SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION: FREEFORM'S HIT COMEDY 'GROWN-ISH' BEGINS PRODUCTION ON SEASON TWO IN LOS ANGELES

CHLOE BAILEY, HALLE BAILEY AND LUKA SABBAT UPPED TO SERIES REGULARS

Diggy Simmons Returns for Season 2 in Recurring Role

Today, Freeform announced the start of production on season two of the critically acclaimed comedy series "grown-ish." From "black-ish" executive producer Kenya Barris, "grown-ish" is a contemporary take on the current issues facing both students and administrators in the world of higher education. Produced by ABC Signature Studios and executive produced by Kenya Barris, Julie Bean, Jenifer Rice-Genzuk Henry, Craig Doyle, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland and E. Brian Dobbins, season two of "grown-ish" is set to debut in January 2019.

Reprising their roles after a stellar freshman season are Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson, Trevor Jackson as Aaron Jackson, Francia Raisa as Ana Torres, Emily Arlook as Nomi Segal, Jordan Buhat as Vivek Shah and Deon Cole as "Professor Charles Telphy."

Chloe Bailey and Halle Bailey, real-life sisters who starred as twins and the sporty-savants Jazz Forster and Sky Forster, have been upped to series regulars. Their fan-favorite characters were a staple in the friend group throughout the first season, tackling topical conversations including dating as black women and the cutthroat world of college athletics. Outside of acting, the duo are Chloe x Halle, musical prodigies currently opening for Beyoncé and JAY-Z's "On The Run II" tour. Their debut album, "The Kids Are Alright" (Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records), includes "Grown," the theme song for "grown-ish," which they co-wrote.

Luka Sabbat also returns as a series regular for season two portraying Luca Hall, a mellow and fashion-forward classmate of Zoey's. While his methods are unconventional and subtle, he vies for Zoey's affection throughout the first season. Sabbat is an actor, model, influencer, stylist and creative entrepreneur best known for collaborating with some of fashion's top brands and designers, as well as curating his own style and name in the fashion world. Most notable among his endeavors is "Hot Mess," a collaboration which profiles young people of various backgrounds, photographed in unfamiliar situations.

Finally, reprising his role as Doug is musical artist, rapper and actor Diggy Simmons in a recurring role for season two. Also known for starring in MTV's "Run's House" alongside father Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons, he quickly became a fandom favorite for his character's relationship with Jazz Forster. Simmons recently released his latest single "It Is What It Is," off of his highly anticipated sophomore album that will be released later this fall, and continues to rise as a style icon.

Freeform's "grown-ish" ranks as the network's No. 1 show this year among Adults 18-34, Women 18-34, Adults 18-49, Women 18-49, Persons 12-34 and Females 12-34. In addition, "grown-ish" is the No. 1 comedy on cable this year in Women 18-34 and Females 12-34.

In its debut season, "grown-ish" averaged 2.09 million Adults 18-49 per episode across all platforms within the first 35 days availability, marking the highest total ever for a new Freeform series. In fact, viewership on non-linear platforms for "grown-ish" through 7 days provided a massive +102% lift over the series' Live +7 day linear ratings. "grown-ish" also drew 3.06 million Total Viewers in its first season based on viewing across all platforms through 35 days.

About Freeform

Part of Disney|ABC Television, Freeform connects to audiences and goes beyond entertainment with bold, original programming and immersive social engagement. As Disney's young adult television and streaming network, it delivers a unique mix of quality original and acquired series, plus fan-favorite movies and the holiday events "31 Nights of Halloween," "Kick Off to Christmas" and "25 Days of Christmas." The Freeform app is a service that allows viewers with participating TV subscription services access to 24/7 live viewing of the network, as well as continued on-demand access via a wide array of devices.

About ABC Signature Studios

ABC Signature Studios is a division of ABC Studios spearheading development and production in all cable and streaming platforms. The artist-driven arm provides a year-round destination for development and production across the cable and streaming landscape. They are in production on the series "Godfather of Harlem" for EPIX, created by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein with Forest Whitaker starring and producing; along with one of the first pilots through Amazon's YA initiative, "The Wilds," created by Sarah Streicher with Jamie Tarses and Dylan Clark producing. Signature and Hello Sunshine received a straight-to-series order from Hulu for the event limited series, "Little Fires Everywhere," with Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington attached to star and produce. These projects join a robust slate of returning series, including the critically acclaimed comedy "SMILF" for Showtime; "grown-ish" for Freeform; "Marvel's Cloak & Dagger" for Freeform and "Marvel's Runaways" for Hulu.