Tracee Ellis Ross on 'Black-ish' and 'Girlfriends,' Plus the Season Premiere Review

The new highly anticipated family comedy Black-ish premiered Wednesday night on ABC. Tracee Ellis Ross, Anthony Anderson and Laurence Fishburne touch base on race and make light of black stereotypes. 

The show is centered on an upper-middle-class family. We first meet Andre 'Dre' Johnson (Anderson) who is introduced as a successful advertising executive. Him and his wife Rainbow Johnson (Ross) have four kids, and Dre's father known as Pops (Fishburne) lives with them as well.  

In the first episode, Dre anticipates a promotion at work to senior vice president. He gets promoted alright, but as Senior Vice President of the Urban Divison, so he feels some type of way... obviously about the Urban part. 

It seems as if Dre is having an identity crisis and brings this attitude home to his family. He feels as if his family has no understanding of their own cultural history, especially when his youngest child says he didn't know Obama was the first black president. 

If that isn't enough for Dre, then his oldest son Andre Jr. makes the hockey team at school, and tells his dad he wants to convert to Judaism so he can have a Bar Mitzvah like his friends. In one scene, Andre Jr.'s white friend comes over to their house and goes straight to the refrigerator. Dre sees this and questions the friend and the boy says "I've been craving some grape soda, my parents never buy it."

Dre responds, "Why do you assume we have it?" ... Black people and grape soda, that will never get old. 

Dre has had enough and decides it's time for his family to be a part of "operation: keeping it real." He tries to make Andre Jr. wear African clothing. But Pops says to Dre, "that ain't our culture! We're black, not African. Africans don't even like us!"

Dre thinks Andre Jr. wearing African culture will make him learn about the black culture

Pops also likes to point out the fact that Rainbow isn't all black, she's mixed. Rainbow has the funniest comeback in once scene and responds, "if I'm not really black then can someone please tell my hair and my ass!" A typical cliché. 

Pops is an ol' school cat played by Laurence Fishburne

Towards the end of the episode, Dre's antics start dying down. But, not before he can throw Andre Jr. a hip hop Bro Mitzvah for his birthday. Lol!

Black-ish seems like it's off to a promising start. The season premiere pulled in 10.8 million total viewers last night, along with a strong 3.3 rating among 18 to 49 year olds, according to tvfanatic.com. 

I like the show and thought the pilot was quite funny. What did you think of the premiere of Black-ish?

Anderson plays Dre and Ross plays his wife Rainbow

Tracee Ellis Ross on Power 105.1

Ross interviewed with Power 105.1 The Breakfast Club this morning and discussed the new show and what it was like growing up being mixed - she's Jewish and African American. She also discussed what it's like having a mom like Diana Ross. 

Are there any Girlfriends fans!? Wellllll, Ross talked about those movie rumors and how the show would have ended up if Girlfriends had gotten a proper finale. 

Related Post: Remembering the Cancelled Show 'Girlfriends' and Former 'Girlfriends' Actress Now in Horror Flick 

Take a listen to her Breakfast Club interview below. She is actually quite funny, especially when she starts talking about rap songs and rhyming around the 12:31 mark...