Though it is very early on in the show's run, Abbott Elementary has the makings and potential to be one of the best sitcoms of its generation. Brought from the mind of Quinta Brunson, the series follows the staff and faculty of an underfunded Philadelphia elementary school where they are met with the challenges of teaching young kids under their unique circumstances.
Fans of the mockumentary style of sitcoms all know that The Office is widely considered to be at the top of the genre. The Office opened the door for other mockumentary sitcoms in the US to thrive and Abbott Elementary seems to be a natural successor while also being its own series.
They're Similar: Eccentric Bosses
In both shows, the workplace is helmed by people who outsiders (and some of their staff) might consider being unfit for the job. Michael Scott may have had his unique ways of overseeing the Scranton branch as regional manager but it didn't stop his character from becoming the overwhelming fan favorite.
In comparison, Ava Coleman serves as the principal for Abbot Elementary and has so far shown that there may be better people for her position. The only reason she got the position in the first place was because of her ability to blackmail the superintendent of the school district after she found out he was cheating on his wife. Because of her extremely unique way of running the school, Ava is an immediate scene-stealer.
Unique: Majority Black Cast
One of the more obvious differences between the two sitcoms is how the cast is made up. Abbott Elementary highlights a majority black cast led by Quinta Brunson and this recognizable difference is one of the main reasons why the show works as well as it does. The cast reflects the real-life demographics of the Philadelphia school district on-screen and highlights the type of classrooms that people in similar situations grew up in.
A show like The Office has the potential to work with different types of cast make-ups, but Abbott Elementary's cast furthers the conversation of inner-city schools by highlighting how teachers and staff work with students while being severely underfunded and mirrors what people have and are currently dealing with.
They're Similar: Workplace Antics
Working in an office and working in an elementary school has more similarities than one may initially think. The two sitcoms have shown that when you have a cast of characters made of distinct personalities and you place them in the same workplace, anything is possible.
Viewers only need a few minutes of watching the pilot episode from either show to anticipate the hilarious situations the characters could potentially find themselves in. Whether it be moving the whole school to the gym because of one faulty lightbulb or holding an entire Office Olympics, the two shows capitalize on their cast of characters and the amount of synergy they bring to the screen.
Unique: The Job At Hand
While there are surely a lot of people out there who are proud paper salesmen, the teaching profession is something that people tend to overlook despite the importance of it in any functioning society. The Office made fans of the show care about a job that most people never think about but Abbott Elementary allows viewers to be more empathetic towards struggling teachers.
The show has already shown in its first handful of episodes how essential a good teacher is to a kid who might be having trouble at home. Quinta Brunson's Janine goes the extra mile for her students while others like Sheryl Lee Ralph's Barbara Howard uses her wisdom as a veteran teacher to guide the school's young educators.
They're Similar: Work Crushes
Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly are one of the most well-known couples in modern TV history but them finally getting together seemed unlikely at first. Pam was dating someone else at the time when Jim became interested in her and it's looking very similar to the situation that Tyler James William's Gregory Eddie is in Abbott Elementary.
Gregory is the newest teacher at the elementary school and has had his eye on Janine since he first got there. The problem is, Janine is currently dating Tariq (played by Zack Fox) which doesn't allow him to make a proper move. It's still early, but it will be interesting to see how this storyline progresses.
Unique: Size Of Cast
While this has the potential to change as Abbott Elementary is early in its run, one difference between the two shows is the number of characters. One of the main appeals of The Office is that it boasts a large cast of characters for viewers to latch onto. While that does have plenty of advantages and allows for the show to have a lot of relatability, Abbott Elementary's smaller set of characters gives audiences a chance to focus on the main characters a bit more.
Having a large cast and a smaller one respectively lend themselves perfectly to the two shows but if the size of the casts were to be switched, the potential for them to work could still be there. Nonetheless, the size of the cast of characters is a part of what makes the two sitcoms unique.
They're Similar: Reflection Of Modern Times
The Office has been off the air for nearly a decade but it captured the late 2000s and early 2010s office culture in a way that only it could. Abbott Elementary looks to do the same with the 2020s as the decade is now two years in. Whether or not it chooses to include the COVID-19 pandemic into future storylines as other shows have done over the past couple of years, Abbott Elementary still has the room to reflect the current times without it.
A show like The Office and it being based on paper sales would probably look different in 2022 considering how digitally based a lot of things have become over the last decade. Similarly, teaching is an ever-evolving profession and Abbott Elementary would also have a different feel if it were to take place in another decade.
Unique: Inspired By Life Experience
Abbott Elementary showcases different experiences that many teachers have gone through throughout their careers in education. The series creation was inspired by Brunson's mother who worked in the School District of Philadelphia for over forty years.
Throughout a forty-year career in education, there are going to be countless stories that one would be able to tell and the fact that some of these stories have the potential to make it to the show is something that viewers can look forward to. Brunson's mother being an inspiration to the conception of the show makes it even more authentic at its core.
They're Similar: Talking Heads
The talking head has been a staple of the mockumentary genre, becoming one of The Office's most used tropes. Talking heads early in a show's run are usually used to allow a character to introduce themselves by sharing things about themselves. Both sitcoms used the trope in their first few episodes to elevate character introductions and to plant the seeds for the character to grow as the show progresses.
Should viewers see more situations outside of the elementary school setting in Abbott Elementary, it would nice addition to see the trope outside of the workplace which shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation did throughout their run.
Unique: An Original Show
Though Abbott Elementary was inspired by real-life events, the show is an original telling of teachers in an underfunded school. As great as The Office became, the show was adapted from UK television series of the same name with the same premise. Despite this, The Office surpassed its predecessor as the superior show becoming one of the greatest sitcoms of its generation.
Abbott Elementary has all the makings to do the same with everything that it has going for it and given its originality, could be the inspiration for other similar shows in the future.