The fifth inning (er, season) takes Abbott Elementary‘s teachers out to a ballgame when they visit Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park for a Phillies game. “It’s a very Philly episode, and the production value is insane,” says executive producer Patrick Schumacker. They shot the installment — which will air later this fall on the Emmy-nominated comedy series — during a real major league game on August 28. And it seems they were a good luck charm: Kyle Schwarber hit four home runs, helping clinch the Phillies’ 19–4 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Inside the walls of Abbott in Season 5’s premiere, fans can expect new teachers as well as new struggles for the veteran educators, thanks to their sketchy neighbors at Girard Creek Golf Club. “Traditionally, every season we’ve [started with] the calm before the storm, development day, teachers getting ready for the new school year. We have found a new spin on that,” Schumacker says. “Given the shenanigans that our teachers and [Principal] Ava [Coleman, Janelle James] pulled last year with Girard Creek, getting caught red-handed with bribes, that has a bearing on how their development day goes this season.” Schumacker notes that there’s also an exciting guest star in the installment who “we were really, really happy to work with.”
There’s also more trouble ahead. Upbeat second grade teacher Janine Teagues (creator Quinta Brunson) is being saddled with 40 students in her classroom. “She has her work cut out for her,” teases Schumacker. And with new staff additions, Janine is “no longer the fresh-faced ingenue that we saw in the first season,” he adds. “She’s starting to reexamine what her role is at Abbott now that she’s no longer the young kid looking up to Barbara.”
Quinta Brunson in ‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 4
Disney/Gilles Mingasson
Former elementary school teacher Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter) is also moving up — to take over middle school math and homeroom. If anyone can handle middle school, we’d be willing to bet on Ms. Schemmenti. Schumacker also teases a “really fun” episode later in the season where Melissa will get to “relive the glory days of her youth.” (Is that a Bruce Springsteen reference? We’ll have to wait and see.)
Also on the syllabus: Kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph) is reinvigorated by her after-school music program, Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams) teaches janitor Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) how to ride a bicycle, and teacher Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti) and new love interest Elijah (Jaboukie Young-White, Only Murders in the Building) meet up after last season’s karaoke episode.
Also in the romance department: Ava and the district’s IT rep O’Shon (Matthew Law) will continue to see each other. Their coupling will help show even more sides to the secretive Ava. “We like that relationship because it’s a different frequency than the other relationships in the show,” notes exec producer Justin Halpern. “It allows us to show some of Ava’s vulnerabilities because O’Shon’s not willing to not let her [show them].” Adds Schumacker: “She’s very smitten.”
Plus, Janine and Gregory, entering their second school year of dating, will explore what it means to be seriously boo’d up. Asks Halpern: “How does their relationship progress, and what sorts of things might these two characters learn about themselves when they’re in a more serious, adult relationship for the first time?”
Sounds like a winning season to us!
Abbott Elementary, Season 5 Premiere, Wednesday, October 1, 8:30/7:30c, ABC
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