It takes an episode or two to warm up but I promise you, this show is smart and funny. If you loved The Office or Parks and Rec, this one is definitely for you. And can I take a second to give Mrs. SLR her flowers? My gosh she is still absolutely stunning and obviously very talented. I look forward to each new episode. Please don't cancel this show.
187 Reviews
I KNOW THESE PEOPLE!!! And love them.
thejdrage20 August 2022
I worked in an inner city pubic school .... where the awesome principal retired and his replacement was a board member's niece. And Ava is an improvement on her!! Totally cracked me up. I also remember dealing with council members AND the news media because of her antics, among other things. Yep. She was a pip!! AND!! As beautiful as Ava!
How I missed this when it was on ABC, I don't know. But I will NOT miss it again. However, binging the first season was a total treat since I got to see the smooth arc of all the teachers and staff, and their significant others.
And they are brilliant! That includes the kids, of course!!! Where would this show be without those brilliant little actors!?
This is a treat and a feast, all in one. THANK YOU to everyone who is involved. MORE SEASONS PLEASE!!
How I missed this when it was on ABC, I don't know. But I will NOT miss it again. However, binging the first season was a total treat since I got to see the smooth arc of all the teachers and staff, and their significant others.
And they are brilliant! That includes the kids, of course!!! Where would this show be without those brilliant little actors!?
This is a treat and a feast, all in one. THANK YOU to everyone who is involved. MORE SEASONS PLEASE!!
Pleasantly Surprising
scottca07514 January 2022
Abbott Elementary was so heavily promoted before the premiere I figured it was going to be terrible and the best parts were shown in trailers. I was pleasantly surprised when I watched the first two episodes. The show was/is actually great.
I love the characters.and want to strangle either Quinta Brunson or. Chris Perfetti every other minute. Both are like close friends of mine, one who can never leave things alone, they always want to poke sleeping bears; the other is so careful to never give any offense to anyone that they of course offend everyone.
The rest of the cast is just perfect, the disinterested principal, the disillusioned but still hard working veteran teacher, the NY gal who "has a guy" and the "I'm just here for a short time" sub. Yes the characters can be a little over the top in the stereo-types, but that is a tried and true formula for sit coms.
Three episodes in and it is just getting better.
I love the characters.and want to strangle either Quinta Brunson or. Chris Perfetti every other minute. Both are like close friends of mine, one who can never leave things alone, they always want to poke sleeping bears; the other is so careful to never give any offense to anyone that they of course offend everyone.
The rest of the cast is just perfect, the disinterested principal, the disillusioned but still hard working veteran teacher, the NY gal who "has a guy" and the "I'm just here for a short time" sub. Yes the characters can be a little over the top in the stereo-types, but that is a tried and true formula for sit coms.
Three episodes in and it is just getting better.
Review from a school teacher - this show is not too far off from reality
POIguy4 May 2022
This is like the Office or Brooklyn 99 but with an elementary school as the primary focus. Abbott Elementary is really not that far off from reality, but with a jolt of comedy and wholesome moments thrown in. I find myself very connected to this show given that I am a teacher. I really hope this show goes on for a long time.
Former Philly Teacher
clareandlogan8 December 2021
Binged It and...
Mehki_Girl29 May 2022
Loved everything about it. Had some really lol moments as well.
I like the gentle humor and the way we gradually get to know each character.
Looking forward to season 2.
The child actors are good too and so cute!
Update: Season 2 was great! Looking forward to the next season! I literally want to know what will happen next!
At first I didn't like the principal character, but after a couple exposited, I love her character too!
I like the gentle humor and the way we gradually get to know each character.
Looking forward to season 2.
The child actors are good too and so cute!
Update: Season 2 was great! Looking forward to the next season! I literally want to know what will happen next!
At first I didn't like the principal character, but after a couple exposited, I love her character too!
One of the best and most creative shows of this year
mrashtastic8921 January 2022
Abbott Elementary is an incredible show, I love it, every character is relatable, deep, and distinctive, it's a different type of show, a fictional reality TV show, it's incredibly creative and incredibly funny, every episode gets better and better and I think once they expand the universe it'll go from great to brilliant.
I love this show, will def keep watching, and I'm gonna give it an A.
Amazing show definitely worth a watch.
I love this show, will def keep watching, and I'm gonna give it an A.
Amazing show definitely worth a watch.
Such a fun comedy show
cc007716 February 2022
I honestly didn't expect this show to be so good! I loved the camera zooms and the interviews, it reminded me of Modern Family and loved that show too. All the characters were so so unique and the storyline wasn't too heavy but truly entertaining. Some dialogues and scenes were actually funny I couldn't stop rewatching them and laughing.
More honest than you know
amysilverwright17 April 2022
As a teacher.... This show is a little to real for me, in the BEST ways. It is funny, honest, and truly enjoyable. The acting is fantastic. This teaching staff represents all the actual teachers in any building: the young eager one, the veteran, the one trying to stay afloat, the disconnected admin.... Plus the politics, the kids, the janitor.... All of it!!
