{{short description|American sitcom}} {{Lowercase title|italic=yes}} {{Correct title|title=#blackAF|reason=hash}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox television | italic_title = no | image = BlackAFlogo.png | caption = | genre = Mockumentary | creator = Kenya Barris | narrator = | starring = {{Plainlist| * Rashida Jones * Kenya Barris * Iman Benson * Genneya Walton * Scarlet Spencer * Justin Claiborne * Ravi Cabot-Conyers <!--Starring cast order is according to original credits (the pilot episode). Do NOT rearrange cast order, per MOS:TVCAST. In addition, new starring cast members will be at the bottom of the list.--> }} | theme_music_composer = | open_theme = {{Work by author|"Win"|Jay Rock}} | end_theme = | music = Vincent Jones | country = United States | language = English | num_seasons = 1 | num_episodes = 8 | executive_producer = {{Plainlist| * Kenya Barris * Rashida Jones * Hale Rothstein }} | producer = {{Plainlist| * Bryan J. Raber * Yassir Lester * Doug Hall * Danny Segal * Isaac Schamis * Mychelle Deschamps }} | editor = {{Plainlist| * Steven Rasch * Christine Armstrong }} | location = Los Angeles | cinematography = Adam Bricker | camera = Single-camera | runtime = 32-48 minutes | company = {{Plainlist| * Khalabo Ink Society * Le Train Train }} | channel = Netflix | released = {{Start date|2020|04|17}} | related = }}
'''''#blackAF''''' is an American sitcom created by Kenya Barris.<ref name=Andreeva>{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/05/black-excellence-netflix-comedy-series-kenya-barris-rashida-jones-star-1202611331/ |title=Kenya Barris & Rashida Jones To Star In Barris' First Netflix Series 'Black Excellence' |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=May 10, 2019 |website=Deadline Hollywood |language=en |access-date=September 3, 2019 |archive-date=June 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606074933/https://deadline.com/2019/05/black-excellence-netflix-comedy-series-kenya-barris-rashida-jones-star-1202611331/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It premiered on Netflix on April 17, 2020.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/netflix-original-movies-tv-shows-complete-guide-2020/|title=Netflix Originals: A Complete Guide to the New Movies and TV Shows in 2020|magazine=TV Guide|date=March 19, 2020|language=en|access-date=March 19, 2020|archive-date=March 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319173308/https://www.tvguide.com/news/netflix-original-movies-tv-shows-complete-guide-2020/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="variety">{{Cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/tv-news-roundup-showtime-billions-trailer-1203539621-1203539621/ |title=TV News Roundup: Showtime Releases 'Billions' Season 5 Trailer |last=Rico |first=Klaritza |date=March 19, 2020 |magazine=Variety |language=en |access-date=March 21, 2020 |archive-date=March 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320222744/https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/tv-news-roundup-showtime-billions-trailer-1203539621-1203539621/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The title derives from AAVE Internet slang, where "AF" is a term of emphasis, meaning "as fuck".<ref name="lifewire">{{Cite web |url=https://www.lifewire.com/af-meaning-used-in-social-media-3485956 |title=What Does It Mean When Someone Types 'AF' In a Message, Tweet or Status? |last=Moreau |first=Elise |date=March 17, 2020 |website=Lifewire |language=en |access-date=March 21, 2020 |archive-date=May 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514064843/https://www.lifewire.com/af-meaning-used-in-social-media-3485956 |url-status=live }}</ref> In June 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.<ref name="S2Renewal"/> A year later, the renewal decision was reversed and the series was canceled after one season.<ref name="Cancellation"/>
==Premise== The series stars Barris as a fictionalized version of himself. The official synopsis reads: "''#blackAF'' uncovers the messy, unfiltered, and often hilarious world of what it means to be a 'new money' black family trying to 'get it right' in a modern world where 'right' is no longer a fixed concept."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/03/blackaf-trailer-kenya-barris-and-rashida-jones-1202220454/|title='#blackAF' Trailer: Kenya Barris and Rashida Jones 'Flip the Script' on the Family Sitcom|last=Obenson|first=Tambay|date=March 26, 2020|website=IndieWire|language=en|access-date=April 13, 2020|archive-date=August 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814053807/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/03/blackaf-trailer-kenya-barris-and-rashida-jones-1202220454/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Cast== ===Main=== <!--Main cast order is according to original credits (the pilot episode). Do NOT rearrange cast order, per MOS:TVCAST. In addition, new main cast members will be at the bottom of the list.--> * Rashida Jones as Joya Barris * Kenya Barris as Kenya Barris * Iman Benson as Drea Barris * Genneya Walton as Chloe Barris * Scarlet Spencer as Izzy Barris * Justin Claiborne as Pops Barris * Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Kam Barris
===Recurring=== * Richard Gardenhire Jr. as Brooklyn Barris * Gil Ozeri as Danny * Bumper Robinson as Broadway * Nia Long as Lavette * Angela Kinsey as Leeza * Doug Hall as Marquise
Ava DuVernay, Will Packer, Tyler Perry, Issa Rae, Tim Story, Scooter Braun, Lena Waithe, Jay Rock and Steven Levitan made appearances as themselves in the series.
