Abbott Elementary shares many of the same characteristics as Parks and Recreation, but the two shows are actually very different, and it’s for the better. The show is a refreshing and relatable take on working in public service and the timing of such a show couldn’t be better. With Quinta Brunson at the helm of a diverse list of cast , Abbott Elementary is setting itself apart as a funny and hopeful take on the education profession that teachers need now more than ever.
Abbott Elementary is in the popular mockumentary style and takes place in Philadelphia’s Willard R. Abbott Elementary. From the very start, it’s obvious that this school is lacking in money, and the teachers have had to pick up the slack in whatever creative ways they possibly can. The characters all bring a very unique strength to the table, from the enthusiastic go-getter Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) to the wise veteran teacher Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph), the school is filled with teachers who are all just trying to do the right thing, no matter how much red tape they encounter along the way.
Abbott Elementary has a diverse cast of actors, unlike Parks and Recreation, aiming to be relatable to a wider audience. The show is more about the general trials and tribulations of working in public education rather than focusing on any one problem at the center of its story, like trying to fill in a pit to create a park in Parks and Recreation. Abbott Elementary has kept the public service element in its show, but with it being placed in a school setting, it adds the dynamic of working with kids, which is a constant, pleasant reminder for the teachers in the show as to why it’s important that they persevere even when the odds are stacked against them.
Parks and Recreation primarily includes white cast . While this might have been appropriate given the location in which the show took place, the only main black character, Donna Meagle (Retta), has a very minor role until later seasons, and Tom Haverford’s (Aziz Ansari) Indian background is often used at his expense. By contrast, in Abbott Elementary, the cast is largely black, students and teachers alike, and the show has a sensitivity to Philadelphia’s culture. In Abbott Elementary, season 1, episode 4, Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter), a Philadelphia native, explains to Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti), a new teacher in the school, that they need to meet the students where they’re at, and that he needs to understand where his students come from. Had the Parks and Recreation approach been taken, it's likely that Abbott Elementary would lack the same sense of authenticity and impact.
The timing of when the show has been released, compared to its illustrious forerunner, is also significant; while public educators face all sorts of obstacles no matter what’s going on in the world, navigating the job during a pandemic has been an extra challenge. Abbott Elementary is a well-timed mockumentary that can offer a release for teachers much like did for government workers. The students are always at the heart of the show, and each episode comes full circle to remind the teachers of why they work tirelessly each and every day. Although Parks and Recreation empathized with the plight of a much-maligned sector, Abbott Elementary's arrival feels even more significant, given the circumstances.
Abbott Elementary has managed to set itself apart as a hilariously relatable take on the barriers that teachers face in the public school system. The show’s premiere is as well-timed as the witty quips the characters sling at each other. Abbott Elementary has taken some of the most laugh-worthy elements from Parks and Recreation and adapted those elements in a refreshing way. The Amy Poehler-led mockumentary had done a similar thing when using The Office as its own template. Parks and Recreation’s signature style laid out a well-established foundation for others to build off of in bigger and better ways and Abbott Elementary is doing just that.
Abbott Elementary airs Tuesdays on ABC