‘Abbott Elementary’: Quinta Brunson Gives an Update on Season 3 Changes

Don’t Be Tardy for Class

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Quinta Brunson is getting candid about Abbott Elementary‘s upcoming third season following the end of the writers’ strike. While we await the end of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, Brunson, who also stars in the ABC comedy, is getting back to work on scripts, but there are changes on the horizon.

Speaking to Deadline, the showrunner said, “How do we justify losing half a season, half a year?” It’s a question she’s facing in the writers’ room as work on Season 3 commences. One challenge she revealed to the outlet was the series timeline versus the unknown airdates of these forthcoming episodes. “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,” she acknowledged.

(Credit: ABC)

“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. It’s a good question as fans of the half-hour series will recall that Brunson’s leading character Janine was gearing up for her impending summer break with plans to focus on herself rather than pursue a relationship with mutual crush Gregory (Tyler James Williams).

While the show’s return date is unclear as filming remains impossible amid the actors’ strike, Brunson expressed her excitement about getting back to work on the writing. Still, the altered schedule features some changes to the show’s format, including how many episodes there will be.

According to Brunson, there will be “fewer episodes” than the past season’s hefty 22-episode order. She’s “not complaining” though, as 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.” Brunson said when it comes to the job, she loves it despite it being “exhausting” for her, as she serves in various roles.

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The show’s staff of writers were “ready to go back,” as was she. It will be a process working the story out though, as the team navigates this gap between Seasons 2 and 3. Brunson revealed that it all starts with the season arc, as “talking about that … helps us start to put together episodes. So we talk about our arc, talk about the stories we want to tell, the special, unique, funny stories that can fall within that arc.”

In terms of the premiere episode, Brunson didn’t share any specific details, as she claimed, “I’m trying not to spoil,” but that the episode “became the focus of the past two weeks.” The first installment of Season 3 will have to address the prolonged absence but also invite viewers back. “That felt inspiring… to build something that was both grounded, and for this premiere, splashy enough to bring people back at the same time,” she teased.

As we await word on the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, Brunson and her team are continuing to work behind the scenes. Stay tuned for updates as we stand by for Abbott Elementary‘s highly-anticipated third season at ABC.

Abbott Elementary, Season 3, TBA, ABC