Abbott Elementary (2021)
Catching a break... Any way they can.
In this workplace comedy, a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
| Type | TV series |
|---|---|
| First aired | 7 December 2021 |
| Status | Returning Series |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by | Quinta Brunson |
| Starring | Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams and Sheryl Lee Ralph |
| Seasons | 6 seasons, 96 episodes |
| Episode length | about 22 min |
| Time to watch it all | about 35 hours |
| Rated | TV-14 |
| Scores | TMDB users 7.5/10 |
Where to watch Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary is streaming on Hulu ($18.99 a month) in the US. It is also on Fubo and Max ($18.49 a month). At ten hours a week, all of the series takes about 1 month of Max, or $18.49 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 12 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
What kind of watch this is
Quinta Brunson built Abbott Elementary on a premise that sounds like a trap: a documentary crew filming teachers in a failing Philadelphia school. It is a workplace comedy, but the stakes feel real. Janine Teagues, played by Brunson, stays because she believes in her students, even when the district does not. Her colleagues are equally stubborn. Jacob Hill is awkward, Barbara Howard is blunt, and Melissa Schemmenti has connections that would make a lawyer nervous. Then Ava Coleman arrives. She is tone-deaf, unqualified, and completely uninvested. The humor comes from watching these dedicated people navigate a system that is actively trying to break them. It runs 35 hours across 6 seasons, which is enough time to get attached to the chaos.
What the critics said
Critics have been uniformly kind, which is rare for a show about public schools. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 98% average approval rating, while Metacritic sits at 83. The first season drew 8.3 out of 10 from 46 reviews. Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter called it "crowd-pleasing," a verdict that feels like a compliment delivered with a shrug. Later seasons hit 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and 88 on Metacritic for season two. The consensus praises the show for treating its teachers as people, not punchlines. It is the kind of comfort food that actually has a point.
How it did with audiences
Abbott Elementary skips the box office ledger entirely. It is a television series, so the money question is moot. Instead, look at the numbers that actually matter for a show meant to be watched on a Tuesday night. On TMDB, users rate it 7.5 out of 10. That is a solid score. The data is quiet, but the reception is warm enough to keep the lights on.
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TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Abbott Elementary.
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Sources
- Abbott Elementary on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q107072019 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Abbott Elementary” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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