This is something of a golden age for feel-good sitcoms. Numerous series have emerged that give viewers characters that genuinely seem to want to make the world a better place and do everything in their power to stay positive. Abbott Elementary is one of these, and it focuses in particular on a group of teachers trying to make the best of an underfunded elementary school in Philadelphia.
The various characters that appear in the series all have their own unique charms, though only a few can truly be said to deserve the title of best character.
Sahar
Janine’s friend Sahar is one of those people who seems to think that her way of doing things is the best way, regardless of what others might think. Though her heart seems to be in the right place, she does tend to ride roughshod over Janine, including using a box of textbooks to make an art installation. At the same time, it also has to be said that she does truly seem to like Janine, even if her methods for convincing her leave something to be desired.
Malcolm
Given that this ABC series is a great comedy set in a school, it makes sense that some of its best characters would be some of the students. One of these is Malcolm, one of the most gifted students. What makes him one of the best characters isn’t just his intelligence, however. It’s also the fact that he isn’t afraid to talk to Ava, the principal who doesn’t take her job very seriously, just like he would any other adult, something that she doesn’t really appreciate.
Courtney
Malcolm isn’t the only great student to appear, and he’s also not the only intelligent one. Of particular note is the student, Courtney, who ends up transferring out of Melissa’s class and into Janine’s. She immediately shows that she has a fierce sort of intelligence, but this also means that she knows exactly what it takes to get under her teacher’s skin, particularly because she is so adept at getting the other students to her in her particular brand of misbehavior.
Mr. Johnson
Though the teachers occupy the center of most of the storylines, Abbott Elementary knows that every successful sitcom has to have its own side characters. Mr. Johnson, the janitor, is one of the best characters in this regard, because he doesn’t have time to engage in the same sort of navel-gazing that sometimes engages the teachers.
What’s more, despite his rather cynical attitude, he does seem genuinely good at his job and to take pride in the work that he performs keeping the school (relatively) clean.
Barbara
There have been many great TV teachers, and Barbara is one of those. While she can be a bit cold toward her fellow teachers, she consistently shows that she truly does have her students’ best interests at heart. Just as importantly, there are also times when she is willing to let her guard down and become close to others, as when she begins to bond with Jacob over their shared love of gardening and old movies. She also shows that she truly loves her husband and values the relationship that they have.
Jacob
There are many reasons why Abbott Elementary is a feel-good sitcom, and the character of Jacob is one of those. While he can at times be a bit overenthusiastic in his efforts to connect with his students, it’s clear that he does genuinely care about their well-being and wants to give them the best education that he possibly can. What’s more, he often goes the extra mile when it comes to his endeavors, such as when he began a vegetable garden in order to give the students more nutritious lunches.
Melissa
Though she can appear a bit harsh on the outside, Melissa consistently shows that, like the other teachers at Abbott Elementary, she does care about her students and about education more generally. Of course, that doesn’t mean that she’s going to take any attitude, whether from the teachers or the students, and so she occupies something of a position of authority in the school.
Perhaps most importantly, she also gets some of the series’ funniest lines and moments, and her dynamic with Janine is one of the high points of the series.
Ava
Unlike most of the other staff at the school, the principal, Ava, doesn’t really seem to have much interest in the art and skill of education. In fact, she’s more often out for her own best interests rather than those of the school. That being said, there’s no question that she is a dynamic presence in the show, and that she is also one of the series’ funniest characters. Fortunately, total irreverence for education, and her total disinterest in the well-being of her students, stem more from selfishness than actual malice.
Gregory
When the series begins, it seems as if Gregory is going to be a temporary presence at the school, and he doesn’t seem especially invested in improving his pedagogy. As time goes by, however, he becomes an ever more important part of the school, even going so far as to rescue the garden that Barbara and Jacob start (and totally mismanage). Clearly, despite his outward disinterested outward appearance he is very much invested in the success of the school and the students that are placed under his charge.
Janine
Like Leslie Knope (one of the best characters in Parks and Rec), Janine is one of those people who ionately believes in the system. In this case, she has poured her life and energy into the school, and she is always willing to go the extra mile for any student that needs it, to such an extent that she sometimes forgets that her own needs are important, too. Though she sometimes lets her enthusiasm get the better of her, there’s no question that she will always do what she thinks is right for both the students and for the school in general, no matter what she has to do.