‘Abbott Elementary’ sparks fan fervor, viral memes
School is back in session at “Abbott Elementary.”
This season’s most critically acclaimed sitcom returned last week after a three-week hiatus, and viewers came out in droves on social media to celebrate its return.
The fan response to the ABC workplace comedy (Tuesdays, 9 p.m.) is part of its cultural resonance for creator and star Quinta Brunson.
“I prepared for people to think this was a good show, but maybe not so quickly,” she says with a laugh in a recent phone interview.
“Abbott,” which the network recently picked up for a second season, has helped Brunson discover “how to have boundaries” while wearing many hats as showrunner, executive producer and actor, playing the lovably optimistic, well-intentioned second-grade teacher Janine Teagues.
Set in a Philadelphia public school, the teachers and staff on “Abbott” deal
with flickering lights and dilapidated rugs, budget cuts at the already underfunded school and, at times, each other’s hijinks to give their young students the education they deserve. Its reflection of real life is part of the show’s appeal.
Janine’s “immense bravery” in a “pessimistic world is very admirable,” says Tyler James Williams, who plays substitute teacher Gregory Eddie. He praises her “ability to maintain optimism in the midst of not only our time, but in … knowing that there’s not always an answer to get something, but she’s going to figure it out anyway.”
“Abbott” has been compared to popular workplace comedies including “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office” because of its ensemble cast and mockumentary format.
Veteran actors – Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Moesha”), who stars as stalwart educator Barbara Howard, and Lisa Ann Walter (“The Parent Trap”), who plays Philly native teacher Melissa Schemmenti – round out a cast that also includes Janelle James as underqualified principal Ava, Chris Perfetti as eager teacher Jacob Hill and William Stanford Davis as school janitor Mr. Johnson.
The series (and school) are named after Brunson’s “incredible” sixth-grade teacher, Joyce Abbott, with whom Brunson’s been in contact since the show premiered. And Ralph’s Mrs. Howard, who serves as work mom and mentor (or “mom-tor”) to Janine, was inspired by Brunson’s mother, a Philadelphia school teacher.
“I was visiting my mom one night at the school she was teaching at, and honestly I was upset that she was at the school so late during an open house and was kind of pushing her to retire,” says Brunson, 32. “Watching my mom do something I’ve seen her do my whole life, but now with a little bit of distance from it,” sparked the idea of the series.
Brunson is “the best boss I’ve ever had, the best person I’ve ever worked for,” says James, whose over-the-top and self-obsessed principal cuts through the show’s sincerity with just the right amount of humor.
Warner Bros. Television Studios CEO Channing Dungey notes the show’s December premiere came after the pandemic forced many parents to become teachers at home during months of lockdown, when “everybody (was) looking at teaching through a slightly different and more appreciative lens. We’re also at a point right now where people are really looking for everyday heroes, and teachers are everyday heroes.”