Are you ready to go back to school? Abbott Elementary Season 3 is coming – and we know plenty about the new season.
There have been many shows from 2022 onward that have really taken the world by storm and grown in popularity as time has gone on. We could discuss The Bear, which earned a Season 3 order at Hulu. Or we could speak about Arcane on Netflix, which we’re still waiting for Season 2. However, to me, the one show that truly stands out the most is Abbott Elementary.
In a world where it seems that many streaming shows become extremely popular and network TV doesn’t have the same shine as it used to, Abbott Elementary was a diamond in the rough and a massive hit for ABC. And after Abbott Elementary's Season 2 finale, it’s no surprise that Season 3 is coming.
However, when will Abbott Elementary Season 3 come out? And what story might we be diving into next? Here is what we know so far about the next installment of this hit comedy series.
What Is The Abbott Elementary Season 3 Premiere Date?
Abbott Elementary Season 3 will premiere on February 7th, 2024, as part of the 2024 TV schedule. ABC announced the news in November once both the 2023 Writer’s Strike and the SAG-AFTRA strike had ended.
Considering Season 2 of the series ended in April 2023, that is an excellent turnaround, especially since most shows had to be delayed due to the strikes. Luckily, we won’t have to wait that long either, because it comes out during the second month of the year. Can the holidays go by quicker, please?
The Main Cast Is Expected To Return
While nothing has been confirmed in terms of who exactly is coming back, I think it’s safe to say we can expect the main cast of Abbott Elementary to return to their posts as employees of the titular school.
This includes Quinta Brunson, the creator of the show, as Janine Teagues, as well as Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie, Janelle James as Ava Coleman, Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa Schemmenti, Chris Perfetti as Jacob Hill, William Stanford Davis as Mr. Johnson, and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard.
We’re not sure who of the guest cast in Abbott Elementary might return. Season 2 had some pretty awesome guest stars, such as the talented Leslie Odom Jr., the fantastic Ayo Edebiri, and Taraji P. Henson, who played Janine’s estranged mother. Considering the love for this show, I think it's likely we'll see these folks and even more show up in Philly come February.
Season 3 Might Explore The School System A Bit More
Plot details for Season 3 of Abbott Elementary are locked down right now, but there are some hints and critical aspects that we do know about.
In an interview with The Wrap in March 2023, the showrunners for the series, Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker, both said they had some “ideas” for Season 3, and they were thinking of exploring the different facets of the public school system – almost like The Wire:
We’re going into Season 3 with some ideas of an aspect — that I won’t spoil — of the school system that we want to explore a little bit more. I think we’re approaching it like The Wire — different facets of this ecosystem.
Truthfully, I’d be so interested in something like that as someone who went to both public and private school at one point in her life, and exploring the aspects of both would make this show that much more special.
Season 3 Will Focus On The Individual Character Arcs Of Gregory And Janine Rather Than The ‘Will-They-Won’t-They’ Aspect
Look, I know many of us love Janine and Gregory’s relationship, and we agree that Gregory is the best character in the show, but the showrunners has said that the romance between them can wait a little bit.
In that same interview with The Wrap, the showrunners both agreed that with the “will-they-won’t-they” relationship between the two characters, they would much rather focus on the individual arcs of the characters rather than the two of them together:
We look at it and Quinta looks at it as, 'What are the arcs of each individual character first?' These are all people in their 20s trying to figure s— out, they’re at different places in their lives, both emotionally and financially. We first focus on each individual character and then we’ll constantly be looking at, 'OK, well, what would actually happen if they were in this position at this point in the season?' So we don’t look at it as, 'When are we going to get these two together or not get them together?' We look at it as, 'Hey, let’s really pay attention to the characters and grow the characters,' so that when we make whatever decision we make, you as an audience believe it and feel like it’s real. These are people in their 20s, like, that s—‘s messy.
As someone currently in her twenties, yes, I can completely understand that. And it makes me love the Abbott Elementary cast and the writers even more to explore that.
The Show Will Explain The “Absence” Due To The Writer’s Strike
As explained before, Abbott Elementary and many other TV shows were affected by the 2023 strikes. They will cause a messy timeline within the funny sitcom, considering each season usually follows a new year at their school.
However, creator Quinta Brunson spoke with Deadline in October 2023 and assured fans that the show would address the “absence,” stating that it would take a lot of “heavy lifting” to make it feel believable in the “world” that they’ve built in the show.
What that explanation is going to be, I’m not sure. But as long as it makes sense, that’s all that matters.
Abbott Elementary Season 3 Will Only Have Fourteen Episodes
Confirmed by Deadline in November 2023, it was announced that Abbott Elementary Season 3 was only going to have 14 episodes. This is a step down from the second season, which had an impressive 22 episodes — the first season only had 13.
Deadline cited that the main reason the shows had shorter seasons was because of the timing of the actors’ strike ending so that way these shows could have winter premieres.
Filming Began In November 2023
Announced by The Hollywood Reporter in November 2023, it was confirmed that Abbott Elementary had begun filming Season 3 during the week of November 27. Some people might be confused about how there can be such a quick turnaround time since the show is premiering in February 2024, but this is standard practice for these shows.
The series will continue to film as the first episodes air, so we’ll still get the entire season in time.
Writing about this makes me want to watch shows like Abbott Elementary to get myself excited or rewatch the first two seasons. Either way, I feel this will be a season unlike any other. It’s going to be a fun ride.
