ABC’s ‘black-ish’ Ends Its Run as ABC Looks to Future

This image released by ABC shows Anthony Anderson, left, and Tracee Ellis Ross in a scene from the series finale of "black-ish," airing April 19. (ABC via AP)
This image released by ABC shows Anthony Anderson, left, and Tracee Ellis Ross in a scene from the series finale of "black-ish," airing April 19. (ABC via AP)
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ABC’s ‘black-ish’ Ends Its Run as ABC Looks to Future

This image released by ABC shows Anthony Anderson, left, and Tracee Ellis Ross in a scene from the series finale of "black-ish," airing April 19. (ABC via AP)
This image released by ABC shows Anthony Anderson, left, and Tracee Ellis Ross in a scene from the series finale of "black-ish," airing April 19. (ABC via AP)

As the comedy “black-ish” ended its run after eight seasons with a relatively modest live audience of 2.52 million viewers, ABC is already pivoting to what it hopes is its next defining sitcom.

The “black-ish” series finale last week featured a storyline where series stars Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross move their fictional Johnson family from the predominantly white area where they had been living to a neighborhood with more Black families.

It was the largest audience for the series since its final season debut in September, according to the Nielsen company, and certain to increase when delayed viewing is taken into account.

The series earned four Emmy Award nominations for best comedy in an era where it’s unusual for a broadcast series to be recognized.

Less than a week later, at a New York dinner held by ABC parents Walt Disney Co. on Monday to showcase its creators, a spotlight was on Quinta Brunson, creator and star of the new sitcom “Abbott Elementary.”

The series based in a Philadelphia elementary school and inspired by Brunson’s mother, a kindergarten teacher, debuted in December to strong reviews. It ended its first season on April 12 with an average of 2.9 million viewers per episode, which swelled to 8 million when a full month’s delayed viewing is counted in, Nielsen said.

Brunson said that she’s a fan of workplace and family comedies, which have been a staple of ABC’s lineup for generations.

“I think the world was really longing for that kind of feeling again — the things we got from older shows like ‘Family Ties’ and more modern shows like ‘The Office’ and ‘Parks & Rec,’” she said.

The show will be back for a second season in the fall.

CBS won the week in prime-time last week with an average of 4.5 million viewers, led by “60 Minutes,” which was the week’s top-ranked show for the sixth time this season. NBC averaged 3.01 million viewers, ABC had 2.96 million, Fox had 2 million, Univision had 1.4 million, Telemundo had 970,000 and Ion Television had 960,000.

TNT led cable networks with a prime-time average of 2.62 million viewers. Fox News Channel had 2.25 million, ESPN had 1.33 million, MSNBC had 1.09 million and HGTV had 1.03 million.

ABC’s “World News Tonight” led the evening news ratings race with an average of 7.8 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” averaged 6.7 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 4.9 million.



Lebanon Mourns Iconic Composer Ziad Rahbani as Mother Fairouz Makes Rare Appearance

A mourner holds up a rose and a portrait of renowned Lebanese musician and composer Ziad Rahbani as crowds gathered outside Khoury Hospital in Beirut's central Hamra district to bid him farewell before his funeral procession on July 28, 2025. (AFP)
A mourner holds up a rose and a portrait of renowned Lebanese musician and composer Ziad Rahbani as crowds gathered outside Khoury Hospital in Beirut's central Hamra district to bid him farewell before his funeral procession on July 28, 2025. (AFP)
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Lebanon Mourns Iconic Composer Ziad Rahbani as Mother Fairouz Makes Rare Appearance

A mourner holds up a rose and a portrait of renowned Lebanese musician and composer Ziad Rahbani as crowds gathered outside Khoury Hospital in Beirut's central Hamra district to bid him farewell before his funeral procession on July 28, 2025. (AFP)
A mourner holds up a rose and a portrait of renowned Lebanese musician and composer Ziad Rahbani as crowds gathered outside Khoury Hospital in Beirut's central Hamra district to bid him farewell before his funeral procession on July 28, 2025. (AFP)

Hundreds of people in Lebanon paid tribute Monday to iconic composer, pianist and playwright Ziad Rahbani, who died over the weekend. His mother, Fairouz, a Lebanese icon and one of the Arab world's most esteemed singers, made a rare public appearance.

Rahbani, also known as a political provocateur, died Saturday at age 69. The cause of death was not immediately known.

His passing shocked much of the Arab world, which appreciated his satire, unapologetic political critique and avante-garde, jazz-inspired compositions that mirrored the chaos and contradictions of Lebanon throughout its civil war from 1975 until 1990. He also composed some of his mother's most famous songs.

Lebanon's iconic singer Fairouz receives condolences during the funeral of her son, musician and composer Ziad Rahbani, at a church in Bikfaya town in the Metn District region of Mount Lebanon, Lebanon, on July 28, 2025. (AFP)

The Rahbani family was a cornerstone in Lebanon's golden era of music theater that today is steeped in idealism and nostalgia in a troubled country.

Top Lebanese political officials and artists paid tribute after the death was announced. Rahbani, a leftist Greek Orthodox, often mocked Lebanon’s sectarian divisions in his work.

Hundreds of people holding roses and photos gathered by Khoury Hospital near Beirut's busy Hamra district, solemnly singing some of his most famous songs and applauding as a vehicle carrying his body left its garage.

Reem Haidar, who grew up during the civil war, said Rahbani’s songs and their messages were what she and others associated with at a time when there was “no nation to belong to.”

The vehicle made its way to a church in the mountainous town of Bikfaya before burial in the family cemetery.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam (R) stands nearby the coffin of late Lebanese composer and musician Ziad Rahbani during his funeral at a church in Bikfaya town in the Metn District region of Mount Lebanon, Lebanon, 28 July 2025. (EPA)

Fairouz, 90, had spent many years away from the public eye. Wearing black sunglasses and a black veil, she greeted visitors who came to pay respects. She had not been seen publicly since photos surfaced of her meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited her residence in 2020 to award her France's highest medal of honor.

In recent years, Rahbani also appeared less in the public eye, yet his influence never waned. Younger generations rediscovered his plays online and sampled his music in protest movements. He continued to compose and write, speaking often of his frustration with Lebanon’s political stagnation and decaying public life.

Rahbani is survived by his mother and his sister Reema and brother Hali.