Raven-Symoné Was the Youngest Black Female to Have a TV Show Named After Her
That’s So Raven is one of Disney Channel’s most popular shows. The series catapulted Raven-Symoné to international renown and made her a Disney Channel staple. That’s So Raven was groundbreaking as it made Raven-Symoné the first Black female to have a TV show named after her.
Raven-Symoné got famous due to ‘That’s So Raven’
Raven-Symoné started her career as a child actor, with her first prominent role being on The Cosby Show playing Olivia Kendall. The star had initially auditioned for another Bill Cosby project called Ghost Dad, but since she was three, she was deemed too young for the role.
However, Cosby loved her so much that when he made his popular show, The Cosby Show, he brought her in to play his character’s step-granddaughter. Raven-Symoné appeared on the show in its sixth season and stayed with the series until its end in 1992.
The Cosby Show opened up more opportunities for the budding star as she starred in Alex Haley’s Queen as Halle Berry’s younger self. Raven-Symoné then appeared in Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper, The Little Rascals, and Eddie Murphy’s Dr. Doolittle in 1998, reprising the role for its 2001 sequel.
Her first production under Disney came in 1999 when she starred in Zenon: Girl of The 21st Century. In 2001, she auditioned for a role in a Disney Channel show called Absolutely Psychic. The show was about a teen with psychic abilities, but Raven-Symoné auditioned for the recurring role of Chelsea Daniels.
Disney Channel was so impressed by the actor that they decided to rework the series by changing the lead character’s name to Raven Baxter and the title to That’s So Raven. That’s So Raven premiered on Jan. 17, 2003, lasting for four seasons until its conclusion in November 2007. The series made Raven-Symoné a Disney Channel star and a household name.
Raven-Symoné made history with ‘That’s So Raven’
That’s So Raven gave Disney Channel several firsts. For instance, the series was the first on Disney Channel to use a multi-camera format following the success of single-camera comedies like Lizzie McGuire and Even Stevens. It was also the first show to air for 100 episodes, only ending because its stars were aging out of their targeted demographic.
Before That’s So Raven, Disney had an unofficial rule against airing shows past 65 episodes to cut down costs and allow for more programming. While all these achievements were monumental to Raven-Symoné’s career, the biggest one was that the show helped her become the first Black female youngest actor with a show named after them.
In a recent interview with Them on YouTube, Raven-Symoné reminisced about her time on That’s So Raven saying, “We had the time of our lives that first season and then the time of our career until the end of that show. We had so many personal goals met, so many career goals met. I was the first Black female to have a show named after her on television,” clarifying, “youngest on television.”
What has Raven-Symoné been up to since ‘That’s So Raven’ ended?
Raven-Symoné juggled her time between That’s So Raven and other projects, including voicing Kim Possible’s friend Monique in Kim Possible and leading another franchise under Disney, The Cheetah Girls. After That’s So Raven concluded, she appeared in College Road Trip alongside Bad Boys star Martin Lawrence, Revenge of The Bridesmaids, and guest starred in Sonny with A Chance.
In 2015, Raven-Symoné joined The View as a permanent host after serving as a guest host. That year she also took up a guest role in Black-ish, playing Rhonda Johnson. In 2017, Raven-Symoné reprised her role as Raven Baxter for the That’s So Raven spinoff Raven’s Home. The series premiered in 2017 and has earned her a Daytime Emmy Award nomination.
