Why 2014's Black-ish Is Taking Over Streaming

Why A 12-Year-Old Sitcom Is Suddenly Taking Over Streaming Charts By  Angel Shaw Published Feb 3, 2026, 7:16 PM EST Angel Shaw is a Lead Writer and Peer Mentor on ScreenRant's New TV team, covering new-release TV shows across all major streaming platforms. She has been a writer with ScreenRant since 2022 and specializes in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy.  Angel holds a bachelor's degree in language interpreting and is passionate about all things culture and communication—especially in how it relates to popular media throughout history (from Shakespeare to Friends to Game of Thrones). Sign in to your ScreenRant account Add Us On follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

After only a few days on Netflix, Black-ish is rapidly climbing the streaming charts. The family comedy series created by Kenya Barris first premiered on ABC in 2014 and ran for eight seasons before it came to a close in 2022. Though it was previously available to stream on Hulu, Black-ish was added to the Netflix library on January 31, 2026. Then, it pretty immediately joined the platform's global top 10 TV shows.

Black-ish was already a significant success while on the air. Stars like Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross were enough to lure viewers in, and that spectacular brand of comedy kept them watching. The show has an average critic score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, with several individual seasons claiming nearly impossible 100% critic approval. It's no wonder that Black-ish has found renewed streaming success.

What Black-ish Is About

Dre (Anthony Anderson) and Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis Ross) smiling and embracing in Black-ish

Black-ish revolves around the Johnsons, a wealthy Black family living in a predominantly white suburban neighborhood. They're led by Ranbow (Bow) and Andre (Dre) Johnson, who work as an anaesthesiologist and an advertising executive, respectively. The couple began Black-ish with four children, and, together as a family, they maneuver a life within a traditionally discriminatory environment while trying to stay true to their Black identities.

Like any good sitcom, Black-ish is rooted in comedy, and it absolutely delivers in this respect. The performances are spectacular, aided by exceptional writing and direction. Beyond this, Black-ish makes no effort to avoid tricky topics and experiences. The comedy is perfectly balanced with those emotional sequences, made up of the family's most frustrating experiences and the heartwarming moments that make it all worth it.

Black-ish Broke Ground In The Family-Comedy Genre

One of the most famous Black-led sitcoms in history is The Cosby Show, which effectively defied the kinds of racial stereotypes that dominated television up to that point. However, one of the many ways that The Cosby Show is considered controversial is that it completely ignored the institutional racism experienced by Black families in the United States.

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Twenty-two years after The Cosby Show ended in 1992, Black-ish joined the lineup of shows that combatted traditional media stereotypes. This time, however, there were no attempts to avoid tricky subjects. Black-ish takes an honest look at racism, cultural identity, police brutality, interracial relationships, and more, and these are discussions that continue to be relevant beyond the comedy series ending. It's no wonder that Black-ish is now making waves on streaming.

Black-ish

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Comedy Release Date 2014 - 2022-00-00 Network ABC Showrunner Larry Wilmore

Cast

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• Anthony Anderson Andre Johnson
• Gary Cole Harrison
• Nat Faxon Joseph Everton
• Tracee Ellis Ross Rainbow Johnson

Directors Anton Cropper, Ken Whittingham, Gail Lerner, Kevin Bray, Millicent Shelton, Pete Chatmon, Michael Spiller, Linda Mendoza, Matt Sohn, Todd Biermann, Michael Schultz, John Fortenberry, Eric Dean Seaton, Charles Stone III, Kenya Barris, James Griffiths, Rob Sweeney, Todd Holland, Victor Nelli Jr., Jude Weng, Fred Savage, Eva Longoria, Claire Scanlon, Matthew A. Cherry Writers Steven White, Christian Lander, Lindsey Shockley, Lisa Muse Bryant, Corey Nickerson, Yamara Taylor, Robb Chavis, Hale Rothstein, Melanie Boysaw, Jenifer Rice-Genzuk, Marquita Robinson, Kenny Smith Jr., Doug Hall, Isaiah Lester, Graham Towers, Mary Fitzgerald, Nick Adams, Esa Lewis, Eric Horsted, Lizzie Donaldson, Ben Deeb, Yvette Lee Bowser, Owen Smith, Emily Halpern Powered by Expand Collapse

• Black-ish

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