Abbott Elementary | |
---|---|
Season 3 | |
Starring | |
No. of episodes | 14 |
Release | |
Original network | ABC |
Original release | February 7 – May 22, 2024 |
Season chronology | |
The third season of the American television comedy Abbott Elementary created by Quinta Brunson premiered in the United States on ABC on February 7, 2024, and concluded on May 22. The season consisted of 14 episodes, fewer episodes than the previous season due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. [1] Like the previous season, the season stars Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Abbott Elementary is presented in a mockumentary format similar to one of The Office and Modern Family , and follows a documentary crew recording the lives of teachers working in underfunded schools including the fictional Willard R. Abbott Elementary School, a predominantly Black Philadelphia public school. Three days after the season premiere, the series was renewed for a fourth season. [2]
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
36 | 1 | "Career Day, Part 1" | Randall Einhorn | Quinta Brunson | February 7, 2024 | T12.18301 | 2.81 [11] | ||||||||
37 | 2 | "Career Day, Part 2" | T12.18302 | ||||||||||||
When Janine proposes an idea of a career day for the school, a trio of district representatives take notice to her ambition and offer her a job alongside them. The teachers panic when Ava becomes competent at her job. Five months later, Janine returns to Abbott for the career day she organized, much to her uncomfortable re-counter with Gregory. Meanwhile, Gary plans a proposal to Melissa, despite her insistence on not getting married, leading to their break-up. [12] | |||||||||||||||
38 | 3 | "Gregory's Garden Goofballs" | Justin Tan | Brian Rubenstein | February 14, 2024 | T12.18303 | 2.71 [13] | ||||||||
When students begin hanging around Gregory's classroom, the other teachers pressure him into taking on more than just what is described in his job description. At the district, Janine attempts to hire an ASL interpreter for a student of Jacob, but runs into difficulties until a talk with Manny prompts her to do what is necessary. Meanwhile, Barbara deals with Tariq being the parent of a student in her class. [14] | |||||||||||||||
39 | 4 | "Smoking" | Randall Einhorn | Jordan Temple | February 21, 2024 | T12.18304 | 2.34 [15] | ||||||||
A conversation among the teachers about their smoking and drinking habits is spread around school, leading to the students wanting to smoke. Gregory and Melissa help a student who was caught with a cigarette, and Jacob tries to quit vaping. Meanwhile, when a new substitute (Sabrina Brier) is hired for Janine's classroom, she is caught off guard by their vastly different teaching methods. [16] | |||||||||||||||
40 | 5 | "Breakup" | Jen Celotta | Brittani Nichols | February 28, 2024 | T12.18305 | 2.33 [17] | ||||||||
Jacob's sudden want for more time away from home causes Gregory to worry about his relationship with Zach. Eventually, both realize that their relationship is falling apart, and decide to break-up. Meanwhile, when Barbara's church choir takes up the gym, Ava helps her ask for a solo, despite Barbara being against making any fuss. Melissa asks for Janine's help in investigating a new substitute who appears to have no qualifications for teaching. [18] | |||||||||||||||
41 | 6 | "Willard R. Abbott" | Matt Sohn | Ava Coleman | March 10, 2024 | T12.18307 | 6.90 [19] | ||||||||
When the school is named a historic landmark, furious parents point out that Willard R. Abbott, the man the school is named after, is a racist. Desperate to fix the situation and keep the status as a historic landmark, Janine leads an investigation to find a different Willard R. Abbott. Janine, Gregory and Jacob's discovery of a promising new face fails in front of them, prompting Janine to find a way to honor the original black teachers of Abbott instead. Meanwhile, Barbara and Melissa try to get Janine to leave the situation alone. | |||||||||||||||
42 | 7 | "Librarian" | Karan Soni | Morgan Murphy | March 13, 2024 | T12.18306 | 2.27 [20] | ||||||||
Janine's library program idea is green-lit by the district and a librarian (Cree Summer) arrives at Abbott. Barbara finds it difficult to deal with the new changes to the school's library, despite the other teachers finding it useful to their classrooms. Meanwhile, Melissa and Jacob try to keep their newfound friendship under wraps from the other teachers after moving in together. | |||||||||||||||
43 | 8 | "Panel" | Claire Scanlon | Kate Peterman | March 20, 2024 | T12.18308 | 2.29 [21] | ||||||||
Gregory and Ava are invited to speak on a panel about public schools, and both use the opportunity to promote the positive changes Abbott implements. Elsewhere, the other teachers face relationship judgements from one another while completing CPR training, and Janine secures approval from the district for her library program. | |||||||||||||||
