Abbott Elementary Scores Season 4 Renewal

Because of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes, Season 3 of "Abbott Elementary" will only consist of 14 episodes total. This is definitely a bummer after the massive 22-episode count the series received for its 2nd season. For Brunson, having the shorter episode count was an opportunity to take the sitcom in a new direction. "Honestly, I liked having this 14-episode count because it made me think that we needed to be more creative with the time we had," the series creator told Business Insider, adding that her team got "very comfortable" with Season 2's length. 

Fans will agree that Brunson got very creative with Season 3, as she's cooked up an interesting arc for her character Janine. In the Season 3 premiere, the show cuts five months into the school year, revealing that Janine has taken up a job with the Philidelphia school district, trading in her chalk and board for a cushy, though impactful, bureaucratic role. This career switch-up also forces her to see Gregory (Tyler James Williams) a lot less, which is a huge bummer for the "will-they-won't-they" crowd. 

For Brunson, plucking Janine out of the classroom was an idea she always had, but didn't know when to do. With the shorter episode count and five-month time jump, Brunson found the perfect way to switch up Season 3. "Her hair is different. She's dressing different. We see immediately what kind of growth has happened for her in the past five months," she told Variety. Now that Season 4 is confirmed, it will be fascinating to see how this twist impacts the show's future. 

"Abbott Elementary" airs Wednesday nights on ABC.