Abbott Elementary's second season will be 22 episodes, not just 13

ABC confirmed today that Quinta Brunson's Emmy-nominated hit will be getting more episodes in its second season

By William Hughes | July 22, 2022 | 12:06am

Aux News Unknown

Abbott Elementary's second season will be 22 episodes, not just 13

Abbott Elementary Photo: ABC/Pamela Littky

ABC issued a rare vote of total confidence today, extending out its second season renewal order for Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary to a full 22-episode season—as opposed to the “have half a season, and then we’ll see” approach usually applied to shows that came in, as Abbott did, as mid-season replacements the earlier year. No such hesitation here: The Disney-owned network has ordered a full 22 episodes of the single-cam comedy, up from the 13 originally announced when the series got its early renewal notice back in March.

And, really, why not? Abbott Elementary has been a winner with critics and audiences alike, drawing both accolades and network-high ratings during its first season on the air. (That includes six Emmy nominations at this year’s show, including two for Brunson—for writing and acting—and another three for co-stars Janelle James, Tyler James Williams, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.)

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Abbott—which debuted in December of last year—focuses on Brunson’s Janine Teagues, a teacher doing her best, day-in and day-out, to make the best of the limited resources and frequently misguided management offered to her as a Philadelphia elementary teacher. The show has drawn strong notices for tackling serious topics without giving in to either cynicism or sap, instead approaching the problems of education with comedy and good cheer. (And Janelle James saying very mean things to people as the resident principal, of course.)

News of the extended order, which has apparently been solidified for a few weeks at this point, came not long after Brunson hinted at something like this during the show’s Comic-Con panel today, with her fellow producers confirming that the show’s second season will have more episodes than the 13-episode first. As to the content of those extra episodes, Brunson said, “We spent a lot of the first season showing what this show is capable of. … Now we get to have some fun,” she said. “We’ve done all the building, and now we get to have some of these fun bottle episodes.”

Abbott Elementary returns to ABC on September 21, along with a plum new Wednesday night timeslot.

[via Deadline]