Though network TV might be dying, 'Abbott Elementary' triumphs
Away from a sea of streaming comedies that are often canceled after just one or two seasons (I'll miss you forever, "American Vandal"), network sitcoms provide comfort and consistency to their viewers by having greater chances of renewal.
The problem? They're usually not of great quality. But that is not the case with ABC's "Abbott Elementary."
A critical hit, an Emmy darling and one of the most buzzed-about shows on and offline, "Abbott Elementary" is intensely popular, and for good reason. The script is tight, every joke hits and the cast works flawlessly with one another, no matter what scenario the writers put them in.
It's rare for a sitcom's cast to be so successful together in terms of chemistry and characterization. Even shows I love, like "Parks and Recreation," tend to falter in early seasons and don't exactly become widely acclaimed or iconic until their later stages. But from the very first episode of "Abbot Elementary," the show knew who its characters were and what they wanted.
No one is at odds when paired together. Whether you're watching the show's central will-they-won't-they romance, the camaraderie forming between the older teachers or any of the characters dealing with an unequipped principal, the cast meshes together perfectly.
The main characters manage to remain consistent in their behavior without seeming stagnant and have obvious flaws and quirks that make them just as weird as other teachers in school without annoying the audience.
We root for characters like Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson), Ava Coleman (Janelle James) and Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti), even though, respectively, they can be overbearing and invasive, treat their coworkers terribly and make well-meaning though cringe-worthy mistakes.
The side characters and guest spots on the show are also all pitch-perfect (Ayo Edebiri needs an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, stat!), and even though scenes may seem repetitive on paper, as most sitcom storylines do, the details of how the characters fare in different scenarios feel like a breath of fresh air every week.
This is the nature of what makes "Abbot Elementary" such an excellent sitcom: It exists within the form without thinking it must transcend it to be worth something. The show doesn't go dark and dreary like many dramas or dark comedies, nor does it allow itself to become woefully misunderstood as saccharine by its fans, a la "Ted Lasso."
It's a sitcom, as sitcoms have always been, but at peak form. It's comfort food that doesn't make you sick. It's a home you're happy to return to — just one that's been renovated a little with some new paint on the walls and updated appliances.
It's also personally gratifying for anyone who existed on the internet in the 2010s to see Quinta Brunson, the show's creator and star, succeed. From her Vine days to her Buzzfeed era, it's impossible not to root for someone whose career I've seen grow as much as it has while I've come into adulthood.
In addition to my delight in seeing Brunson succeed, Tyler James Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Lisa Ann Walter are never not welcome on my screen, and while I'd never see Chris Perfetti or Janelle James on television before, I'm now more than happy to see both of them each week.
Maybe "Abbott Elementary" isn't perfect, but it's as close as a television show, especially a sitcom, can get in its debut and second seasons. And based on how season two has been going so far, it'll only continue to thrive from here.
Some of the hiatuses that the show has taken as a result of ABC's internal nonsense have been frustrating and confusing. But if anything, my desperation for wanting to watch the show on a consistent basis only proves just how good it is.
If you're interested in checking out the show everyone's talking about, "Abbott Elementary" is available to watch on Hulu. In the meantime, I'll be restarting my Emmy campaign for Janelle James.
