A political episode of Black-Ish that was shelved by ABC executives over “creative differences” is now available to view on Hulu.
The episode, Please, Baby, Please, had been set to air in February 2018, but never ultimately made it to screens. However, after years of anticipation series creator Kenya Barris announced on Monday (August 10, 2020) the lost installment is now available to view.
“In November 2017, we made an episode of black-ish entitled Please, Baby, Please,” Barris said in a statement posted to Instagram, referring to the episode which focuses on multiple social and political issues.
“We were one-year post-election and coming to the end of a year that left us, like many Americans, grappling with the state of our country and anxious about its future.”
He added that the episode came out of the tumultuous state of the country and the world, at the time.
“Those feelings poured onto the page, becoming 22 minutes of television that I was, and still am, incredibly proud of. Please, Baby, Please didn’t make it to air that season… And, while much has been speculated about its contents, the episode has never been seen publicly… until now.”
Barris also said he requested the episode to be aired after the re-airing of its Juneteenth and Hope episodes.
“I cannot wait for everyone to finally see the episode for themselves and, as was the case nearly three years ago, we hope it inspires some much-needed conversation,” he added. “Not only about what we were grappling with then or how it led to where we are now, but conversations about where we want our country to go moving forward and, most importantly, how we get there together.”
Black-ish, starring Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson, started airing on ABC in 2014 and was renewed for a seventh season in May.
