In November 2017, Black-ish creator Kenya Barris wrote an episode of his Emmy-winning ABC comedy titled ‘Please, Baby, Please’ that tackles racism in America, ranging from the Charlottesville protests to kneeling in the NFL. Just a week before it aired in 2018, Disney sealed it. Now, the episode will finally see the light of day on Disney’s general entertainment streaming service, Hulu.
“We were one year after the election and came to the end of a year that had left us, like many Americans, with the state of our country and worried about its future,” Barris said. wrote in a statement on Twitter. ‘Those feelings ran on the page, became 22 minutes of television where I was, and still am, incredibly proud. ‘Please, Baby, Please’ did not come to mind that season and although much has been speculated about the content, the episode has never been seen in public … until now. ‘
The episode is currently streaming on Hulu, but it is unclear if Disney has plans to broadcast the episode on ABC. The network could use new programming, and there is interest in the Black-ish episode following the company’s controversial decision to set it up. Originally, the network’s primary concerns were “related to comments made by characters about President Donald Trump, not to the football story,” according to Variation. The episode comes in the wake of mass protests around the world fighting racism and injustice.
“I can not wait for everyone to finally see the episode for themselves, and as was the case almost three years ago, we hope it inspires a much-needed conversation – not just about what we struggled with then or how it led to where we are. now, but talks about where we want our country to move forward and, most importantly, how we are there together, “Barris wrote in his statement.
The episode focuses on Anthony Anderson’s Dre who tells his son Devante a story about the first year of humanity on Earth, according to The Hollywood Reporter. By combining allegory stories and very real news clips, including kneeling NFL players and Protestants, Barris and his team can address the fears that have plagued many of the country during Trump’s presidency this year, the creator said. THR back in 2018.
Both Disney executives and Barris’ team were on board with the episode – a high-profile production that cost more than $ 3 million and had talent as Spike Lee added. Then, a week before the episode aired, executives from all the way up to then CEO Bob Iger shared concerns about alienation from audiences, with Iger talking to Barris about the ‘political sensitivity of a broadcast network in 2018. ‘
Also worth noting: Disney was in the midst of trying to get 21st Century Fox. Weighing a Republican-led Department of Justice in attempting a deal is what Disney executives apparently wanted to avoid, according to THR.
The network suggested that Barris and his team make edits to the episode, but “it was not as easy as a pinch here as a tick here, and the sheer tonnage of anti-Trump material rippling through the episode eventually made the exercise futile, “according to the Reporter. Instead, they scraped both sides. Barris would continue to leave the ABC family and sign a $ 100 million deal with Netflix.
Now, the episode will primarily be live on Hulu. Disney’s general entertainment streaming service for Disney exceeded 35 million subscribers in June.
