Fans asking why there was no new episode of Abbott Elementary this week should tune in after the 2024 Oscars.
Show writer and producer Brittani Nichols announced the change via X on Wednesday, March 6, writing, “No new Abbott Elementary tonight because we’re airing after the Oscars! Tune in on Sunday 🏆.” After airing a new episode on Sunday, March 10, Abbott Elementary will return to Wednesdays before taking another break on March 27.
Abbott Elementary, which debuted in 2021, focuses on teachers in a Philadelphia public school. The special post-Oscars episode picks up with the school being declared a historical landmark. Jennifer Elise Cox and June Diane Raphael are set to guest star.
The sitcom quickly became critically acclaimed and picked up many accolades including Golden Globe and Emmy Awards. Season 2 picks up with Janine (Quinta Brunson) taking a temporary fellowship with the school district after closing the door on a future with Gregory (Tyler James Williams) — for now.
Before season 2 started airing, co-showrunner Justin Halpern teased the vision for the next chapter of the show.
“The second season ended up talking about charter schools and the push and pull of those, and the first season was sort of about the challenges of being woefully underfunded,” Halpern told Decider in April 2023. “And so I think we have an idea, we’ve talked with Quinta, and I think there’s a larger overarching idea that we’ve sort of landed on for season 3 that I think is really interesting and I’ve never seen it on TV before.”
Later that year, show star and creator Brunson confirmed that the duel WGA and SAG strikes affected the third season’s episode count.
“How do we justify losing half a season, half a year? Our season will still be on the school calendar. [But] last year, we started airing in September, when school started. We’re not doing that this year,” Brunson, 34, explained to Decider in October 2023. “It’s not like coming back to a family show where you can pop in on that family on any sitcom-y thing. It’s really like, what’s going on in the school?”
She added: “We did 22 last season, and that’s a lot of TV, in particular for me because I’m writing and producing and starring in it. So for me, I welcomed a shorter season because it was tiring, exhausting work.”
Despite the shortened season, viewers can expect to see some familiar faces as Abbott Elementary continues to cast celebrities as guest stars.
“I think it’s so nice when people look at it as an opportunity to be in something that their kids can watch also,” Brunson told Entertainment Tonight in February. “Because a lot of actors who are part of more dramatic projects or things that are little PG-13 to rated R, Abbott is something that their kids can see them in.”
Abbott Elementary airs on ABC Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET and is available to stream on Hulu the next day.