It Has Good Bones
braves_snl9 December 2021
It's a serviceable pilot to set up the series with a likable lead in Quinta Brunson's Janine Teagues. Brunson is also the show's creator and penned the pilot. Particularly liked the joke about "Baby Shark" being the "Back That Azz Up" for young children. Look forward to seeing where it goes from here.
Cute but overrated
nathan-p-hart2 November 2022
It's a cute show. But it's not funny. I haven't laughed once watching it. The format is tired and has been done better by other shows. I don't understand why this is classified as a comedy. It's too sappy. The same jokes are made over and over. And they don't get any funnier. The same "we do this for the kids" moral is every episode. I honestly couldn't tell you if there is any difference in plot between episodes. Characters are a little one note as well. I'm glad they made a show true to what is like to be a teacher. I guess it's only relatable to those people. I got to the second season, but I'm too bored to keep going.
A Teacher's reality
namaste-942918 December 2021
First few episodes ok
TigerHeron3 November 2022
This was highly recommended by some people, so I gave it a try. I'll be honest, sitcom is not my favorite genre. But there have been some classic sitcoms with characters who were friends or at least polite to each other and whom you cared about, and even sitcoms with something important to say. After the first few episodes, which had some funny scenes, I began to realize that a couple of the characters snipe at each other and no one is really friends with anyone else. The character of the principal is a horrible person who engages in sexual harassment and borderline fraud/financial mismanagement. This would have been interesting in a police show with a resolution but kind of weird in a sitcom. There's a recurring theme about how schools are underfunded, but meanwhile, teachers leave their classrooms or engage in inappropriate gossip with each other in front of elementary school students. It was not fun to watch and I'm passing on the rest of the season(s).
Very average but the potential is there
hawthornd1 September 2022
I finished watching season 1 and honestly can't understand all the 10/10 ratings. There were no laugh out loud moments though the performances are good and there are a few chuckles.
The mockumentary style will inevitably draw comparisons with The Office but this simply isn't in the same league, it just isn't funny enough and the characters aren't as engaging, the school principal in particular is just annoying.
If the writing gets slicker and funnier then this show has potential but for me the jury is still out. I'll give season 2 a look for a few episodes where it's released, I hope that it makes the grade. As my school reports often said "Could do better....."
The mockumentary style will inevitably draw comparisons with The Office but this simply isn't in the same league, it just isn't funny enough and the characters aren't as engaging, the school principal in particular is just annoying.
If the writing gets slicker and funnier then this show has potential but for me the jury is still out. I'll give season 2 a look for a few episodes where it's released, I hope that it makes the grade. As my school reports often said "Could do better....."
Very funny show
qormi2 July 2022
Very funny, especially the crazy principal and the mafioso lady teacher. The older teacher who keeps students in line rings true. I'm a retired teacher and after 34 years of teaching, I can honestly say that reality is much stranger than this. Many of the people I worked with were quite bizarre, and this show is tame compared to the various staffs in the different inner city schools I taught at.
Hilarious!!
roueljones8 January 2022
Sick of every "gritty" tv show? Abbott Elementary is for you.
audreymbringgold3 March 2022
If you are sick of the "euphoria" style gritty, nudity filled tv show then this is for you. It's happy, it puts me in a good mood and gives me hope. It's so nice to finally have a well written tv show that's not rated tv MA and appropriate to watch around younger people.
This show makes me happy.
hughjman27 January 2022
This show is really, really cute and sweet and lovely and makes me very happy. It doesn't crack me up, yet, but I have LOL'd a couple of times and it does make me smile consistently, and that's fine with me.
The actors are all wonderful. (I loved creator QB on Black Lady Sketch show and always thought she had a very natural quality.) The liveliness keeps me engaged throughout. You can sometimes see the comic "twists and turns" coming, but it doesn't make me enjoy them any less.
It may be that after this great show the "documentary" style of sitcom has worn out its welcome, but it works well for this.
And having spent a few years teaching, it seems pretty true - and it makes me miss it.
Heartwarming is a very good word for this show. Heartwarming but not at all cloying. "Delightful" suits it, too.
It's the only network show I make sure to watch every week.
The actors are all wonderful. (I loved creator QB on Black Lady Sketch show and always thought she had a very natural quality.) The liveliness keeps me engaged throughout. You can sometimes see the comic "twists and turns" coming, but it doesn't make me enjoy them any less.
It may be that after this great show the "documentary" style of sitcom has worn out its welcome, but it works well for this.
And having spent a few years teaching, it seems pretty true - and it makes me miss it.
Heartwarming is a very good word for this show. Heartwarming but not at all cloying. "Delightful" suits it, too.
It's the only network show I make sure to watch every week.
So real it hurts!
Biscuit7820 December 2021
I'm a teacher and watched the first episode on my first weekend of Winter Break-maybe too soon to be mentally thrown back into the classroom! That's how accurate this show is... I love the really optimistic and stubborn main character and the still engaged veteran with a tough but solid heart. I definitely look forward to seeing what other storylines are in the future!
