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black-ish ABC News Special Features Never-Before-Seen Screen Tests From Show's First Episode

It's the end of the road for the black-ish, but the groundbreaking sitcom is going out with a bang. Check out this exclusive clip from the show's April 19 ABC News primetime special.

By Daniel Trainor Apr 15, 2022 3:00 PMTags

The Johnson family is going out in style.

In honor of the series finale of black-ish, the show is being fêted with an ABC News primetime special, black-ish: A Celebration, which will air directly after the show's series finale on April 19.

The special goes all the way back to the beginning, featuring screen tests for the show's 2014 pilot episode, as seen in this exclusive E! News clip. 

Anthony Anderson and a baby-faced Marcus Scribner show off some of the father-son chemistry that would help black-ish become one of the most acclaimed comedies on television over its eight-year run.

There's Miles Brown and Marsai Martin, who have both grown up before our eyes, nailing their on-screen test together. Tracee Ellis Ross, who has earned five Emmy nominations for the show, is also seen getting in some early reps as matriarch Bow. 

The special will feature interviews with Anderson, Ross, Martin, Brown and Scribner, in addition to cast members Yara Shahidi, Laurence Fishburne, Jenifer Lewis and Deon Cole.

"When I read the script, I knew it was something special," Ellis Ross says in the special. "It was a point of view that I had not seen done on television in that way."

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Black-ish Social Movement Episodes

During its run, black-ish has become known for its willingness to take on social and political issues. The special will "reflect on some of the show's most important episodes, covering topics ranging from Juneteenth to postpartum depression," per ABC News.

It's not just the cast who will celebrate the sitcom's impact.

"Guest stars such as Aloe Blacc also discuss their experience working on set, the comedic genius of the show and how they feel about the series ending," according to ABC News. "Creator and executive producer Kenya Barris and episodic director Eva Longoria talk about the unique chemistry between the cast and crew over years of filming and what they hope will be the legacy of the show."

ABC/Richard Cartwright

black-ish has racked up a total of 24 Emmy nominations, including four nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series. 

Those craving more of the Johnson tribe aren't totally out of luck. Scribner is joining his TV sister Shahidi on the Freeform spin-off grown-ish, which was recently renewed for a fifth season.

black-ish: A Celebration airs April 19 at 9:30 p.m. ET, right after the series finale of black-ish.

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