Breaking barriers in the comedy television department is hard to do. Hats off to #blackAF for bringing something fresh to the table. Sadly though, Netflix has decided to cancel the single-camera series after one season.
Via Deadline, exactly one year after green lighting sophomore installment for the fledgling comedy, the streaming giant walked back its decision, leaving the series in limbo. The pandemic has forced everyone to pinch a penny, so it should not come as a surprise that Netflix is trimming the roster for the rest of 2021 and beyond.
The show, which was created by Kenya Barris of Black-ish fame, was a part of the multi-series deal Barris had signed with Netflix. Along with the sketch comedy Astronomy Club and the Kid Cudi (We Are Who We Are) adult animated music series, Entergalactic, #blackAF was one of the first projects announced from Barris for the streaming service. Via TVLine, the news of the cancellation comes right off the heels of Barris’ decision to vacate this deal in January to sign an agreement with ViacomCBS.
#blackAF starred Barris as a fictionalized version of himself alongside executive producer and co-star Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation, The Office). The cast was filled out with Genneya Walton (Extant), Iman Benson (Uncle Buck), and Justin Claiborne (Beyond Grace). The series dealt with a black family that has come to prominence with so-called “new money.” Their altered lives as one of the elites is met with many challenges in a changing world.
On a hopeful note for fans, there are talks of the series returning in a new form of media, movies. The thought would be creating a National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise with multiple families being covered. These talks are early and not concrete so fans will have to wait and see. Hopefully, the talented cast and solid writing can come back in some form after its disappointing cancellation.