Does anyone else loves AVA?
blonde-irka23 March 2024
Oh my god the humor in this show it's just so cute but also inteligent just like it should be considered is about teachers. Though this documentary style was used before it's still gives a unique touch to it. And I cannot express enough of how much I love Ava!everytime she opens her mouth is a new diamond of fun! She's a type of Barney Stinson for me, she has heart and is sweet but she is hiding behind a tough, glamorous, cinic facade. She's just hilarious! It is a joyful, happy, feel-good series! And I love the outfits and every single character in it! Everyone has something special, plus the addition of the children is top notch adorable!
I had high hopes
Glkslngr16 January 2023
I finally decided to give the series a go after hearing rave reviews on certain social media outlets and following the multiple Golden Globes wins recently by a few of the leading actors. However, season one did not meet my expectations and I, unfortunately, don't find the show to be very funny.
I am familiar with a few of the main and supporting characters from sitcoms past that I adored from the 90s and early 2000s. I found that there was, though, overacting from certain main characters that I found surprising given the inclusion of more seasoned actors; I think the acting should have been up to par.
The characters also looked at the camera WAY too much that it became very annoying to watch, almost as if they were begging for a laugh from the viewer as if to say 'hey, this is supposed to be a punch line so you should be laughing right now!' or something, except I wasn't. I feel that the show is trying too hard to be The Office, a show that I loved, it this fell short and I would have hoped for a different writing/production style. Being a former substitute teacher, I get some of the relations between characters and some of the scenarios, but just like the acting, I feel that some situations were overdone. It was a bit painful to watch this series and I hope that it gets better in seasons to come.
I am familiar with a few of the main and supporting characters from sitcoms past that I adored from the 90s and early 2000s. I found that there was, though, overacting from certain main characters that I found surprising given the inclusion of more seasoned actors; I think the acting should have been up to par.
The characters also looked at the camera WAY too much that it became very annoying to watch, almost as if they were begging for a laugh from the viewer as if to say 'hey, this is supposed to be a punch line so you should be laughing right now!' or something, except I wasn't. I feel that the show is trying too hard to be The Office, a show that I loved, it this fell short and I would have hoped for a different writing/production style. Being a former substitute teacher, I get some of the relations between characters and some of the scenarios, but just like the acting, I feel that some situations were overdone. It was a bit painful to watch this series and I hope that it gets better in seasons to come.
Quinta Brunson is too funny!
moniquerich23 March 2022
Very very gentle comedy
simevo-2009317 January 2024
It's the sort of thing that you largely smile rather than laugh, with the exception of the headteacher (who is thankfully used very sparingly) who says the occasional inappropriate thing and raises a chuckle.
There is nothing original about the show. Each joke you can see coming. All the stereotypes are there on display, doing what you would expect them to. There's a love triangle (ISH). There are kooky friends. Etcetera.
Maybe it's my Britishness, but I find this kind of veeeeeeeeery gentle comedy more like a meditation because you know there'll be no surprises, rather than watching it as a comedy.
I am around that the lead actress just won an Emmy as a Lead Comedy Actress, in a category where she faced both Rachel Brosnahan and Natasha Lyonne who were infinitely better in their roles than Quinta.
There is nothing original about the show. Each joke you can see coming. All the stereotypes are there on display, doing what you would expect them to. There's a love triangle (ISH). There are kooky friends. Etcetera.
Maybe it's my Britishness, but I find this kind of veeeeeeeeery gentle comedy more like a meditation because you know there'll be no surprises, rather than watching it as a comedy.
I am around that the lead actress just won an Emmy as a Lead Comedy Actress, in a category where she faced both Rachel Brosnahan and Natasha Lyonne who were infinitely better in their roles than Quinta.
Meh
emutown9 September 2022
I had high hopes for this show and it's cast, but I just don't find it funny. The writing is very predictable, and VERY repetitive. The principal is insanely annoying; some of the teachers were given zero character development. Which is disappointing given the talent the actors on this cast poses. Not being a fan of this "documentary" style filming was also quite off putting, much like 'The Office' that I never enjoyed.
I read a lot of these reviews, and the majority of them are from those involved in the education system. I myself am not, so that might be why I feel so disconnected to this show. I am fully aware our public schools are hurting, which made none of the plot lines shocking/surprising to me.
I couldn't get halfway through the first season, and don't plan on watching anymore as I don't find it relatable or entertaining.
I read a lot of these reviews, and the majority of them are from those involved in the education system. I myself am not, so that might be why I feel so disconnected to this show. I am fully aware our public schools are hurting, which made none of the plot lines shocking/surprising to me.
I couldn't get halfway through the first season, and don't plan on watching anymore as I don't find it relatable or entertaining.
Spot On
montgomerydatra8 December 2021
I have a family full of teachers and most of them work in under privileged schools in the South and East Coast. This is spot on! The relationships between the teachers, the out of touch Admin, the teachers love for their kids. Love the pilot and can't wait to watch the next episode!
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