“Raven’s Home” Season 5 Bids Goodbye to Chelsea, Nia & More! (Updated)
Disney has finally decided to greenlight Raven’s Home season 5. However, there’s a catch. The upcoming season will make major changes to the original cast. Goodbye Chelsea, Nia, Tess, and Levi.
As a fan of Raven’s Home, I’m glad the comedy series is coming back for a fifth outing. But the news about the original cast going through a major shakeup took me by surprise. And not the good kind. I have no idea why the creatives decided to take Chelsea (Anneliese van der Pol), Nia (Navia Robinson), Tess (Sky Katz), and Levi (Jason Maybaum) out of the picture and introduce a bunch of new characters instead. It’s practically a soft reboot.
To be fair, there were rumors about such changes happening back in July of this year. The fandom, including myself, took them with a huge grain of salt. But alas, certain changes indeed occurred.
The premise of Raven’s Home season 5 deals with Raven Baxter (Raven-Symone) and her teen son Booker (Issac Ryan Brown) moving to San Franciso to take care of Raven’s father Victor (Rondell Sheridan) after he suffers a mild heart attack. While adjusting to life in San Franciso, Raven and Booker will get to meet Raven’s young cousin Alice (Mykal-Michelle Harris), Booker’s high school classmate and Victor’s neighbor Neil (Felix Avitia), and Alice’s babysitter Ivy (Emmy Liu-Wang).
The plot will have Raven needing to “parent” her own father while raising her teenage son as well as a young cousin. Booker will need to experience the ups and downs at his mother’s old high school while keeping his ability to see the future a secret.
Along with Sheridan (OG cast member from That’s So Raven) coming back to the current spin-off in a major way (he had a guest appearance in season two), the fifth season will also have Emmy-nominated writer/producer partners Scott Thomas and Jed Elinoff, who developed the series, join Raven-Symone as executive producers, along with Anthony C. Hill.
Production is planned to being sometime this fall. No premiere date has been shared as of yet.
Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Entertainment, said, “Ever since the debut of That’s So Raven, Raven-Symoné has been an incredibly important part of the Disney Channel family. With Raven’s Home, her talent and special brand of humor have continued to resonate with kids and families, and we’re excited to see what lies ahead for Raven in season five. This beloved series is in good hands with the experienced team of Raven, Scott Thomas, Jed Elinoff, and Anthony C. Hill leading an amazing cast and crew.”
Personally, I’m not sure how to feel about Raven’s Home season 5. I enjoyed the relationship dynamic between Raven and Chelsea as the two women tried to raise three (four, if you count their neighbor Tess) kids while sharing an apartment. Also, how is the show going to properly explain Raven’s daughter Nia (and Booker’s twin) not tagging along to San Franciso? Also, is Raven’s mother (T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh) still in London?
According to certain rumors online, the current changes in the cast are likely due to contract negotiations. With Disney, allegedly, wanting to bring on new “regulars” at lower rates compared to renegotiating higher pay rates for a bunch of actors who have been Raven’s Home series regulars for four seasons.
Whatever the reasons might be, I hope the writers find a way to have Chelsea, Nia, Tess, and Levi make occasional cameos (even via Skype) or have multi-episode guest appearances. They are part of Raven and Booker’s family and not having them around at all is going to feel weird.
Also, Raven-Symone recently talked about how she said no to Disney’s suggestion to possibly make Raven come out as queer. I understood her decision. However, with the creative team behind the show willing to add queer representation in Raven’s Home, I wouldn’t be surprised if the new characters Neil or Ivy end up being queer. But let’s see what happens.
Raven’s Home premiered back in July of 2017 with the season four finale airing on May 21, 2021, bringing the total episode count to 79.
Anyway, are you excited about Raven’s Home season 5?
Let us know.
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(via Deadline)
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Update: March 12, 2022
Here’s my reaction video to the Raven’s Home season 5 premiere episode. Feel free to let me know what you thought of the premiere!
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Update: October 19, 2022
Raven’s Home season 5 brought back Chelsea in episode 19 ‘Keeping it 100’ which aired on October 14, 2022.
Author: Farid-ul-Haq
Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.
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Aw, man!! I loved those characters…that’s not right!
That’s insanely ridiculous. I was hyped for the reboot news for five seconds until I read the article. Like why even have a new season if everything is changing, absolutely everything. Smh
Where did levi,tess ,nia and Chelsea go?
