STANDALONE 'BLACK-ISH' TELEVISION EVENT TO AIR AHEAD OF HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FALL PREMIERE, SUNDAY, OCT. 4, ON ABC

Full Episode of 'black-ish' to Be Presented in Animation for the First Time Ever

Directed by Oscar(R) Winner Matthew A. Cherry

The Johnsons and "black-ish" return to ABC with a special one-hour television special on SUNDAY, OCT. 4 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. The two back-to-back episodes, which will air ahead of the official season seven premiere, will follow the Johnsons as they navigate the upcoming election, with Junior (Marcus Scribner) embarking on his journey as a first-time voter and Dre (Anthony Anderson) launching an exploration into local politics. The special will be presented in part as an animated episode. Oscar(R) winner Matthew A. Cherry ("Hair Love") is set to direct. An official premiere date for the highly anticipated seventh season will be announced shortly. 

Editor's Note: Airdate and timing are subject to the change due to the NBA Finals schedule.

In "Election Special Pt. 1," (10:00-10:30 p.m. EDT), Junior is excited for his first time voting but discovers he has been purged from the voter polls so he does a deep dive into why - trying to understand the systems in place for voter registration. "Election Special Pt. 1" is directed by Matthew A. Cherry and written by Eric Horsted. 

Then, in a special animated episode, "Election Special Pt. 2," (10:30-11:00 p.m. EDT), Dre's colleague Stevens (Peter Mackenzie) makes an ill-advised decision to run for Congress, so Dre enlists his family's help and campaigns against him but gets caught up with fundraising and private interest groups. "Election Special Pt. 2" is directed by Matthew A. Cherry and written by Graham Towers & Ben Deeb. 

In its upcoming seventh season, "black-ish" will continue to tell stories that shine a light on current events through the lens of the Johnson family, addressing the global pandemic, systemic racism and the movement for social justice and equality. 

The series stars Anthony Anderson as Andre "Dre" Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson, Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson, Marcus Scribner as Andre Johnson Jr., Miles Brown as Jack Johnson, Marsai Martin as Diane Johnson, Laurence Fishburne as Pops, Jenifer Lewis as Ruby, Peter Mackenzie as Mr. Stevens, Deon Cole as Charlie Telphy and Jeff Meacham as Josh. ABC's "black-ish" was created by Kenya Barris and is executive produced by Barris, Courtney Lilly, Laura Gutin Peterson, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland, E. Brian Dobbins and Michael Petok. 

The series is produced by ABC Signature. ABC Signature is a part of Disney Television Studios, alongside 20th Television and Touchstone Television.

About ABC Entertainment 

ABC Entertainment airs compelling programming across all day parts, including "Grey's Anatomy," the longest-running medical drama in primetime television; riveting dramas "The Good Doctor," "A Million Little Things" and "Station 19"; trailblazing comedy favorites "American Housewife," "black-ish," "The Conners," "The Goldbergs" and "mixed-ish"; the popular "Summer Fun & Games" programming block, including "Celebrity Family Feud," "Holey Moley," "Match Game," "Press Your Luck" and "To Tell the Truth"; star-making sensation "American Idol"; reality phenomenon "Shark Tank"; "The Bachelor" franchise; long-running hits "Dancing with the Stars" and "America's Funniest Home Videos"; "General Hospital," which has aired for more than 55 years on the network; and late-night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"; as well as the critically acclaimed, Emmy(R) Award-winning special "Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's 'All in the Family' and 'The Jeffersons.'" The network also boasts some of television's most prestigious awards shows, including "The Oscars(R)," "The CMA Awards" and the "American Music Awards." ABC programming can also be viewed on demand and on Hulu.