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Tribune News Service
Tribune News Service
National
Nicole Bitette

ABC pulled politically charged 'Black-ish' episode over 'creative differences'

An episode of the hit ABC sitcom "Black-ish" was shelved last month after the network and showrunner Kenya Barris couldn't reach an agreement.

The episode "Please, Baby, Please" was set to air on Feb. 27, but it was abruptly announced on Feb. 22 that it would no longer make its way to TV, according to the trade publication Variety.

It was set to center on a number of political and social topics, including a scene where patriarch Andre "Dre" Johnson Sr. (Anthony Anderson) gets into an argument with his oldest son Junior (Marcus Scribner) about athletes kneeling during the national anthem.

"Given our creative differences, neither ABC nor I were happy with the direction of the episode and mutually agreed not to air it," Barris, the show's creator, told Variety. " 'Black-ish' is a show that has spoken to all different types of people and brought them closer as a community and I'm so proud of the series.

"Black-ish," which is in its fourth season, has received bountiful praise for its handling of political and social topics that often go unaddressed on a sitcom.

The show previously used the N-word and addressed police brutality _ as well as Trump's presidency.

In 2016 and 2017, it was the only broadcast show besides "Modern Family" to be nominated for an Emmy for outstanding comedy series.

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