It was a set of "creative differences" between Black-ish creator Kenya Barris and ABC that prevented a politically hot episode of the show from airing in late February, according to the New York Times. The episode was titled “Please, Baby, Please,” and saw father Dre tell his infant son a bedtime story that touched on the right of athletes to kneel during the national anthem.
The episode, slated to air Feb. 27, was replaced by a rerun when Barris and ABC were dissatisfied with it. “Given our creative differences, neither ABC nor I were happy with the direction of the episode and mutually agreed to not air it,” said Barris in a statement.
ABC gave Barris, and Black-ish, credit for tackling tough issues on the show in the past.
“One of the things that has always made Black-ish so special is how it deftly examines delicate social issues in a way that simultaneously entertains and educates,” ABC said in a statement issued to Variety. “However, on this episode there were creative differences we were unable to resolve.”
