Abbott Elementary

TV review by Joly Herman, Common Sense Media
Abbott Elementary Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 12+

Mockumentary about teaching has comedic chops.

ABC Comedy 2021
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Parents say

age 11+

Based on 4 reviews

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 12 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

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What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary-style comedy series that takes place in an elementary school in Philadelphia. The humor is tongue-in-cheek as kids pee on rugs, barf on themselves, etc. while the adults scramble to cope. Language includes "hell" and "ass." A teacher kicks a kid after he kicks her, and she is fired. The teachers then agree in mock interviews that you can yell at kids, threaten them, yell at the parents, threaten the parents, but "you never kick a kid." A teacher walks out of the school and flips the school a (blurred out) bird. The principal of the school makes passes at a new hire, calling him mildly suggestive names.

Community Reviews

mkarnold
mkarnold Adult
April 7, 2022
age 10+

Funny, generous show exploring American's public education system through the lens of a group of teachers

This show is educational, diverse, well written, and very funny. I am shocked by the Common Sense ratings actually. I have never seen a show that teaches about the discrepancy between schools in America around class and race, as I do here. The show is full of positive messages of teachers working very hard with nothing to accomplish a good deal. Characters are human. It isn't cloying, it's just, terribly enjoyable. My kids, 11 and 16 love watching with me. I like having a cast of characters on a moral spectrum that isn't overly pudgy, it give us things to talk and think about, to laugh at.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
2 people found this helpful.
alexzazueta
alexzazueta Adult
October 26, 2022
age 11+
I love this show!! It is really funny and it is so relatable to the huge teaching problem in the US. It is so cool to see the “behind the scenes” of what teachers do and I never realized how low teachers get paid until now. I would say that it is appropriate for 11-year-olds and up because the references and language are appropriate for them, but I would say the kids have to be 12 or 13 plus to get a full understanding of where the show is coming from.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, a young, optimistic teacher named Janine (creator and writer Quinta Brunson) finds herself over her head at an underserved Philadelphia elementary school. As she watches the teachers drop like flies,while getting through a school day with very few resources, she observes the incompetent school principal (Black Monday‘s Janelle James) making matters worse. Her colleagues are either as green as she is, or are so jaded that they can't find the time to help her. Will Janine's optimism help keep her afloat? Or will the kids in the second grade eat her alive?

Is It Any Good?

Fresh off a pandemic year where teachers are more appreciated than ever, Abbott Elementary brings humor to the plight of the underfunded, overwhelmed school system. Though there's not a straight-man giving the camera a deadpan stare to deliver quips about the insane environment he finds himself in (eh hem, Jim from The Office), there is an optimistic young teacher named Janine (Quinta Brunson) who has high hopes for her second grade class. Janine idolizes the Kindergarten teacher, Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph of Moesha), practically tripping over children in order to get closer to her. A tough South Philly teacher named Melissa (Lisa Ann Walker of The Parent Trap) "knows a guy" who can help with about anything. Add to the mix a principal (Janelle James, Black Monday) who lacks principles, and a cute new substitute (Tyler James Williams, Everybody Hates Chris), and you've got potential for a solid comedy about education.

Yes, broken toilets, outdated textbooks, and missing equipment can be funny -- in a gallows humor kind of way. Teens will appreciate the self-depreciating, optimistic Janine. Adults will root for the underdog teachers, knowing that cleaning up barf is a job that nobody wants.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about teamwork in Abbott Elementary. How do the teachers work together to help their students? How can teamwork elevate a challenging work or school environment?

  • Janine is a new teacher who approaches her job with optimism. At what point is her optimism challenged? How does her perseverance help her succeed?

  • Kids at Abbott Elementary don't have access to technology in their school. How can technology help with education? Are there apps that you find are helpful in your educational journey?

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