HBO Max and Hulu will share the co-exclusive streaming rights to complete seasons of the Emmy Award–nominated comedy series Abbott Elementary, it was announced today. Created by and starring Quinta Brunson from Warner Bros. Television and 20th Television, the full 13-episode first season will debut on August 20 on HBO Max.
New audiences can experience the acclaimed series for the first time, or viewers can catch up on HBO Max and Hulu before it returns for season two on Wednesday, September 21, at 9:00 pm ET/PT on ABC.
As part of an existing agreement with ABC, Hulu will continue to make current season episodes available the day after each broadcast premiere.
These new episodes plus prior seasons will remain on Hulu, and complete future seasons will be available to stream on HBO Max before the next season premieres on ABC.
The breakout hit of the 2021–22 broadcast television season, Abbott Elementary was recently nominated for seven Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, lead acting and writing nominations for Quinta Brunson, supporting acting nominations for Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, and Sheryl Lee Ralph, and for casting.
The first season of Abbott Elementary has a 98% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from more than 40 critics’ reviews. The New York Times proclaimed that the show is “the best new network sitcom of the season” and that it is “the kind of comedy that network TV needs and that education deserves.”
Entertainment Weekly called the show “a terrifically smart workplace comedy and a loving, funny homage to the men and women on the front lines of public education in America.” And The Washington Post raved that the series has “one of the finest comedy ensembles on TV today.”
Abbott Elementary is a workplace comedy about a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — who are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life.
Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
Quinta Brunson created and stars as Janine Teagues in Abbott Elementary, and she serves as executive producer of the series alongside Justin Halpern, and Patrick Schumacker of Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions, and Randall Einhorn.
In addition to Brunson, the cast includes 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.
The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television and 20thTelevision, a part of Disney Television Studios.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.