It’s ridiculous not to at least bring Nia back cos her & Booker are twins
I want to see navia Robinson to join the cast of bunk’d and the actress who plays chelsea and the opening of bunk’d
Not going to be watching any longer! Disney is getting to be like the other networks pathetic!
I want ravens home to be cancel
With no season five i want to see the actress who plays nia to join the cast of Disney channel bunked season 6 can you please help me out thank you
I might be a little late but I just saw the preview for the new season of ravens home. I have no idea that they took off Mia, Tess, Levi, and Chelsea and only Booker is on it with new cast members. Oh C’mon, have you ever heard if it isn’t broke don’t try to fix it. I seen to much of this that happens, you swap out the Old characters for some new ones thinking that it’s going to work and then the entire show gets canceled because of bad ratings. I love the old cast and enjoyed watching them I tried never to miss a show and now this. I am going to take a look at the new season with the new cast And try to keep an open mind but I Will say that I am very disappointed in how they chose to bring the show back on this season. Mia, Tess, Levi, and Chelsea should have been there alongside of Booker. I am hoping that I see them in a few episodes of the new season maybe show them now and then. I mean it just feels right.
Not sure I’ll be happy with the new cast of ravens home. The show won’t last too long I think and this makes me sad
This won’t be the same without the other characters of the show being on. I understand change but I don’t see how they will explain Nia being off this show with her twin brother and mother. I’m guessing they will say she went to live with her father in Texas but that hasn’t even been a thought before so it will be weird. I hope that Disney realizes how this will effect the shows performance. I don’t think the show will last without the original characters at least being cameos on the season.
I won’t be watching Season 5, losing Chelsea, Levi, Navia and Tess is a big mistake!! They all had such great repore, but networks always wanna change things up, change is fine but losing half of the cast is Ridiculous!! Won’t be surprised if it doesn’t long.
I’m not happy bout them kicking the other characters off cause of that that makes me mad Disney is billion dollar industry it wouldn’t have hurt their pockets to leave the cast as it is
Leave it to Disney channel to take their last good show and change it when it was already perfect the way it was, the show is not going to be the same without Chelsea, Levi, Nia, and Tess, it’s a season 3 repeat of Bunk’d all over again.
So sad there changing it got to agree with the other fans i will not be watching season 5 of ravens home thinks we should all not watch it and protest
Yeah, I can’t believe it! It’s always about money and not entertaining people with a good family show with the characters we fell in love with!
Agree completely! It’s all about money- not the quality of the show or any loyalty to its fans…smh
I will not be watching!!! Not without the original cast!!! Very sad!
They should of been kept together not happy about the split
Sorry, Disney…not watching it if you don’t bring back the rest of the original cast.
Bye bye Reaven’s Home . I’ve watched this show for years and to make this big of a change is so wrong. The show will not be the same .
So it’s the Booker and Raven show now. So we are going to suspend our self’s in disbelief that she hads a daughter? Left town without her? I understand Leaving behind Aunt Chelse and Levy in terms of moving on…but her daughter?! 1 half of twins? And the Homey SKy Katz..they just dumped her like old paper plates? oh man this is gonna suck sooooooo hard!!
This is a little like trying not to remember where it all started with “That’s So Raven”. I was content with that show too but now I like Raven’s Home ♀️.
Excited to see fresh new talent. I’m a fan of Raven Simone, so I’ll continue supporting her project.
Enjoying new season even with cast changes. So far, so good! Love seeing Victor and Raven interactions. Feels like a natural progression.
I am not liking the new Raven, it’s not even funny. They need to bring back the old cast, they play off each other so well. Don’t think I will be watching it any more.
I agree that it is not funny at all! I won’t be watching either unless the former cast returns!
As a longtime fan of Disney. I’m pissed about the changes and I won’t be watching the new Raven’s Home.
Ugh, not digging this new line up. Can’t keep ravens dad sick forever. Her mom can’t be away forever…then what? Where’s your story line? Besides…no nia, no Tess, no Levi or Chelsea? Lame
That is just not right. The family has so memories. What happened to Chelsea, Levi, and Nia? Did they leave?
I have watched Raven since she first appeared on “Cosby”. I always let my kids and now my granddaughters to watch her show. Because you can’t get person whose morals you want for your young ones.
Mr.Disney wanted kids to have innocent programs. If you put the world into his programs dealing with queer, drugs and other things that the world have see then shut down Disney world, Disney studios and all of Disney products.
And because you have (I don’t know what is going on with that), change the cast of Raven’s Home is wrong without given your audience a chance to see what happen to them.
going to see it anymore i like the old cast.you just do not drop a show like that,i mean what?