film the show's first season[14](https://shortyawards.com/11th/grownish) • [7](https://www.tvline.com/news/grownish-season-1-college-portrayal-accurate-commentary-freeform-929358/). At the time the final season was greenlit, reporting noted that Shahidi and Scribner, each 14 when *Black-ish* premiered, had grown up on screen alongside their characters[15](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/grown-ish-star-yara-shahidi-161500559.html).
## References
1. [Grown-ish | Black-ish Wiki, Fandom](https://blackish.fandom.com/wiki/Grown-ish)
2. [grown-ish | A New Series From the Executive Producer of black-ish | Freeform (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv6lBHs2TJY)
3. [Grown-ish (TV Series 2018–2024), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7018644/)
4. [Freeform Greenlights Sixth Season of 'Grown-ish': TCA, Next TV](https://www.nexttv.com/news/freeform-greenlights-sixth-season-of-grown-ish-tca)
5. [Grown-ish | Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/grown-ish)
6. [grown-ish critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grown-ish/critic-reviews/)
7. ['Grown-Ish' Commentary: How Accurate Is The Series' Take On College?, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/news/grownish-season-1-college-portrayal-accurate-commentary-freeform-929358/)
8. ['Grown-ish' Is a Worthy 'Black-ish' Spinoff, The Ringer](https://www.theringer.com/2018/01/03/tv/grown-ish-review)
9. [About grown-ish TV Show, ABC.com](https://abc.com/show/4f7af459-cc1a-42ae-8705-4ec3d4f5cfab/about-the-show)
10. [ABC Signature press release, March 7, 2022](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/41/44/4144311D-CF2C-0500-A559-379720542D83/press-release-6-1242842.pdf)
11. [How 'black-ish' Sparked Conversations Along with Laughter, The Walt Disney Company](https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/news/how-black-ish-sparked-conversations-along-with-laughter/)
12. ['grown-ish' Comes Into Its Own-ish, WRAL.com](https://www.wral.com/archive/17245320/)
13. [Grown-ish – Parents' Guide & TV Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/grown-ish)
14. [Grown-ish, The Shorty Awards (11th Annual)](https://shortyawards.com/11th/grownish)
15. ['Grown-ish' Star Yara Shahidi, Creator Kenya Barris on Pivotal Moments, Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/grown-ish-star-yara-shahidi-161500559.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Sitcom and comedy series › American sitcoms and comedy series › 2010s and later network sitcoms*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license