==Episodes== {{Episode table |background=#C8B6A8 |overall= |season= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |airdateR=<ref name="TFC">{{cite web |title=#blackAF – Listings |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/blackaf/listings/ |website=The Futon Critic |access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> |episodes= {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 1 |EpisodeNumber2 = 1 |Title = because of slavery
|DirectedBy = Ken Kwapis |WrittenBy = Kenya Barris |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|4|17}} |ShortSummary = <!-- Episode summaries must be expressed in your own words. Do NOT submit content you find from another web site as it is plagiarism and likely a copyright violation, which Wikipedia cannot accept and will be removed or reverted. Superficially modifying copyrighted content or closely paraphrasing it, even if the source is cited, still constitutes a copyright violation. Summaries should be about 100 to 200 words in length, per MOS:TVPLOT, and those substantially less than 100 words are most likely to be scrutinized for possible copyright violation. --> Drea, Kenya's second eldest daughter, is making a documentary about her family as part of her application for NYU a film school.Kenya's family have a Sunday brunch to celebrate Kenya's new deal with Netflix.The deal is shown to be #blackAF. While leaving Kenya encounters Steve Levitan whose comments offend Barris. Barris back at his house starts to rant about how slavery made black people feel that they have to wear fashionable clothing to be accepted. He says that he wears track suits and gold chains because of the 'white gaze'. |LineColor = C8B6A8 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 2 |EpisodeNumber2 = 2 |Title = because of slavery too |DirectedBy = Ken Kwapis |WrittenBy = Kenya Barris |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|4|17}} |ShortSummary = <!-- Episode summaries must be expressed in your own words. Do NOT submit content you find from another web site as it is plagiarism and likely a copyright violation, which Wikipedia cannot accept and will be removed or reverted. Superficially modifying copyrighted content or closely paraphrasing it, even if the source is cited, still constitutes a copyright violation. Summaries should be about 100 to 200 words in length, per MOS:TVPLOT, and those substantially less than 100 words are most likely to be scrutinized for possible copyright violation. -->Kenya and Joya have a short fight in front of the children at breakfast. They decide to go to the Lunar Butterfly Festival as a way of working on their marriage. When the assistant jokingly says that they have to do Molly at the festival, Kenya and Joya share a memory of the last time they took Molly; when Chloe was young. Kenya, Joya and Danny go to an Armenian dealer to get Molly. While preparing to leave for the festival Kenya sees Chloe's Instagram post of her at their pool in a bikini. He is angered by this and confronts Joya about but she pretends to know little about the matter. At the festival Kenya bumps into Chloe and is initially repulsed by her presence. They later apologize to each other for their initial reaction and admit to both being high. The episode ends during Pops' birthday party as Joya and Kenya talk about white gaze'. |LineColor = C8B6A8 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 3 |EpisodeNumber2 = 3 |Title = still...because of slavery |DirectedBy = Rashida Jones |WrittenBy = Esa Lewis & Helen Krieger |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|4|17}} |ShortSummary = <!-- Episode summaries must be expressed in your own words. Do NOT submit content you find from another web site as it is plagiarism and likely a copyright violation, which Wikipedia cannot accept and will be removed or reverted. Superficially modifying copyrighted content or closely paraphrasing it, even if the source is cited, still constitutes a copyright violation. Summaries should be about 100 to 200 words in length, per MOS:TVPLOT, and those substantially less than 100 words are most likely to be scrutinized for possible copyright violation. --> |LineColor = C8B6A8 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 4 |EpisodeNumber2 = 4 |Title = yup, you guessed it. again, this is because of slavery |DirectedBy = Ken Kwapis |WrittenBy = Doug Hall |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|4|17}} |ShortSummary = <!