Some people may think that all Philadelphia contributes to the hit ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary is a setting and a deluge of cheesesteaks, the Eagles, Gritty, and the word “jawn”, however, the city of brotherly love has much more to offer than these still ever-so accurate cliches. The West Philly-based workplace mockumentary has managed to gain impressive amounts of both critical and audience acclaim since its premiere in 2021, and ratings are only going upward as the second season airs.
Quinta Brunson
The love for the city of Philadelphia runs deep in Abbott Elementary due to the fact that Quinta Brunson, the incredible mind behind the show and the face of the loveably awkward Janine Teagues is a born-and-bred West Philly girl herself.
Brunson made her way through the Philly public school system just like the students in Abbott Elementary. Both she and her mother experienced the shortcomings of Philly public schools firsthand, and this was undeniably a major factor in her choosing to write a show about the topic.
Brunson’s college years were spent at our very own Temple University, where she honed her comedy skills on the school’s sketch comedy show, Temple SMASH. She eventually found her way to working at Buzzfeed in Los Angeles after her video series “The Girl Who’s Never Been On A Nice Date” started to gain an audience on social media. Despite moving to Hollywood early in her media career, Brunson’s heart will seemingly always belong to Philly.
Abbott’s Generosity
The talented group of people behind the award-winning workplace comedy continues to give back to the communities that make such a lovable show possible. While the fictional Willard R. Abbott Elementary School tends to be lacking in the school supplies department, the cast and crew are working to change this at underfunded schools in the real-life city of Philly.
Two of these schools include Mastery Harrity Charter School in West Philadelphia and Benjamin B. Comegys Elementary School in Southwest Philadelphia. Quinta Brunson had actually attended Harrity School, so it wasn’t a difficult decision for her to host a free book fair last March, courtesy of Abbott and Scholastic. Each Harrity student received two free books and each teacher 10 free books, school officials confirmed. Benjamin B. Comegys Elementary School was given a $40,000 donation to the school from Wells Fargo, a hallway painting from Mural Arts Philadelphia, $20,000 of brand-new books provided by Scholastic, and a truck full of various school supplies accompanied by a visit by Brunson herself.
Additionally, a portion of Abbott Elementary’s Emmy campaign funds was set aside by Brunson and ABC to purchase and donate supplies for Philadelphia public schools suffering from the underfunding and unfair conditions that unfortunately go overlooked.
“We chose to put the marketing money toward supplies for teachers. It’s about being able to make those kinds of decisions that really excite me, things that can really materially help people.”
Quinta Brunson on NPR’s “Fresh Air” radio program.
Abbott Elementary, in its simplest form, could have been set in absolutely any city in the world. However, it is the striking amount of heart that is shared between real Philly communities and Abbott that make the show so extraordinary. It fully embraces every aspect of Philadelphia, so the city embraces the show back. There is a palpable connection and respect between Abbott Elementary and the community that it is based upon, and this only adds to the success of the show.
Abbott Elementary’s ability to address both the lighthearted and comical aspects of life in Philadelphia as well as the systemic disrespect and inequalities that unfortunately come with teaching at a predominantly black school shows even further how much Abbott’s creators respect the Philly community and want to help make it a better city.