ABC shelved a political episode of Black-ish set to air in February 2018, over ‘creative differences.’
Now after over two years of speculation, the episode— Please, Baby, Please— is available on Hulu, series creator Kenya Barris announced on Monday.
The episode was added to the end of the fourth season on the Disney owned streaming service, and focuses on multiple social and political issues.
Now airing: Black-ish episode Please, Baby, Please that was shelved by ABC in 2018 over ‘creative differences’ is now airing on Hulu, show creator Kenya Barris announced on Monday
‘In November 2017, we made an episode of black-ish entitled Please, Baby, Please,’ Barris said in a statement posted to Instagram. ‘We were one year post-election and coming to the end of a year that left us, like many Americans, grappling with the state of our country and anxious about its future.’
He added that the episode came out of the tumultuous state of the country and the world, at the time.
Saying: ‘Those feelings poured onto the page, becoming 22 minutes of television that I was, and still am, incredibly proud of.’
‘Please, Baby, Please didn’t make it to air that season,’ the EP said. ‘And, while much has been speculated about its contents, the episode has never been seen publicly… until now.’
Years later: ‘In November 2017, we made an episode of black-ish entitled Please, Baby, Please,’ Barris said in a statement posted to Instagram. ‘We were one year post-election and coming to the end of a year that left us, like many Americans, grappling with the state of our country and anxious about its future’
First viewing: ‘Please, Baby, Please didn’t make it to air that season,’ the EP said. ‘And, while much has been speculated about its contents, the episode has never been seen publicly… until now’
Barris also said he requested the episode to be aired after the re-airing of its Juneteenth and Hope episodes.
‘I cannot wait for everyone to finally see the episode for themselves and, as was the case nearly three years ago, we hope it inspires some much-needed conversation,’ he added.
Saying: ‘Not only about what we were grappling with then or how it led to where we are now, but conversations about where we want our country to go moving forward and, most importantly, how we get there together.’
Please, Baby, Please follows Anthony Anderson, as family patriarch Andre ‘Dre’ Johnson ad he tries to soothe his baby during a thunderstorm that keeps the family awake.
Storyline: Please, Baby, Please follows Anthony Anderson, as family patriarch Andre ‘Dre’ Johnson ad he tries to soothe his baby during a thunderstorm that keeps the family awake. After trying to read baby DeVante Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee’s 2006 children’s book Please, Baby, Please—which brings the title of the episode— Dre decides to make a story on the fly pulling from events and discussions happening around the U.S. at the time.
After trying to read baby DeVante Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee’s 2006 children’s book Please, Baby, Please—which brings the title of the episode— Dre decides to make a story on the fly pulling from events and discussions happening around the U.S. at the time.
‘The world is constantly changing, but it seems like nowadays, things are changing faster than they ever have been,’ he says before launching into a story about the ‘Shady King’ a pointed reference to Donald Trump and ‘Prince Barry’ former President Barack Obama.
Dre and his oldest son Junior (Marcus Scribner) argue over athletes kneeling during the national anthem, as another level of political discussion.
Anderson, who leads the show alongside Tracee Ellis Ross, also shared Barris’ statement that in part read ‘Soooo soooo soooooo happy to finally be able to share this episode of television with you at this time means everything to me.’
His story: ‘The world is constantly changing, but it seems like nowadays, things are changing faster than they ever have been,’ he says before launching into a story about the ‘Shady King’ a pointed reference to Donald Trump and ‘Prince Barry’ former President Barack Obama
Finally: Anderson, who leads the show alongside Tracee Ellis Ross, also shared Barris’ statement that in part read ‘Soooo soooo soooooo happy to finally be able to share this episode of television with you at this time means everything to me’
The episode was filmed in the fall of 2017 and was set to air in 2018 as the 13th episode of the fourth season.
ABC later announced ‘One of the things that has always made Black-ish so special is how it deftly examines delicate social issues in a way that simultaneously entertains and educates. However, on this episode, there were creative differences we were unable to resolve.’
‘Given our creative differences, neither ABC nor I were happy with the direction of the episode and mutually agreed not to air it,’ Barris noted at the time.
Originally: The episode was filmed in the fall of 2017 and was set to air in 2018 as the 13th episode of the fourth season
‘What I do remember is we shot the episode and then when we found it was canned, all I kept thinking to myself was why? I don’t remember shooting anything that was bad, what did we do,’ Ross told Variety as the news broke.
Adding: ‘It’ll be interesting for me to see it back and remember, because I really have no memory.’
Black-ish started airing on ABC in 2014, and was renewed for a seventh season in May. It is currently nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Anderson) and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Ross).