Abbott Elementary follows a group of dedicated teachers, and their tone-deaf principal, working in a struggling Philadelphia public school, where Quinta grew up.
In the same way that Parks and Rec drew on real-life roadblocks facing government workers, Abbott Elementary gets real about the difficulties facing teachers in America. All of which Janine, a hopeful and persistent 25-year-old fresh-faced teacher, aims to solve... no matter what her co-workers think.
There's a lack of funding, the staff are outnumbered, and don't even get us started on the way teachers are expected to source their own supplies to run their classrooms. Of course, the harsh commentary still makes us laugh as it comes courtesy of witty banter, hilarious mishaps and awkward cuts to camera in the mockumentary style.
Alongside the show's leading lady, the exceptional cast includes Tyler James Williams (Everybody Hates Chris) as Gregory - the surefire slow-burn love interest to Janine; the Jim to her Pam.
Sheryl Lee Ralph (Moesha, Sister Act 2) stars as Barbara, Janine's somewhat reluctant mentor with a wealth of teaching knowledge. Chris Perfetti (The Surrogate) plays Jacob, another wide-eyed and hopeful teacher in his second year who happens to specialise in awkward moments.
Janelle James (Black Monday) absolutely nails her role as the school's principal, Ava, who blackmailed her way into the role and could not care less about being good at her role.
"Ava's our principal and she has a unique take on her job. What's unique is that she's bad at her job," the teachers say in a cutaway in the first episode.
And we can’t even begin to tell you about the scream that we scrumt when we noticed Chessy from The Parent Trap - also known as Lisa Ann Walter - playing Melissa, the tough-talking teacher with a heart of gold.
The pilot premiered in 2021 and season two aired in 2022/2023. At this stage season three is slated for February 2024, with the first episode dropping on February 7!
If you love sitcoms and you haven't checked it out yet, we're telling you that you're missing out.
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