ABC Has Canceled The Goldbergs. Could That Be Good News For Abbott Elementary Fans?

For ten seasons ABC’s The Goldbergs has mined ‘80s nostalgia and family shenanigans to create a series that had been an enduring hit for its home network. Not even the departure of major series leads like Jeff Garlin and the late George Segal could stop it, making creator Adam F. Goldberg’s semi-autobiographical comedy seemingly invincible, for a time at least. All good things must come to an end though, as The Goldbergs is cancelled and will end with the 2023 TV schedule -- though that could mean some good news for fans of rising star comedy Abbott Elementary.

How ABC Decided On The Goldbergs Cancellation

ABC’s decision to end The Goldbergs seemed to come from some garden variety concerns for a show of this age. THR hinted at a combination of declining ratings, increasing licensing fees, and the fact the network didn’t own the series outright as the factors leading them to make up their minds. Not too long after this story broke, an official confirmation was issued by the series’ official Twitter feed, shown below: 

It’s a call that might not seem too surprising to those who have followed The Goldbergs’ recent history. The passing of George Segal could be seen as the beginning of the end of the long-running show, as the sitcom lost one of its most notable characters, the lovable “Pops,”  in the wake of his absence. Even more surprising was the departure of Jeff Garlin, who left in the midst of misconduct allegations. (The show eventually saw the family patriarch killed off between Seasons 9 and 10). 

It’s the end of an era with the cancellation of The Goldbergs, which is bittersweet to those who have kept up with the show’s events in real-time. However, the silver lining is that there’s a potential for ABC’s latest hit Abbott Elementary to shine even brighter. 

Could Fans Expect An Abbott Elementary Spinoff?

While there are no plans reported at the moment, nobody would be faulted for thinking that ABC executives are hard at work trying to get an Abbott Elementary spinoff in the works. Fresh off of a Season 3 renewal, and several 2023 Golden Globes wins being added to the mockumentary comedy’s trophy case, creator/star Quinta Brunson’s meteoric feel-good hit is a hot property for both of its corporate parents.

The timing feels prime to at least be discussing an Abbott Elementary spinoff, as there’s a number of directions such a prospect could be taken in. One prime example is the rivalry between the titular learning establishment and its charter school rivals, led by guest star Leslie Odom, Jr. A series following his character Draemond in a similar fashion as the Abbott crew could make for not only an interesting contrast of lives, but also some fantastic opportunities for crossovers throwing him up against his scholastic opponents.

Again, nothing’s been written into the lesson plan at 20th Century Television and Warner Bros. Television for an official Abbott Elementary spinoff. It’s just a thrilling hypothetical scenario that we feel has to be on someone’s mind within the offices that makes these decisions. After all, even The Goldbergs had its own spinoff at the height of its powers; though one would hope that this dream scenario would last longer than the brief life that was Schooled’s two seasons.

For now, you can catch the rest of The Goldbergs’ swan song season Wednesdays at 8:30 PM ET, with Abbott Elementary airing right afterwards, on ABC. And fans of that latter series are going to want to catch up on this week’s episode as soon as possible, as recent Abbott developments have taken some rather intriguing turns.,