1 year ago
81 Abbott Elementary has quickly overtaken the internet as the must-watch sitcom — and for good reason.
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As in, when you watch it, the show already feels like it's established a whole world in just the five episodes that are currently out on Hulu. Like, I was genuinely taken aback and shocked to find out there weren't more than 100 episodes I could binge right then and there.
In honor of its already immense (and growing) popularity, we've rounded up some of the key reasons that are sure to bump this series to the top of your watch list:
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1. Abbott Elementary centers on a predominantly Black Philadelphia public school, which is in desperate need of funds and resources. So, while it's comedic in nature, the sitcom tackles all of the very real and harmful pitfalls of the US education system.
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"It’s a bigger commentary on America’s treatment of lower classes,” Quinta told the Los Angeles Times in a recent interview. “Our country doesn’t care as much about its lower classes as its richer class...and because of that, schools like Abbott are suffering. Our funding should definitely be going more into the pockets of these schools than it is a billionaire’s venture."
2. In fact, creator Quinta Brunson (yes, former BuzzFeed icon and memorable New Girl guest star) based the show and her character on her real-life middle school teacher Ms. Abbott, as well as her mom, who taught kindergarten.
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"Ms. Abbott has always stuck with me throughout my life," Quinta said, adding that she always went "above and beyond." She explained, "I was in the same building as [my mother], and when I got out and went to middle school, I was a little scaredy-cat. I didn’t want to leave my mom, and [Ms. Abbott] helped transition me out of it."
3. Given the title, the sitcom obviously explores elementary school, where students can be part of the story but can also "fall to the background" if needed, according to Quinta.
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There are so many shows about high school — both dramas and comedies — so Quinta said she felt that the age group and particular setting were an "untapped playground" ripe for a series.
4. So, the show spotlights the oft-overlooked, underappreciated, and underrepresented lives of public school teachers — specifically a group of predominantly Black teachers.
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"These teachers are still people who have lives, who have relationships, who have fun, who laugh," Quinta told Variety in December. "They deserve to be seen in that light without being bogged down by our stratosphere of otherworldly issues.”
5. And it touches on how important teachers can be in raising children and inspiring them to reach their full potential.
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6. Each character is a hoot-and-a-half. There's, of course, main character Janine Teagues (played by Quinta), who is a charming and thoroughly optimistic second-grade teacher. She's awkward, funny, and will do everything and anything for her classroom of kids.
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Of choosing to portray Janine, Quinta said, "This is a slice-of-life person, and I feel like that’s what I do best. It was also fun to play a character who doesn’t have my name and has different idealism. She’s very optimistic, and I don’t think I’m as optimistic as her in any way, shape or form," adding that she feels like she's "much more of a Barbara."
7. The no-nonsense veteran kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard is really actually just a big softie underneath a cool and type-A exterior. And as an added bonus, she's played by the iconic Tony-nominated Sheryl Lee Ralph.
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I'm calling it now: Ms. Howard is a Capricorn. (I say this endearingly, as a fellow Cap.)
8. Then there's the hilarious Melissa Schemmenti (played by Lisa Ann Walter) — a definitely shady, boisterous Italian woman who takes no shit and unconditionally loves her second-grade class.
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You've most likely seen Lisa in 1998's The Parent Trap (that's Lindsay Lohan's version) and Bruce Almighty.
9. Chris Perfetti plays Jacob Hill, a well-intentioned young teacher who could best be described as someone who gets his life advice from podcasts. He's trying (and most of the time failing, TBH) to be better at race relations.
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10. Enter Ava Coleman (Janelle James), Abbott Elementary's less-than-PC principal. As in, she used blackmail to get herself the job and routinely misuses funds for things like foot massagers and self-serving billboard signs.
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11. Last but certainly not least, there's Tyler James Williams (of Everybody Hates Chris fame!), who plays a temporary sub named Gregory Eddie. He's the constant target of Ava's inappropriate flirting, and rivals Barbara's straight-laced approach to things.
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12. Speaking of Tyler's character, the show offers an important and heartwarming rare look at Black male teachers who teach and encourage the next generation of leaders. The actor said he wants to "normalize" that type of representation.
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In conversation with the Root, Tyler said he was drawn to the role because he saw "an opportunity to bring voice to Black, male educators and particularly Black men and encourage, represent, acknowledge and validate the experience of the Black man rearing the next generation — whether it be educationally or just in everyday life. I think we don’t talk about that enough or validate it and when we do: we do it in a way that’s very hyper-focused and it seems like it’s rare."
13. And who could forget supporting character Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis), a janitor who's about two steps from falling down a QAnon conspiracy rabbit hole.
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14. Its mockumentary style of filming definitely gives The Office a run for its money.
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Everyone say, "Thank you, Tyler," for crafting some of the best — as well as most precise and thoughtfully executed — fourth-wall breaks known to humankind.
15. Fans of The Office, don't come for me: Quinta has referenced the legendary NBC sitcom as a source of inspiration for her show, although she maintains that the series is entirely its own. In fact, Abbott Elementary's executive producer, Randall Einhorn, worked on The Office for years.
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Randall also worked on another beloved workplace sitcom, Parks and Rec. Indeed, the whole team behind Abbott hails from sitcom royalty, including writers, story editors, producers, and more who worked on shows like Superstore, Modern Family, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and 2 Broke Girls.
16. There's also a deeply empathetic thread and collaborative it-takes-a-village message behind the show. Speaking to Variety, Quinta said, "In the writers’ room we talked a lot about how morally sometimes there are rights and wrongs."
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She continued, "I think Barbara is right a lot of the time, and I think Janine is right a lot of the time. It’s about finding what that solution is. Everyone can be right, but what’s the solution to the problem? It’s people who try, people who have tried and people who can give knowledge to those coming in."
17. The show is already setting the stage for a phenomenal will-they-won't-they workplace romance in Quinta's Janine Teagues and Tyler's Gregory Eddie.
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"We are not going to go there too soon with their relationship," Quinta told Variety. "You’ll see glimpses of something there, but who wants to see people get together right away? I think these characters have a lot of growing to do on their own."
18. Speaking of dynamics, the wonderful mentorship that starts blossoming between Barbara and Janine is truly too pure for this world.
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At the end of the interaction, Janine accidentally calls her role model "mom" instead of Ms. Howard, and you just KNOW that Ms. Howard sees her younger self in Janine's unending enthusiasm for educating and nurturing kids.
19. And there's sure to be a lot more growth this season. Quinta told Variety that Janine, who she describes as "childlike," learns to "grow up a little bit."
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"She’s got a lot of repressed stuff with her mom, some trauma, but we don’t dress it as such in the show; it is just there. She has to grow and still learn how to keep her optimism," Quinta added.
20. It's already record-breaking. According to Deadline, it's the first ABC series to quadruple its ratings since its original airing. Basically, its viewership has absolutely skyrocketed in the past few weeks.
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Still don't believe me? It currently holds a perfect critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
21. Finally, it's just fucking hilarious.
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You can catch Abbott Elementary on ABC on Tuesdays, or watch it when it drops on Hulu the following day.
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