Buzz
'Abbott Elementary' made its ABC debut on December 7, 2021. This workplace mockumentary, drawing comparisons to 'The Office' and 'Parks and Rec', centers on a struggling, predominantly Black school in Philadelphia. Despite its comedic tone, the show doesn't shy away from addressing issues like underpaid and overworked teachers and the flaws within the education system that affect both students and educators.
Quinta Brunson not only created the series but also plays Janine Teagues, an enthusiastic second-grade teacher. She shares the screen with Sheryl Lee Ralph (Barbara Howard), Lisa Ann Walter (Melissa Schemmenti), Janelle James (Ava Coleman), Tyler James Williams (Gregory Eddie), Chris Perfetti (Jacob Hill), and even a cameo from Gritty. Since its premiere, the show has attracted millions of viewers and earned three Emmys. Here are 12 things you might not know about this beloved series.
1. Quinta Brunson was inspired to create the show based on her own mother, who is a teacher.
Brunson’s mother, Norma Jean Brunson, spent 40 years teaching kindergarten, and Brunson would often observe her in the classroom. "When I got the idea for it, I was watching my mom and I was sitting at her desk," she shared with The Wrap. "What gave me the idea for the mockumentary style, as a fan of it, was I felt I was in the room with her in that moment watching a very beautiful thing happen. But I’m not watching it as a full outsider. I’m in here. It’s personal. I wanted the audience to feel like they were at Abbott, like they worked there, too, and that automatically changes how you look at a teacher show. We would be laughing with our teachers instead of at them. And when they hurt, you hurt, because you’re with them."
2. Brunson named 'Abbott Elementary' after her most influential teacher.
Originally, 'Abbott Elementary' was going to be called 'Harrity Elementary'. Brunson had intended to name it after her childhood school, Mastery Charter Harrity Elementary in Philadelphia. However, due to legal restrictions, she couldn’t use the real school’s name. Instead, Brunson chose to honor her sixth-grade teacher, Joyce Abbott. "Her name cleared," Brunson revealed to Good Morning America. "So not only was it legally great, it was great that I got to honor her in that way."
3. Brunson almost didn’t take on the lead role in the show.
When Brunson first pitched the show, Janine was meant to be a supporting character, not the protagonist. Barbara Howard was originally planned to be the more prominent role, and Brunson hadn’t intended to act in the series. "There was no me in the project. I just saw it as a pure show idea that I wanted to be made," she told Insider. "And then WB said, 'You're crazy if you think we are buying the show without you in it,'" she laughed. "And I was like, ‘Oh, okay. That’s fair.’ So, I had to put myself in it."
4. Janelle James describes Ava as 'controlled chaos.'
James portrays Ava, a somewhat clueless and erratic school principal. (A fun tidbit: Ava actually blackmailed the district’s superintendent to land the position.) In an interview with The New York Times, James described Ava as 'controlled chaos.' She added, 'She is an opportunist. She lives in the moment. This sounds like my dating profile or something. But she’s funny; she’s unaware; she’s dedicated to Ava. She’s the foil for the other characters. While everyone else has the kids’ and the school’s best interests at heart, I do not. So I create the problems. Janine also creates problems—basically by caring too much. I create problems by not caring enough.'
5. Multiple influences helped shape Ava's character.
Before joining the cast, James had a background in stand-up comedy rather than professional acting. She shared with The New York Times that she was inspired by a past boss who was an expert in 'toxic positivity'—saying horrible things with a smile. 'And then after that, I’m basically doing a combination of a couple of my aunts and some of myself, of course,' James explained of her character’s creation.
6. Brunson modeled Janine after a friend with relentlessly optimistic tendencies.
A friend with an overly optimistic outlook inspired Janine’s cheerful nature. 'When I first met her, I couldn’t stand it,' Brunson confessed to The Wrap. 'And over time, she became one of my favorite people in the world. Her ability to have optimism when no one else has it—people like her keep the world moving. People like her are who make tomorrow possible, because if everyone was a pessimist, we’d be in the ground already. There’s a difference between being a realist and a pessimist and an optimist. I think I’m way more of a realist.'