44 | 9 | "Alex" | Randall Einhorn | Justin Tan | April 10, 2024 | T12.18309 | 2.27 [22] | ||||||||
Janine gets an offer to take a full-time job at the school district after her fellowship is over. Gregory discovers that Alex, a student in Janine's former class, has been absent from school several times and will have to repeat the second grade if he misses one more day. Jacob is offended that Melissa and Barbara have been using a generative AI program to respond to emails he regularly sends them. | |||||||||||||||
45 | 10 | "2 Ava 2 Fest" | Ken Whittingham | Joya McCroy | April 17, 2024 | T12.18310 | 2.24 [23] | ||||||||
Ava claims she has hired Questlove to perform at this year's Ava Fest. Jacob, Gregory, Barbara and Melissa are skeptical; the year prior, Ava lied about hiring Jazmine Sullivan to perform at Ava Fest. Janine assumes a full-time position at the district, but begins to regret her decision after realizing how much she misses every aspect of teaching at Abbott. | |||||||||||||||
46 | 11 | "Double Date" | Razan Ghalayini | Garrett Werner | May 1, 2024 | T12.18311 | 2.49 [24] | ||||||||
Jacob invites Gregory on a double date with himself, Avi, and Avi's coworker, Olivia (Lana Condor). When they notice Janine out with Manny, Gregory grows anxious thinking they are dating, and in turn ruins his date with Olivia. Meanwhile, Ava assembles a book club with various teachers; however, their first meeting becomes a tense argument because of the members' conflicting interpretations of the book they are reading, Parable of the Sower . | |||||||||||||||
47 | 12 | "Mother's Day" | Richie Edelson | Riley Dufurrena | May 8, 2024 | T12.18312 | 2.67 [25] | ||||||||
After Ava facetiously suggests Janine's father could be Kevin Hart, Janine becomes consumed by the idea; she does not know who her father is. When Barbara discovers that Gregory's mother died when he was a child, she invites him to her Mother's Day brunch despite knowing he already has plans for that day. Jacob is distraught to learn that the school does not have enough funding for a school-wide field trip. | |||||||||||||||
48 | 13 | "Smith Playground" | Jaime Eliezer Karas | Brian Rubenstein | May 15, 2024 | T12.18313 | 2.33 [26] | ||||||||
The students and teachers of Abbott take a field trip to Smith Playground. However, another school has scheduled a field trip there for the same day, leading to conflict between the teachers. Gregory decides to tell Janine that he still has feelings for her, but has trouble finding the "right time" to tell her. Mr. Johnson cleans the empty school and disobeys Ava's rule that school staff members are not allowed in the basement, which leads him to make a surprising discovery. | |||||||||||||||
49 | 14 | "Party" | Randall Einhorn | Chad Morton & Rebekka Pesqueira | May 22, 2024 | T12.18314 | 2.62 [27] | ||||||||
On the last day of school, Janine throws a party for the teachers, which she has meticulously planned. Meanwhile, Gregory is still unsure how to express his feelings for Janine; they are both concerned that dating a coworker will not end well. |
The series was renewed for a third season in January 2023, months prior to the conclusion of the second. [28] The renewal was announced by Craig Erwich at the Television Critics Association's Winter 2023 press tour. When speaking of the third season renewal, Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group had this to say:
"This renewal is a richly deserved feather in the cap of Quinta Brunson, Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Randall Einhorn, as well as the rest of the cast and crew of Abbott Elementary. Each week, this talented group of artists celebrates true unsung heroes — public school teachers. And for some extra icing on the renewal cake, our favorite group of teachers was honored this morning with two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and last night with three Golden Globe Awards. Abbott Elementary is the gift that keeps on giving, and I look forward to many more magnificent episodes of this brilliant, authentic, and just plain funny series." [28]
Brunson, Halpern, Schumacker and Einhorn are all expected to return as executive producers. [28] [29] Writing for the season was originally expected to commence on May 1, 2023; however the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike postponed this date indefinitely. [30] [31] Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Lisa Ann Walter are among those from the cast who have publicly supported the strike, [32] [33] [34] and as confirmed by writer Brittani Nichols, the strike affected the number of episodes and start date of the third season. [35] [36] [37] In May 2023, it was announced via a press release by ABC, that the season premiere would be pushed back to an early 2024 air date. [38] On November 10, 2023, ABC picked up the series for a full third season of 14 episodes. [39]