-- Episode summaries must be expressed in your own words. Do NOT submit content you find from another web site as it is plagiarism and likely a copyright violation, which Wikipedia cannot accept and will be removed or reverted. Superficially modifying copyrighted content or closely paraphrasing it, even if the source is cited, still constitutes a copyright violation. Summaries should be about 100 to 200 words in length, per MOS:TVPLOT, and those substantially less than 100 words are most likely to be scrutinized for possible copyright violation. --> |LineColor = C8B6A8 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 5 |EpisodeNumber2 = 5 |Title = yo, between you and me... this is because of slavery |DirectedBy = Kenya Barris |WrittenBy = Hale Rothstein |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|4|17}} |ShortSummary = <!-- Episode summaries must be expressed in your own words. Do NOT submit content you find from another web site as it is plagiarism and likely a copyright violation, which Wikipedia cannot accept and will be removed or reverted. Superficially modifying copyrighted content or closely paraphrasing it, even if the source is cited, still constitutes a copyright violation. Summaries should be about 100 to 200 words in length, per MOS:TVPLOT, and those substantially less than 100 words are most likely to be scrutinized for possible copyright violation. --> |LineColor = C8B6A8 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 6 |EpisodeNumber2 = 6 |Title = hard to believe, but still because of slavery |DirectedBy = Kenya Barris |WrittenBy = Alison McDonald |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|4|17}} |ShortSummary = <!-- Episode summaries must be expressed in your own words. Do NOT submit content you find from another web site as it is plagiarism and likely a copyright violation, which Wikipedia cannot accept and will be removed or reverted. Superficially modifying copyrighted content or closely paraphrasing it, even if the source is cited, still constitutes a copyright violation. Summaries should be about 100 to 200 words in length, per MOS:TVPLOT, and those substantially less than 100 words are most likely to be scrutinized for possible copyright violation. --> |LineColor = C8B6A8 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 7 |EpisodeNumber2 = 7 |Title = i know this is going to sound crazy... but this, too, is because of slavery |DirectedBy = Brennan Schroff |WrittenBy = Hunter Covington |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|4|17}} |ShortSummary = <!-- Episode summaries must be expressed in your own words. Do NOT submit content you find from another web site as it is plagiarism and likely a copyright violation, which Wikipedia cannot accept and will be removed or reverted. Superficially modifying copyrighted content or closely paraphrasing it, even if the source is cited, still constitutes a copyright violation. Summaries should be about 100 to 200 words in length, per MOS:TVPLOT, and those substantially less than 100 words are most likely to be scrutinized for possible copyright violation. --> |LineColor = C8B6A8 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 8 |EpisodeNumber2 = 8 |Title = i know you may not get this, but the reason we deserve a vacation is... because of slavery |DirectedBy = Brennan Schroff |WrittenBy = Danny Segal & Isaac Schamis |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|4|17}} |ShortSummary = <!-- Episode summaries must be expressed in your own words. Do NOT submit content you find from another web site as it is plagiarism and likely a copyright violation, which Wikipedia cannot accept and will be removed or reverted. Superficially modifying copyrighted content or closely paraphrasing it, even if the source is cited, still constitutes a copyright violation. Summaries should be about 100 to 200 words in length, per MOS:TVPLOT, and those substantially less than 100 words are most likely to be scrutinized for possible copyright violation. --> |LineColor = C8B6A8 }} }}
