Kenya Barris & Rashida Jones To Headline ‘Black Excellence’ Comedy

Netflix has ordered Kenya Barris’ single-camera comedy Black Excellence, the first series under the Black-ish creator’s overall deal at the streaming platform. Barris and Rashida Jones (Angie Tribeca) will star in the show inspired by Barris’ irreverent, highly flawed, unbelievably honest approach to parenting, relationships, race and culture.

Per Netflix, Black Excellence looks to pull the curtain back and reboot the “family sitcom” in a way we’ve never seen before.

Barris will make his acting debut on the show, said to be in the vein of Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, which also marked David’s lead acting debut, as well as a premium take on Black-ish.

Barris and Jones will executive produce alongside Hale Rothstein (black-ish, grown-ish). Barris’ production company, Khalabo Ink Society, will produce via Barris’ overall deal. The project opened a writers room last month.

Black Excellence marks the first green light for Barris at Netflix, with several other series in the works.

Barris created the Peabody-winning and Emmy-nominated ABC/ABC Studios comedy series Black-ish, which has spawned two spinoff series, Freeform’s Grown-ish and the newly ordered Mixed-ish at ABC. Additionally, Barris has upcoming multi-camera comedy series Unrelated on Freeform via ABC Studios and several projects in the works, including a remake of the popular 1960s sitcom Bewitched that centers on an interracial blended family.

2019 Netflix Pilots & Series Orders

On the film side, Barris has the upcoming Shaft sequel from director Tim Story and a screenplay by Barris. His other upcoming film projects include Coming to America 2 and an animated feature based on the songs of Bob Marley.

Jones most recently starred in and produced/directed the Steve and Nancy Carell-created comedy Angie Tribeca, which was canceled this week after for four seasons on TBS. Jones also is an executive producer on TNT’s hit dramedy Claws, whose third season airs in June. She is slated to write and co-direct the graphic novel adaptation Goldie Vance for Fox, and next will star opposite Bill Murray in On the Rocks, directed by Sofia Coppola.