“Grown-ish” is the kind of sitcom that knows exactly what it is doing. It is a Black family comedy about young adults figuring out life away from home, and it leans hard into both the jokes and the awkwardness of that transition. The show is a spin-off of “Black-ish,” created by Kenya Barris and Larry Wilmore, and it ran for six seasons on Freeform from 2018 to 2024.
Trailer, via TV Promos.
Zoey Leaves Home
The first four seasons center on Zoey Johnson, played by Yara Shahidi. She heads off to Cal U, the fictional California University of Liberal Arts, and quickly learns that independence is harder than she expected. Her friends include Doug Edwards, played by Diggy Simmons, and Annika Longstreet, played by Justine Skye. The show tracks how her plans for adulthood don’t quite work out as she hoped.
The fifth season shifts focus to Zoey’s younger brother, Andre Junior, played by Marcus Scribner. He takes over the lead role as he starts college after Zoey graduates. That handoff changes the show’s shape, moving from one sibling’s story to another’s.
The Family Behind It
The Johnson family remains central even when the spotlight moves to the kids. Trevor Jackson plays Aaron Jackson, Zoey’s father. Francia Raisa, Emily Arlook, Jordan Buhat, Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Luka Sabbat and Chris Parnell also appear across the series. The show keeps returning to the parents as a grounding force for its young characters.
What Works
The show’s best moments come from its willingness to let jokes land awkwardly. There is a running thread about race, class and identity that the show handles with a light touch rather than a heavy one. The writing stays funny even when it touches on serious topics.
“Grown-ish is a spin-off of the ABC series Black-ish.”
The cast chemistry helps too. Shahidi and Scribner carry their seasons with ease, and the supporting players around them add color and friction. The show knows when to lean on a punchline and when to let a beat sit.
Where It Falls Short
Not every season holds the same weight. Some episodes feel like filler, existing mainly to fill airtime between bigger plot points. The shift to Andre Junior as the lead in season five changes the show’s tone, and not everyone will agree that the change improves things.
The show’s premise — young adults figuring out adulthood — is thin enough that it can repeat itself over six seasons. The jokes about growing up, leaving home and finding oneself get recycled often, and the later seasons sometimes feel like they are repeating ideas the earlier ones already settled.
The Verdict
“Grown-ish” is a solid sitcom with a strong first half and a weaker second half. Its best seasons are the first four, when Zoey is the lead and the show is still finding its footing. The shift to Andre Junior in season five is a gamble that pays off for some viewers and disappoints others.
The show is at its best when it lets its characters be messy and human. Its weakest moments come when it leans too hard on its own formula. Overall, “Grown-ish” earns a score of 7.1 out of 10. It is a show worth watching for its humor and its heart, even when it stumbles.
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