==Production== ===Development=== Netflix ordered ''#blackAF'' (originally titled ''Black Excellence'') as the first series under Barris' deal with them.<ref name=Andreeva /> Announcing the production of the show, Netflix said, "Inspired by Barris' irreverent, highly flawed, unbelievably honest approach to parenting, relationships, race, and culture, ''Black Excellence'' looks to pull the curtain back and reboot the 'family sitcom' in a way we've never seen before."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/05/rashida-jones-kenya-barris-netflix-show-black-excellence-1202139603/ |title='Black Excellence': Rashida Jones Cast as Lead of Kenya Barris' First Netflix Original Comedy |last=Greene |first=Steve |date=May 10, 2019 |website=IndieWire |language=en |access-date=September 3, 2019 |archive-date=May 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517005956/https://www.indiewire.com/2019/05/rashida-jones-kenya-barris-netflix-show-black-excellence-1202139603/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On June 23, 2020, Netflix renewed the series for a second season.<ref name="S2Renewal">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/06/netflix-kenya-barris-blackaf-season-2-1202967072/|title=Netflix Renews Kenya Barris' '#blackAF' For Season 2|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Peter|last=White|date=June 23, 2020|access-date=June 23, 2020|archive-date=June 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624111708/https://deadline.com/2020/06/netflix-kenya-barris-blackaf-season-2-1202967072/|url-status=live}}</ref> A year later, on June 23, 2021, the renewal decision was reversed and the series was canceled after one season, but may return as a standalone film franchise.<ref name="Cancellation">{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2021/06/23/blackaf-cancelled-season-2-netflix-movies-kenya-barris/|title=#blackAF Not Returning for Season 2; Netflix Eyes Standalone Film Franchise|website=TVLine|first=Ryan|last=Schwartz|date=June 23, 2021|access-date=June 23, 2021|archive-date=June 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623211235/https://tvline.com/2021/06/23/blackaf-cancelled-season-2-netflix-movies-kenya-barris/|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Casting=== On May 10, 2019, Kenya Barris and Rashida Jones were cast in starring roles.<ref name=Andreeva /> On December 20, 2019, Genneya Walton, Iman Benson, Scarlet Spencer, Justin Claiborn, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, and Richard Gardenhire Jr. were announced as additional cast members.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/12/kenya-barris-netflix-comedy-series-blackexcellence-family-cast-rashida-jones-1202815063/|title=Kenya Barris' Netflix Comedy Series "#blackexcellence' Rounds Out The Family Cast|last=Petski|first=Denise|date=December 20, 2019|website=Deadline|language=en|access-date=February 18, 2020|archive-date=December 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220195756/https://deadline.com/2019/12/kenya-barris-netflix-comedy-series-blackexcellence-family-cast-rashida-jones-1202815063/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title='#BlackExcellence': Netflix Rounds Out Cast of Kenya Barris & Rashida Jones Series|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/843415/black-excellence-netflix-cast-kenya-barris-rashida-jones/|last=Darwish|first=Meaghan|website=TV Insider|date=December 20, 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-17|archive-date=March 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313173313/https://www.tvinsider.com/843415/black-excellence-netflix-cast-kenya-barris-rashida-jones/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Reception== On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 46% based on 24 reviews, with an average rating of 6.97/10. The website's critical consensus states: "Solid one-liners and some sharp social critiques can't save ''#blackaf'' from feeling more like a stale retread than a fresh step forward for creator Kenya Barris."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/blackaf/s01|title=#blackAF: Season 1 (2020)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=July 27, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/blackaf/season-1|title=#blackAF: Season 1 reviews|website=Metacritic|access-date=April 28, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Netflix title}} * {{IMDb title|10311562}}
{{Netflix original ended series (2019–present)}} {{Kenya Barris}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:BlackAF}} Category:2020 American television series debuts Category:2020 American television series endings Category:2020s American black sitcoms Category:2020s American single-camera sitcoms Category:English-language American television shows Category:American television series about families Category:Netflix sitcoms Category:Works about race and ethnicity