Want a show about strong women? Binge Black-ish on Showmax now

Andre “Dre” Johnson Sr (Anthony Anderson) might be the dad, the head of the house (he wishes) and the narrator who always gets the last word on Black-ish (2014-current, Seasons 1-4 are now on Showmax), but we know who the real MVP is. Dr Rainbow “Bow” Johnson (Golden Globe winner Tracee Ellis Ross) is so much more than a sitcom mom.

“What’s interesting to me about Bow is that she is a full woman. Her motherhood, her work-hood, her selfhood, her wife-hood – none of them holds more importance to her than her selfhood.” – Tracee Ellis Ross

“(Bow) is a joyful, thriving woman. This is not a surviving, marginalised woman. And I think having the nuance of that is incredibly important,” says Tracee.

And that’s the core of what makes Black-ish such a delightfully addictive comedy for viewers across the board: you don’t have to be a mom to “get” Bow (but if you are a mom, boy, is she going to speak to you) because she’s not just a mom – just like you don’t have to be black to appreciate the Johnsons’ struggles and joys in their upper-middle-class neighbourhood (but if you’re black, boy, is this show going to speak to you). Watch now »

Mother has arrived

It wouldn’t be a family sitcom without meddling in-laws, and the thorn in Bow’s side is Dre’s mom Ruby (Jenifer Lewis), the headscarf-wearing, Satan-hating, wooden spoon-wielding drama queen and con-woman of our dreams. “When I’m Ruby, I’m representing the middle-aged black woman. We’re the salt of the earth. We tell it like it is. And some days we’re a hot mess!” says Jenifer. And while conservative Ruby is at church every Sunday calling on “Black Jesus” for aid, during the week she’s hell on wheels because, as Ruby admits, “sometimes Grandma forgets she’s been saved”.

In Season 2, episode 19, Dre and Bow’s daughter Zoey (Yara Shahidi) points out that Ruby is half teenager, half elderly person, and Bow quips that she’ll outlive them all because “evil never dies”.

Series creator Kenya Barris adds, “All of us know these colourful characters, people that make up the rainbow of what our family is. And those make for the best Thanksgivings, the best Christmases, the best family reunions, because it’s not one point of view. The generations don’t necessarily agree but they are really connected through the spine of being a family.” Watch now »

Generation Me

Rounding out a cast of fantastically three-dimensional female characters, viewers have the new generation represented by Zoey, who’s on the verge of leaving school.

“She has her own make-up line, is a YouTube beauty guru, has dated two guys, knows how to drive, and currently runs her entire school,” says Yara, who now has her own Black-ish spin-off sitcom called Grown-ish. The first season of Grown-ish is now streaming.

“Catcher In The Rye, by JD Salinger, definitely inspired who Zoey is. Holden Caulfield [Catcher’s protagonist] reflects the teen trying to find her place in this ever-changing world. She wants to be independent and is definitely sassy. At the same time, she’s still dependent on her family and wants to be successful like her parents while never wanting to grow up. Even though she is still going through her developmental teen phase, she is proud and very self-assured. I definitely want her confident swagger because even though she makes mistakes like everyone else, she always bounces back and gets what she wants.”

And Zoey has 10-year-old little sister Diane (Marsai Martin) nipping at her heels, taking tips from all three women as she grows. Watch now »

Designing women

Fans can also look out for sitcom pro Raven-Symoné playing Dre’s sister Rhonda Johnson. She gives an amazing performance in Season 1, episode 22, when she discusses why she still hasn’t come out to their parents. Watch now »

Here are some more minor characters played by some pretty major actresses.

Comedienne Wanda Sykes joins the team as Dre’s demanding and commanding new boss Daphne Lido from Season 2, episode 9. Watch now »

America’s Next Top Model star Tyra Banks rocks up as Dre’s childhood best friend Gigi in Season 2, episode 11. Watch now »

Regina Hall (Coretta, 2001-2002, in Ally McBeal, 1997-2002) joins the cast as Dre and Bow’s nanny in Season 2, episode 18. Watch now »

And, in Season 3, catch Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreations’ Ann Perkins, 2009-2015) as Rainbow’s reality-star sister Santamonica!