#mixed-ish

It's summer, and he's packing heat.

Gary Cole as Harrison Jackson in ABC's comedy series: Mixed-Ish

All the shows I included on the list have all been cancelled, couldn't make it past the first or second season, ended on a cliffhanger, or removed entirely from the service.

People have watched and grew up with Blossom, The Facts of Life, Boy Meets World, The Wonder Years (1988), Saved by the Bell (1989), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Matters, Family Ties, Full House, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, etc., so I thought "What would be this generation's version of those shows?" for most of the programming.

I haven't seen most of these shows I listed, but I wanted to include a variety of shows for the audience even if some of them are syndicated on other channels.

Freeform original programming (by me)

Diary of a Future President (Disney+)

Gordita Chronicles (Max)

Mixed-ish (ABC)

The Wonder Years (2021) (ABC)

Saved by the Bell (2020) (Peacock)

Big Shot (Disney+)

Schooled (ABC)

Mr. Mayor (NBC)

The Big Leap (Fox)

Rutherford Falls (Peacock)

Black Excellence 365 Spotlight: Christina Anthony, Mixed-ish 

If you’re a fan of ABC’s Mixed-ish, you may recognize actress, comedian, and writer Christina Anthony as Aunt Denice. A veteran writer/performer from the Chicago comedy scene, she is perhaps best known as an alumnus of the Second City Chicago resident e.t.c. stage, where she co-wrote three original sketch revues and performed thousands of shows. Christina’s archived work tours the world in The Second City National touring company, and her original comedy pilot was a finalist in the TBS & Refinery29 RIOT Comedy Writers Lab. On-screen, Christina has starred on Key & Peele, Mash Up, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, and The Dilemma.

You were only the 7th Black woman to join the resident stage at Second City. What advice would you give to young Black talent looking to get their first break in the entertainment industry? 

Building relationships in and adjacent to the industry is so key. I wish I had known to do that more. Talent can only get you so far. It’s not “who you know” but rather “who knows you.” It’s also about who is willing to give you a chance when they have their own opportunity. With that said, trust the gift you have. Hone it. Sharpen it—so that when your time comes, you are READY.

Which scene or episode from Mixed-ish (so far) means the most to you, and why? 

There are so many to love, but it was really emotional to shoot our first season finale. The whole cast dressed up and performed “Crush on You” by The Jets. We had no idea if we’d be coming back for another season, and I actually started crying while shooting it. “Crush on You” is such a fun song, but I was on the verge of tears the whole time!

You’re having a round table discussion with any four people (living or dead, real or fictional). Who is at the table, and what are you discussing? 

Easy. Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Dave Chapelle, and my 80-year-old Uncle Jerome. We’re discussing if we’ll ever have another Black president. You don’t know my Uncle Jerome, but he will give those three a run for their money.

How would you describe your sense of humor? 

My humor is rooted in the culture (Black culture), nostalgia, and political satire. That’s what I love about playing Denise on Mixed-ish. Denise is constantly dropping (polarizing) gems, but they are wrapped up in pop culture, so she gets away with it. And every Black person has an “Aunt Dee Dee.” She is THAT chick. 

How much room for improvisation is there in Mixed-ish? 

Mixed-ish is scripted and written by the BEST writers. Everything the writers give us is ready to go. Now, I do improvise sometimes, but the script is a fully baked cake, and my improvised comedy is sugar. The key is knowing when to sprinkle the improv—not dump a five-pound bag on the scene. You’ll ruin it. 

YARA SHAHIDI at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards on September 19th 2021 wearing DIOR