Binge-worthy: Award-winning comedy Abbott Elementary is a funny love letter to teachers
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Abbott Elementary stars (clockwise from top right) Quinta Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter and Tyler James Williams.
PHOTO: ABC
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Abbott Elementary 2
Disney+
4 out of 5 stars
American workplace mockumentary comedy Abbott Elementary was a breakout hit with audiences and critics when it premiered in 2021 – and for good reason.
Created by former BuzzFeed Video talent Quinta Brunson, who is also the series’ main star, it centres on a group of teachers at the titular underfunded public primary school with mostly black students in Philadelphia.
The show – which won Outstanding Writing at the Emmys in 2022, Best Comedy Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2023 and Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes in 2023 – boasts a stellar cast of screwball characters.
But, jokes aside, it has a real appreciation of the profession.
The second season takes audiences deeper into the lives of these beloved educators. Here are three reasons to tune in.
1. Love letter to teachers
Public school teachers in the United States are notoriously overworked and underpaid. Brunson, whose mother taught at the kindergarten level, highlights their thankless plight and sheer dedication with comedic situations.
Sheryl Lee Ralph plays the most experienced teacher in comedy Abbott Elementary, which highlights the thankless plight of teachers with a comedic touch.
PHOTO: ABC
Young upstart Janine (Brunson) is excited when they receive a box of new books – in short supply at Abbott – only to discover the delivery was meant for another school.
Chaos occurs in one classroom when Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) has to teach a combined class of different ages due to a staff shortage.
And high jinks ensue when veteran kindergarten teacher Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) initiates a fund-raiser for a trip to the science museum by selling candy.
2. Funny yet layered characters
The teachers may seem to be stereotypes at first glance, be it the naive idealist Janine; Italian-American Melissa, who has questionable mafia-esque connections; sensitive history teacher Jacob (Chris Perfetti); strait-laced Gregory (Tyler James Williams); or the school’s inept principal Ava (Janelle James).
But the performances and writing give them nuance. Ava, for example, often comes across as the villain, with her selfish attitude and incompetence. But what does she do when a broke student with too-short pants shows up at her office? She mocks him relentlessly, but gives him a new pair. James balances the character’s irreverence with sincerity well.
3. A classic will-they-or-won’t-they
Quinta Brunson (left) and Tyler James Williams sizzle with chemistry in Abbott Elementary.
PHOTO: ABC
A long-running arc is the slow, simmering attraction between Janine and Gregory, similar to the dynamic between beloved sitcom couple Ross and Rachel of Friends (1994 to 2004).
Their timing is never right. Janine takes a long time to break up with her high-school boyfriend, then Gregory starts dating one of the single mothers at the school. Soon after, Janine starts seeing Gregory’s best friend.
But their attraction is underscored by the terrific chemistry between Brunson and Williams, who nabbed acting awards at the 2023 Golden Globes. Their banter charts the reality of co-workers who are clearly growing fond of each other, yet reluctant to cross the line into romance with a colleague.
