Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy – Nominee
Abbott Elementary, a mockumentary sitcom television series, is about a documentary crew recording the lives of teachers working in underfunded, mismanaged schools. They follow Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson), a second-grade teacher at Abbott Elementary, a fictional predominantly Black school in Philadelphia.
Brunson, 33, is the creator, executive producer, writer, and star of the ABC show which is nominated for a Golden Globe award in the Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy category.
She gained prominence for her self-produced Instagram series Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date, became the first Black woman to be nominated three times in the comedy category at the 74^th Primetime Emmy Awards – Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (which she won), Outstanding Comedy Series (as an executive producer), and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
She told Entertainment Weekly that the sitcom’s setting was deeply familiar to her, a Philly native whose mother taught in kindergarten. She said, “I realize that everybody doesn’t have the same relationship to school that I had. It was like a second home. I spent so much time there that [the faculty] became like friends and family to me. I watched them talk about the new standardized testing or a new reading program that was coming in.”
She added that the best part of creating the show has been building the world of Abbott Elementary. She revealed, “No, it’s not on the scale of a Harry Potter or anything like that, but that’s the most fun part of storytelling. You create this world that you get to decide what happens in, and what the characters look like, and how they interact.”
The ensemble cast also includes Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walters, Chris Perfetti, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and William Stanford Davis.
James, who portrays the hilariously incompetent principal Ava Coleman, told HuffPost.com that it was fun to play such a villain, even with those cringe moments. She said, “Oh, Ava’s absolutely a villain, not even halfway, but she’s a true and total villain. She’s not trying to be a good person; there’s no faking it either. You take it or leave it. But that’s who she is and I love that about her. Yes, there are times when she makes me cringe. She’s mean. I’ve said that while reading the scripts. But this is why it’s fun to do and what drew me to her.”
The show’s first season was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, winning three. In March 2022, the series was renewed for a 22-episode second season, which premiered on September 21, 2022.