Warning: this article contains minor spoilers for the TV show Abbott Elementary.
If there is one thing people know about me, it’s that I love a good sitcom. From New Girl, Parks and Rec, and more, I have rewatched all of these shows countless times. These sitcoms ruled the 2010’s and it was a struggle to find a show in this decade that replicated all my favorite parts of these shows that made them so amazing. Then one day at my friend Rayann’s house she had a show playing in the background, and that’s how I discovered Abbott Elementary.
With several award nominations and wins, it is safe to say Abbott Elementary is the one of best sitcoms that is currently being released. In a modern world overrun by streaming service originals, Abbott Elementary is a light-hearted show that has the classic cable TV feel. It tells the chaotic stories of several elementary teachers and an under qualified principal working at a public school in Philadelphia.
The show is written by Quinta Brunson, who you might recognize as an old video producer for Buzzfeed. Brunson’s writing for this show blends various elements of past sitcoms and incorporates relevant topics to produce an amazing series.
The Slow Burn
Now I may not be the biggest romantic, but I love a good close proximity friends to lovers slow burn in a TV show. These shows had a captivating love story that we followed throughout the series as the underlying plot. We see this in several series, such as Parks and Rec with Ben and Leslie and The Good Place with Elanor and Chidi.
For instance in Parks and Rec, the main premise for the show is government employees who work their hardest in a small town in Indiana. However, throughout the season Ben and Leslie start up a relationship that grows throughout the series. While their initial relationship was rocky as Ben was Leslie’s boss, we got to witness them date, get married, and even have kids together on the show.
Abbott Elementary uses this exact strategy to get their lead couple together. In Season 1 we meet Greg, a new teacher at the school, and Janine, who has a longtime boyfriend. They begin their friendship and form an immediate connection, but cannot cross the line of friendship. First Janine is taken, then Gregory is taken, then they can’t be together because of school policies.
Throughout Seasons 2 and 3 they begin to further develop their feelings for each other toeing the line between coworkers and something more. By the end of season 3, we get to see Greg and Janine finally admit their feelings for each other and begin dating.
Throughout this series, we get many iconic moments between them that had me screaming into my pillow. Every time Gregory does Janine a favor as she is too short or Janine gives him advice on teaching, my heart melts. Their “will they, won’t they” story in the first 3 seasons had me on the edge of my seat and with them finally together in Season 4 it has been heartwarming to see how well they fit together. Love stories like this keep my standards incredibly high, if it’s not a slow burn I don’t want it.
Omg is That?
Fun small surprises in a TV show make it entertaining to watch and Abbott Elementary does that with their use of cameos. With the show being set in Philadelphia, they have iconic celebrities from the area interact with the show’s characters. For instance, the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts is featured in their Career Day episode as he shares his work stories with the school and plays Heads Up 7 Up with the students. Bradley Cooper was even featured in an episode’s Cold Open as a student using Cooper for their show-and-tell presentation.
There are way more celebrity cameos outside of local Philadelphian celebrities who play minor characters in the show. Like Ayo Edebri, a famous actress from the Hulu Original The Bear, who plays Janine’s sister for a few episodes. Zach Fox, a well-known comedian and rapper, plays the recurring character of Tariq, Janine’s ex-love interest and the school’s PTA President. We even get single-episode guests like Eric Andre, who plays a janitor in training.
Many past sitcoms loved to bring on guests to make appearances for their shows. How I Met Your Mother had celebrity guests like Britney Spears and Katy Perry come on for minor roles.
The best use of celebrities in Abbott Elementary had to be their crossover episode with Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Crossover episodes used to be relatively common in the past, such as the one between New Girl and Brooklyn 99. We get to see the characters from two separate shows engage with each other creating interesting dynamics.
With the Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover, these two Philadelphia-based shows come together as the lead cast for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia go to complete court order volunteer work at the school Abbott Elementary.
The cast from each show gets paired with their counterparts to undergo unique storylines within the episode. While I have yet to see It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, this crossover was a fun way of introducing characters I have never seen before. The show is now on my watchlist and I can’t wait to see the characters in their own territory.
Documentary + Comedy = Mockumentary
I believe the smartest move a sitcom can make is writing the show in the mockumentary style. A mockumentary is a fake documentary where the characters are being featured in a “documentary” which explains why we get to have this look into their lives. The characters are followed around by cameras that capture thrilling moments and the characters have interviews where they share their input and thoughts on these events. Some of the most popular shows and past sitcoms done in this style are The Office and Modern Family.
Sitcoms done in this style tend to feel more realistic while also using a series of clips for a satirical effect. When the character talks to the camera they give the audience a deeper insight on why they behave the way they do, making viewers feel more connected to the characters. Additionally, this allows them to use the “footage” the documentary crew gets to cut the recordings together for comedic purposes. It’s fun to see when a character forgets they are being recorded and slips up or how characters act outside of the workplace.
In Abbott Elementary, the mockumentary crew does a few episodes where they record the teachers’ lives outside of the school. Through this, we get to see different storyline lines focusing on the personal lives of the entire cast, not just focusing on a single main character.
Side plots are featured in the show like opposing characters Melissa, an Italian teacher who is resourceful and stubborn, and Jacob, a perky overly woke white teacher, who somehow end up as roommates and unlikely friends. One of my personal favorite small stories the show follows is about Mr. Johnson, the janitor who has a wild past from having various jobs and even knowing a few celebrities. The mockumentary setup allows the show to feel well-rounded, as seeing the characters outside of their workplace personas makes them relatable and down to earth.
Abbott Elementary uses all these techniques and more to produce well-written episodes and a plot that keeps you interested. The show blends these classic sitcom techniques with the relevant topics today making it loved by a wide audience. Quinta Brunson and her fellow writers work hard to capture many iconic moments from past sitcoms while also focusing on the challenges and topics of this decade. In a world overrun by reboots or underwhelming shows, Abbott Elementary has a fresh take on the basics that make sitcoms great.