Abbott Elementary Back on Air With Hour-Long Special

After a 10-month wait, Abbott Elementary is back on ABC! The award-winning Mockumentary premiered Wednesday, February 7th at 9 PM EST, starting its third season with two episodes for an hour-long special. 

According to Deadline sources, the season is set to conclude within 14 episodes, leaving fans with the next 12 weeks to indulge. 

Season 2 concluded on its 22nd episode on April 19th, 2023, almost immediately keeping fans restless about the next season’s start despite its announcement four months prior in January 2023. 

Abbott Elementary Accolades 

Abbott Elementary secured its beloved spot after a solid first season beginning in December 2021. 

It consisted of 13 episodes that resulted in 5 Emmy nominations in 2022, 3 being taken home for ‘Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series’, ‘Outstanding Writing For a Comedy Series,’ and ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress’ for the legendary Sheryl Lee Ralph as her character Barbara Howard. 

Abbott was nominated for twice as many Emmys the following year, with 15 nominations within its first two years on the air. Quinta Brunson took the show’s 4th win as ‘Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series’ with main character Janine Teagues. 

Abbott Elementary had accumulated 13 other awards within three other award ceremonies, taking 4 Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards in 2022, 6 NAACP Image Awards in 2023, and 3 Golden Globes for 2023 and 2024. With over two dozen awards in 2 years, people can only sit in anticipation for what’s to come within the next three months. 

Beloved Characters 

Star-studded cast Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Chris Perfetti, Lisa Ann Walters, and William Stanford Davis all return, playing into the characters they have portrayed so powerfully for the last three years. 

After the hour-long revival, viewers are excited to see the future of the beloved cast, with some new characters introduced as Janine’s colleagues for her new job working in the school district.

This unique opportunity presents the perfect job for Janine and sets a new world of possibilities for the direction of the season. 

Dreamers are the only people that can bring about a different reality – Barbara Howard (Abbott Elementary, season 3, episode 1)

What’s New

The season’s most anticipated storyline is the outcome for Janine and Gregory after their admitted romantic feelings near Season 2’s end, leaving viewers ants of whether the future of a possible relationship will be explored. 

Quinta Brunson herself expressed that her focus for the story would always be on Abbott itself and the students, but fans still want their questions answered. 

The premiere also virtually featured celebrity guest Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles during a career-day-centered episode that faced a trial for Janine’s new district job. 

Written by: Princess McKey