The Abbott Elementary teachers are under attack in this exclusive season 5 teaser

Abbott has enticed a lot of Philly legends to guest star (including Philadelphia Eagles players Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce, and Brandon Graham), but apparently the idea for a crossover with the Phillie Phanatic originated on the baseball side. “As big fans of the series, MLB Studios initiated outreach to Warner Brothers and subsequently the Phillies to get the shooting process started,” a spokesperson said in a statement (via Variety). “Collaboration between MLB Studios, the Phillies and the show commenced to shoot a bottle episode on-location at a Phillies game, with a goal of ensuring authenticity and access to the field.”

In addition to the MLB action (which Brunson has said will be in the third or fourth episode), the fifth season of Abbott Elementary will also see a major arc for Barbara, a special Halloween episode, and a “game changer” of a Christmas episode, Brunson teased to Entertainment Weekly last month. But the show will also continue to highlight real-life issues facing teachers in the U.S. (dodging apples not included). “We’ve always talked about how the building itself is old and that’s going to become a real obstacle this season more than we’ve ever seen. That’s going to become real,” Brunson explained. “Other things that become real this season are teacher turnover rate in an era where teachers are quitting left and right. We’ll see that. But it’s interesting because just as many teachers are quitting, new teachers are joining the field, so, you can look forward to seeing some new faces because that also presents its own challenges. But we will learn more about just how bad it can be when a building is old, what that can really do. And how a shortage can change things in a school. People having to take on more than they signed up for.” You can check out the teaser above, and a new poster for the season below.

Image courtesy of ABC