Rainbow Johnson will soon get the Sheldon treatment:
Next season, the character will be in two separate series – one as an adult, the other as a child. That news arrived today (May 2), when ABC:
— Renewed “Black-ish” for next season, its sixth.
— Gave an early order for “Mixed-ish,” also for next season. It looks at the 1980s childhood of Rainbow … an approach that works for CBS with “The Big Bang Theory” and “Young Sheldon.”
As her first name suggests, Rainbow (usually called Bow) was raised by hippie parents. She’s biracial, as is the actress who plays her – Tracee Ellis Ross (shown here with Anthony Anderson), the daughter of music superstar Diana Ross and Robert Ellis Silberstein, a music business manager.
This is the third series in the “-ish” family. Diane, the daughter of Bow and Dre, pops up occasionally in “Black-ish,” while “Grown-ish” — returning this summer on Freeform – views her college life.
The new series sees Rainbow move with her family from a commune to the suburbs. Tika Sumpter, a soap veteran who also starred as the future Michelle Obama in “Southside with You,” plays her mom.
“Black-ish” had planned to air the backdoor pilot for the series on Tuesday (May 7), with flashbacks of the move to suburbia. Now that will wait until next season; the May 7 hole will be filled by an extra “Bless This Mess” episode.