Following writing delays due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, writing began that October. The writers chose to explain the five month time-jump from the second season by having the camera crew being robbed, as they felt it was logical that way. They had envisioned including a teacher's strike in the narrative, but decided not to do so as they felt it was "too winky, too meta". As such, they chose to focus on how the difficulties underfunded teachers face by having Janine accept her new job with optimism. Additionally, the writers also consulted with a newly elected board member of the Los Angeles School District and various teachers who joined the WGA picket lines. [40]
All seven regular cast members from the first two seasons returned; including Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis and Sheryl Lee Ralph. [28] [41] [42] In January 2024, it was announced that Josh Segarra, Kimia Behpoornia and Benjamin Norris had joined the cast in recurring roles, portraying school district representatives sent to make positive change to Abbott. [43]
Like the seasons before it, the third season features various guest stars, most notably Philadelphia Eagles players Jalen Hurts, Brandon Graham and Jason Kelce. [8] When asked about how the trio made their way on to the show, producer Justin Halpern stated:
"Jalen Hurts’ people actually emailed us in the middle of season two to say that he was a big fan of the show, and if there was ever an opportunity he’d be interested in being on it. Sports are a big part of Philadelphia. It’s in the DNA of the city. Quinta said before, “You can’t do a Philly show and not have them talking about sports.” So we’re doing this career day episode, and we want a fun, exciting guest star for our premiere — but not just a famous person because they’re famous." [8]
In March 2024, it was confirmed that Lana Condor, Keegan-Michael Key, Cree Summer, Tatyana Ali and Karan Soni would guest star and/or recur during the season. [6]
While being interviewed by Deadline Hollywood , Sheryl Lee Ralph revealed that principal photography for the third season was originally expected to commence in July 2023; however this date was pushed back indefinitely due to the strikes. [44] After both strikes were resolved, the third season was confirmed to begin filming on November 27, 2023. [45] Like the first two seasons, the interior scenes of the series are filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, with exterior shots of the series being filmed in front of Vermont Elementary School in Los Angeles. [46] [47]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has received an approval rating of 100% based on 8 reviews. [48]
The season premiered on February 7, 2024, following premiere episodes of The Conners and Not Dead Yet . The third season retains its time slot of Wednesday nights at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. [39]
"Willard R. Abbott" aired in a special Sunday-night scheduling following the 96th Academy Awards, resulting in a series high in total viewership, and audience share among viewers 18–49. [49] [50]
No. | Title | Air date | Rating (18–49) | Viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Career Day, Part 1" | February 7, 2024 | 0.48/6 [11] | 2.81 [11] |
2 | "Career Day, Part 2" | February 7, 2024 | 0.48/6 [11] | 2.81 [11] |
3 | "Gregory's Garden Goofballs" | February 14, 2024 | 0.44/5 [13] | 2.71 [13] |
4 | "Smoking" | February 21, 2024 | 0.36/4 [15] | 2.34 [15] |
5 | "Breakup" | February 28, 2024 | 0.33/4 [17] | 2.33 [17] |
6 | "Willard R. Abbott" | March 10, 2024 | 1.43/16 [19] | 6.90 [19] |
7 | "Librarian" | March 13, 2024 | 0.35/4 [20] | 2.27 [20] |
8 | "Panel" | March 20, 2024 | 0.28/3 [21] | 2.29 [21] |
9 | "Alex" | April 10, 2024 | 0.32/4 [22] | 2.27 [22] |
10 | "2 Ava 2 Fest" | April 17, 2024 | 0.27/4 [23] | 2.24 [23] |
11 | "Double Date" | May 1, 2024 | 0.40/4 [24] | 2.49 [24] |
12 | "Mother's Day" | May 8, 2024 | 0.43/4 [25] | 2.67 [25] |
13 | "Smith Playground" | May 15, 2024 | 0.33/3 [26] | 2.33 [26] |
14 | "Party" | May 22, 2024 | 0.44/5 [27] | 2.62 [27] |
Quinta Brunson is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She is best known for creating, executive producing, co-writing and starring as second-grade teacher Janine Teagues in the ABC comedy series Abbott Elementary (2021–present). Brunson gained prominence for her self-produced Instagram series Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date. She went on to produce and act in videos for BuzzFeed Video, and developed two streaming series with BuzzFeed Motion Pictures.
