Schooled, ABC’s spinoff of the long-running 1980s-set family sitcom The Goldbergs was cancelled after two seasons in 2020. With a total of 34 episodes, the half-hour classroom-set show revolved around failed rock star Lainey Lewis (played by AJ Michalka), who accepted a teaching position at her old school, William Penn Academy. Taking place in the 1990s, the eccentric Penn Academy teaching staff, includes Goldbergs regular John Glascot (played by SNL-great Tim Meadows) and Coach Rick Mellor (played Bryan Callen), who inspired students while bringing direction to Lewis’s life.
Beginning in 2013, Michalka landed the reoccurring role of Lewis on The Goldbergs, where she served as Erica Goldberg’s best friend. The popular sitcom - which is about to wrap up and potentially finish with The Goldbergs season 9 - followed the suburban family as they lived through historical events and pop culture moments in the 1980s. Two seasons into the series, Michalka was promoted to a series regular until landing her own spinoff, Schooled, in 2019. The show first aired as what is known as a backdoor pilot, which uses an episode of an existing series to test out the concept. The January 24, 2018, episode of The Goldbergs called "1990-Something" explored the premise and Schooled officially premiered one year later in 2019 as a mid-season replacement.
Creator Adam F. Goldberg pumped his namesake series full of authenticity and true accounts, which is what audiences and critics believed have kept it going for nine seasons. Based on Goldberg's family and childhood memories of the 1980s, Gen X viewers responded with the same love and affection that The Goldberg’s production team treated the subject matter with. Though Schooled succeeded when it came to honoring and depicting educators, the show couldn't replicate this initial authenticity, partially due to it being in many ways a rehash of the original. Goldberg staples like movie references, and the use of songs from the era were all utilized in Schooled – but the same truthfulness and love for the 1990s source material just wasn't present, meaning the spinoff couldn't compete with the original. Averaging 3.2 million viewers and a 0.97 rating in its second season, Schooled's audience was constantly on the decline until it was cancelled alongside a slew of other ABC comedies, including Single Parents and Bless This Mess. The Goldberg's averaged nearly double the viewership, meaning people were clearly not interested in watching both shows.
It seemed that Schooled was never destined to succeed since its conception anyhow; a spinoff with the Rick Mellor character began development in 2016, but the ABC passed on the script. Reworking the concept, creators kept the school setting and included characters John Glasscot, but despite a positive test screening, that version of the show wasn’t picked up either. Once on air, the show cycled through multiple showrunners. Controversies with actors like Jeff Garlin may also have caused production turmoil. While cast member Bryan Callen's allegations of past sexual misconduct were brought to light shortly after the show's cancellation, it pretty much cemented that there would be no hope for a return.
AJ Michalka has been brought back as one of The Goldbergs' guest stars, but it's clear the character of Lainey Lewis was best left as a supporting best friend. Viewed as an attempt to capitalize on The Goldberg’s success and formula throughout its short run, what’s clear is that the nostalgic 1980s setting had far more appeal than Schooled’s nineties world.