Abbott Elementary - What We Know So Far
The modern mockumentary sitcom has made its way into all sorts of environments — from family life in "Modern Family," to workplaces in shows like "The Office," and even local government operations in "Parks and Recreation." Now, it's satirizing an entirely new setting: American public schools. The upcoming ABC sitcom "Abbot Elementary," starring Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams ("Everybody Hates Chris"), focuses on the misadventures of a group of public educators trying their best to teach kids in a deeply flawed school system.
In addition to her starring role, Brunson is also serving as an executive producer on "Abbot Elementary." She, along with Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker of Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions, are also co-writers (per Deadline). With a fast-approaching release date, and a unique cast and plot, "Abbot Elementary" promises a new take on sitcoms. With that in mind, here is everything we know so far about the upcoming series from ABC.
What is the release date for Abbott Elementary?
News on "Abbott Elementary" has only broken recently relative to many other TV series. Fans first heard about the project in May, when ABC announced that it would be picking the series up for its first season (via Deadline). After this initial announcement, ABC went relatively quiet in regard to news on the series. Aside from Deadline also reporting that people tested positive for COVID-19 on-set, updates on "Abbot Elementary" have been extremely sparse.
On November 1, however, ABC uploaded the first official teaser trailer for the series on YouTube. The first look shows us a sardonic slice of Brunson's life as a schoolteacher, and the trailer also revealed that the series would also be available for streaming on Hulu. While the trailer did not give an official release date for "Abbot Elementary," the ABC website lists its premiere date as December 7, making it a mid-season release.
Who is in the cast of Abbot Elementary?
If the name Quinta Brunson doesn't ring a bell with you, you might still recognize her face or voice. In addition to her voiceover work on shows like "Big Mouth" and "Lazor Wulf," Brunson started her career as a social media star (via NBC), and appeared in her fair share of popular videos for Buzzfeed. In "Abbott Elementary" she stars as Janine Teagues, a relatively new (but nonetheless optimistic) public school teacher.
Brunson's co-stars include the aforementioned Tyler James Williams, who gained fame for playing the titular character in "Everybody Hates Chris." He is now set to portray substitute teacher Gregory Eddie in "Abbot Elementary" (via Deadline). They will be joined by the likes of Janelle James as Ava Coleman, Chris Perfetti as Jacob Hill, Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa Schemmenti, and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard. Most recently, ABC announced that "Snowpiercer" actor William Stanford Davis will play the recurring role of the school's janitor, Mr. Johnson (per Deadline).
What is the plot of Abbot Elementary?
Set in Philadelphia, "Abbot Elementary" takes a wry look at public education in the United States. With very little funding, very little free time, and way too many students, the quirky school staff does everything they can to be great educators (per Deadline). Among them is Janine, a second-year teacher who exercises some more creative methods in the classroom than her coworkers would like.
As we previously mentioned, the series format is similar to other must-watch mockumentaries like "The Office," and takes advantage of some similar deadpan humor. The trailer shows more than one instance of absurdity, along with its fair share of awkward social interactions. Nevertheless, the unique educational setting and characters in "Abbot Elementary" are relatively unexplored territory in the world of sitcoms (aside from NBC's "Community"), and may serve as a source of humor that the series' predecessors haven't touched on.