Abbott Elementary is an American mockumentary sitcom television series created by Quinta Brunson for ABC. It stars Brunson as Janine Teagues, a perpetually optimistic second-grade teacher at the underfunded Abbott Elementary, a fictional predominantly Black public school in Philadelphia. The ensemble cast includes Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
The first season of the American television comedy Abbott Elementary created by Quinta Brunson, premiered in the United States on ABC on December 7, 2021, concluded on April 12, 2022, and consisted of thirteen episodes. The series sees the introduction of characters portrayed by Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
The second season of the American television comedy Abbott Elementary created by Quinta Brunson premiered in the United States on ABC on September 21, 2022, and concluded on April 19, 2023. The season consists of twenty-two episodes. Like the first, the season stars Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
"Pilot" is the first episode of the American sitcom television series Abbott Elementary. It was written by series creator and star Quinta Brunson, and was directed by Randall Einhorn. It premiered on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on December 7, 2021.
"Wishlist" is the third episode of the American sitcom television series Abbott Elementary. It was written by Morgan Murphy, and was directed by Randall Einhorn. It premiered on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on January 11, 2022. The episode follows Barbara, who refuses to promote her teachers wishlist with the internet, despite push from Janine and Ava.
"Gifted Program" is the sixth episode of the American sitcom television series Abbott Elementary. It was written by Jordan Temple, and was directed by Matt Sohn, and the first of which not to be directed by Randall Einhorn. It premiered on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on February 1, 2022.
"Work Family" is the eighth episode of the American sitcom television series Abbott Elementary. It was written by Justin Tan, and was directed by Jay Karas. It premiered on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on February 15, 2022.
"Open House" is the tenth episode of the American sitcom television series Abbott Elementary. It was written by Brian Rubenstein and directed by Jennifer Celotta. It premiered on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on March 22, 2022. In the episode, Janine prepares to meet a student's mother during the school's open house, while the rest of the faculty relaxes. Gregory is surprised to learn how Ava got the principal job, and Barbara's daughter visits.
FBI True is an American documentary television series that premiered on Paramount+ on February 28, 2023.
The Floor is an American game show based on the Dutch game show of the same name. The series is hosted by Rob Lowe and premiered on January 2, 2024, on Fox. Standing in separate squares of a floor grid, contestants with expertise in a variety of trivia subjects challenge each other in head-to-head duels, with the winner of each duel taking over all territory controlled by the loser.
The ninth season of Chicago Med, an American medical drama television series with executive producer Dick Wolf, and producers Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Peter Jankowski, Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov, was ordered on April 10, 2023, by NBC. The season premiered on January 17, 2024 and concluded on May 22, 2024. The season contained 13 episodes. The season was affected by strikes undertaken by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. This season marks the final appearance of Dr. Crockett Marcel.
The twelfth season of Chicago Fire, an American drama television series with executive producer Dick Wolf, and producers Derek Haas and Matt Olmstead, was ordered on April 10, 2023, by NBC. The season premiered on January 17, 2024. The season concluded on May 22, 2024 and contained 13 episodes. The season was affected by strikes undertaken by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA.
The eleventh season of the American police procedural television series Chicago P.D. premiered on January 17, 2024, on NBC, for the 2023–24 television season. Chicago P.D. revolves around the members of the Intelligence Unit of the 21st District of the Chicago Police Department. The season stars Jason Beghe, Tracy Spiridakos, Marina Squerciati, Patrick John Flueger, LaRoyce Hawkins, Benjamin Levy Aguilar, and Amy Morton. The season concluded on May 22, 2024 and contained 13 episodes. The season was affected by strikes undertaken by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA.
Sight Unseen is a crime drama television series created by Karen Troubetzkoy and Nikolijne Troubetzkoy and co-produced by CTV in Canada and the CW in the United States. It premiered in Canada on January 21, 2024, and in the U.S. on April 3, 2024.
The fourth season of the American television comedy Abbott Elementary was announced on February 10, 2024. Like the previous seasons, the season stars Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis and Sheryl Lee Ralph. The season premiered on ABC on October 9, 2024.