7. Brunson aimed to reveal a more relatable side of teachers.
Real-life educators have praised 'Abbott Elementary' for breaking away from stereotypes. In an interview with The New York Times, Brunson explained that she wanted to show teachers as more than just one-dimensional figures. 'I knew the audience would understand that these teachers’ job is to keep these kids alive and to teach them. They get that. So now you’re more invested in, How are they going to do this? Who are they? What kind of person takes this job? It was important for me to show that in a grounded way. What if we took the approach that teachers are real people instead of heightened stereotypes?'
Mary Dalton, a professor at Wake Forest University who specializes in the portrayal of educators in media, told CNN, 'This is the first female teacher character in a comedy who has been portrayed in a positive light, and who is realistic, like a well-rounded person, in a very long time.'
8. Sheryl Lee Ralph made history by winning an Emmy for her role in 'Abbott Elementary.'
By winning the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy in September 2022, Ralph made history as only the second Black woman to take home the award in that category, 35 years after Jackée Harry’s win for '227.' Ironically, NBC had originally wanted Ralph for the role that Harry played.
The recognition caught Ralph off guard: In an interview with The Guardian, she admitted that she didn’t anticipate her role as Barbara would stand out. 'I honestly thought I was going to be invisible,' she confessed.
9. James believes viewers are drawn to Ava because she feels 'real.'
In an interview with USA Today, James shared her thoughts on why Ava resonates with audiences. 'No. 1, she's hilarious,' James said. 'No. 2, she represents a real person. Everyone has worked with a boss like this at some point. And No. 3, I think people all secretly want to be a narcissistic layabout, you know what I mean? Like, ‘Oh, that person says what she’s thinking all the time.’ Don’t we all wish we could say and do that? Especially in the workplace, I could just tell everybody what I think about them. She fulfills that hidden desire in people.'
10. One episode of 'Abbott Elementary' features a playful tribute to 'The Parent Trap.'
Before Lisa Ann Walter became famous for her role as the tough teacher Melissa Schemmenti in 'Abbott Elementary,' she was widely recognized for playing Chessy in the 1998 film 'The Parent Trap.' In the movie, Chessy rocks a large denim shirt, and Walter recreated that look in the fourth episode of season 2. She revealed to Elle that it was her own idea to wear a similar shirt. 'I went to Susan [Michalek], our costume designer, and I don’t think she’s seen 'The Parent Trap,'' Walter shared. 'I said, 'Here’s the picture,' and she went and got a whole bunch of them, and it just had to be big and comfy.' Walter explained she usually avoids oversized shirts due to body image issues, but this time she insisted on the looser fit to channel Chessy’s iconic look.
11. Tyler James Williams aims for Gregory to be a positive role model.
In an interview with Teen Vogue, Williams explained his desire for Gregory to serve as an inspiration for young Black people. 'That’s my goal, is to push him to the forefront so that when you see somebody who’s not making a lot of money but they’re doing work that fulfills them and is changing the conversation, that’s inherently attractive,' Williams said. 'It doesn’t have to look like private jets and matte-wrapped $250,000 cars and sh*t to be attractive. My level of success is not how many Birkins somebody bought me; it’s how many people I connect with and love on a daily basis.'
12. Unexpectedly, Janine is agnostic.
While the show hasn't delved into Janine’s religious views—unlike Barbara, who is devoutly Christian—Brunson opened up about Janine’s backstory in an interview with The New York Times. 'We had talked about her being atheist, which I thought would be hilarious. It would give Barbara a heart attack if she found out. But as of now she’s agnostic. I honestly don’t know if we would be able to present that on ABC. It may not seem like a big deal, but for a Black girl in Philadelphia—there are very few agnostic people. There’s a lot tied into why a person becomes agnostic. What is the relationship with the family? How are you treating holidays? So I think it’ll become something that we get to do some great storytelling with.'
