The future ofAbbott Elementarygets addressed by a top Disney executive, with speculation that one of the show’s top stars is looking to take a step back. The popular ABC sitcom once again gathered up an impressive haul of nominations at the Primetime Emmys.Abbott Elementaryis up for six awards at the upcoming ceremony, which will air in September on CBS.
That includes two nominations for Quinta Brunson asAbbott Elementary’s lead star and creator, earning nods for her performance as Janine Teagues and writing the episode “Back to School.” But heading intoAbbott Elementaryseason 5, Brunson recently shared candid remarks about the cast wanting to do different projects and her own desire to try new roles.
In an interview withDeadline, Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich was asked about whether ABC is still committed to doing multiple seasons ofAbbott Elementary. Erwich, who oversees the programming slate for Hulu and ABC Entertainment, both of which are owned by Disney,confirmed that there are no plans to end the sitcom anytime soonand discussed howBrunson’s remarks were “misconstrued”:
Craig Erwich: “Absolutely. And I know Quinta is too. I think those comments were misconstrued. She remains incredibly dedicated to the show. And I think you may tell that from just watching the episodes. This was the year of Ava, that was part of the creative roadmap of that show. So for people to come and stand up and recognize that is fantastic.”
What The Recent Comments Mean For Abbott’s Future
The Show Is Still Going Strong
In an interview withBustle, Brunson touched on the future of the series. She noted that, although everyone was very blessed to have a show go on five seasons on network television,there were actors eager to pursue other roles. The actor and creator noted that the show’s schedule could be very time-consuming, limiting theAbbott Elementarycastfrom pursuing other projects:
“I have cast members who would love to pursue other projects, and our show is very time-consuming. We shoot about seven months out of the year. That can stop people from being able to do a lot of other things.”
Brunson more generally talked about her own hopes of trying out different characters, which ignited a discussion aboutthe future ofAbbott Elementary. But two things can be true at once.Abbott, with typically more than 20 episodes per season, is a long commitment. But at least for the time being,the status of one of TV’s most beloved series is unlikely to drastically change.
Our Take On Abbott’s Future
It’s Stable For Now
AftertheAbbott Elementaryseason 4 ending, which was on the quieter side, there is still a lot of stories to dive into. However, the desire for actors to try out different projects is also genuine. Perhaps a solution could be for fewer episodes per season or even the start of some turnover and the introduction of new characters.
Abbott Elementaryseason 5 doesn’t have a premiere date just yet, though it’s in line to premiere later this year.There are no immediate shifts in the main cast. So, any speculation remains purely hypothetical and, for the time being, it’s unlikely any massive changes will happen.
