Abbott Elementary has been at the head of the class when it comes to ABC‘s stable of sitcoms. The Philadelphia-set series has been a ratings winner since its debut in late 2021. However, with the show now in its fifth season, has the time come for the show’s cast and crew to graduate and move on?
School is still in session for Abbott Elementary. The show’s official Twitter feed announced the show’s renewal for a sixth season with an image of a phone making a call to veteran teacher Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph). The image contains a phone number, and if you call it, you’ll hear a message recorded in-character, in which Howard claims she can’t come to the phone because she’s too busy celebrating the show’s renewal. (It also requests that fellow teacher Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter) save her a working massage chair for their nail appointment.) The renewal comes as no great surprise, as the show has consistently been a ratings and critical success. However, series creator and star Quinta Brunson has recently discussed ending the show “if it ever feels like it’s slowing down.”
What’s Happening at ‘Abbott Elementary’ This Year?
In the most shocking storyline of the year, Abbott Elementary itself had to be abandoned thanks to its long-neglected heating and cooling system collapsing. Staff and students had to move to an abandoned mall for a three-episode arc, which saw the teachers persevere despite the challenges of a confusing layout, inedible school lunches, and the giant terrifying head of Benjamin Franklin. Luckily, after a little pressure on the district, Abbott was safely reopened. Meanwhile, Melissa is having trouble adjusting to a new, older class of students; Barbara is feeling her age after the school hired one of her former students; and Ava (Janelle James) is taking a rare foray into monogamy with her new beau, IT guy O’Shon (Matthew Law). Plus, after a year of dating, Janine (Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) are taking a big step and moving in together. The show also partnered with Major League Baseball to film an episode, “Ballgame,” during a Philadelphia Phillies game, and lucked into having Kyle Schwarber hit four home runs in a single game.
Abbott Elementary has been nominated for 30 Primetime Emmy Awards over its run, winning four, including acting and writing awards for Brunson, and a Best Supporting Actress award for Ralph.
Abbott Elementary has been renewed for a sixth season on ABC; new episodes air on Wednesdays and stream the next day on Hulu and Disney+.
via Collider