Class is back in session…AGAIN!
Less than a week after Abbott Elementary‘s supersized Season 3 premiere, ABC granted Quinta Brunson’s Emmy-winning comedy an early Season 4 renewal. The network announced that Abbott Elementary would be returning for a fourth season during the 2024 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour on February 10, with help from William Stanford Davis, aka Abbott‘s very own Mr. Johnson.
According to a press release from ABC, the workplace mockumentary “delivered a 3.56 rating in Adults 18-49 after 35 days of viewing across platforms, marking the strongest season average for an ABC comedy since the 2019-2020 season.” The series also ranked as ABC’s most successful multi-platform series, with next-day streaming on Hulu, so it’s easy to see why the renewal came so soon after its Season 3 premiere.
Following its Season 2 finale in April 2023, Abbott‘s writers’ room was set to swiftly reopen on May 1 when the Writers Guild of America embarked on what would become a historic 148-day strike. SAG-AFTRA shortly followed suit, and with tens of thousands of writers and actors picketing, production on numerous television series and films — including the beloved ABC mockmentary — was delayed.
In an interview with Decider ahead of Abbott‘s highly-anticipated Season 3 premiere, co-showrunners Justin Halpert and Patrick Schumacker explained how Abbott‘s writers were back in the room five days after the WGA strike concluded, and despite the shorter 14-episode order, they teased an exciting, star-studded Season 3.
“You’re gonna get a couple of really, really surprising guest stars,” Halpern said when asked for intel on the current season. “You’re going to get one guest star that is going to shock you, and it’s also going to shock our cast members.
In addition to Quinta Brunson and William Stanford Davis, Abbott stars Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, and Sheryl Lee Ralph returned to screens during Season 3’s February 7 premiere. The supersized episode also welcomed new recurring Season 3 guest stars Benjamin Norris, Kimia Behpoornia, and Josh Segarra to the school.
While we await more news on Abbott Elementary Season 4, tune in for new Season 3 episodes airing on ABC Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET and streaming next-day on Hulu. And be sure to read Decider’s full interview with the showrunners for more exciting Abbott Elementary tidbits.
