Over the years, as shows like The Office and The Big Bang Theory ended, I was worried about the future of sitcoms. Then Abbott Elementary premiered. It proved to be one of TV’s best comedies when its first season debuted with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s maintained that acclaim, too, as it was renewed for a fifth season, which is set to premiere this fall on the 2025 TV schedule. Now, I never want Abbott Elementary to end, but everything has to at some point, and I can appreciate why Quinta Brunson has thought about it.
It’s hard to believe that Quinta Brunson almost quit TV before ABC picked up her show, Abbott Elementary. The mockumentary series has done a great job showing the hectic lives of educators and the challenges of working in an underfunded public school system. Considering how funny and memorable each episode is, I never want the ABC series to end. However, Brunson’s interview with Bustle revealed she’s thought about her sitcom eventually having to say goodbye, and I totally understand why:
We are so fortunate and blessed to be on a network TV show for five seasons, and for people to still be fans. That being said, I have cast members who would love to pursue other projects, and our show is very time-consuming. We shoot about seven months out of the year. That can stop people from being able to do a lot of other things.
With Abbott Elementary’s Emmy-winning cast showing us what they can do season after season, I understand why they would eventually like to move on to other projects. Plus, when you star on a network show, you are committed to a lot of episodes, and filming 18 to 22 per year is time-consuming. That, along with contracts, can prevent actors from working on other projects. So while I’d love for the ABC series to be as never-ending as a soap opera, we also need to respect an actor’s desire for growth.
Brunson, who not only plays Janine but is also the showrunner, creator, EP and co-writer on Abbott, is determined to accomplish that goal for both herself and her cast. This is all the more reason why the Peabody Award winner has expressed her wish to act in other things and use her sitcom’s success to help get other projects going:
Right now, I’m receiving scripts, and waiting for that moment that feels like, ‘Oh man, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for.’ Abbott has been so successful, and I want to use that success to get other people’s projects off the ground.
I have no doubts that Quinta Brunson’s success will be used to bring another talented creator’s works to light. Plus, so far, outside of Abbott, she’s been in some fun projects. We’ve seen her in movies like An American Pickle and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. She’s also done voice work for Zootopia 2. I think it’ll only be a matter of time before she lands a role in someone else’s film or TV project where she’ll give an outstanding performance.
With Abbott Elementary being one of the best sitcoms of all time, it’s easy to think of Quinta Brunson solely as Janine Teagues. However, it’s natural for an actress to want to expand their filmography and play other roles. To that point, she said:
I’m always interested in playing against type. I think that’s any actor’s dream. Right now my type is ‘Janine’ and ‘teacher.’ I’m looking forward to moving away from that a little bit.
The fear of being typecast is understandable. Stars likely don’t want casting directors to see them solely as the character that helped them make a name for themselves. So, I get why they want their next project to be different from their last.
For example, after Steve Carell left The Office in Season 7, he took on dramatic roles in Foxcatcher, Beautiful Boy, and The Big Short. The same can be said for Dan Stevens, who left Downton Abbey in Season 3. After exiting the period drama, he tapped into many different genres, from the action-thriller A Walk Among the Tombstones to the horror flick The Ritual.
This desire to try out other roles and play different characters is natural and understandable. And starring in a network show that’s on for most of the year can make it hard to do. So, I get why Brunson has thought about Abbott eventually ending.
It’ll be a sad day when we have to say goodbye to Abbott Elementary. However, on the other hand, I can appreciate Quinta Brunson’s take on why that day will have to come.
However, for now, that end is nowhere in sight, as Season 5 is set to premiere this fall, and you can stream Seasons 1 through 4 with a Hulu subscription.
