51-563: Abbott Elementary is an American mockumentary sitcom television series created by Quinta Brunson for ABC . It stars Brunson as Janine Teagues , a perpetually optimistic second-grade teacher at the underfunded Abbott Elementary, a fictional predominantly Black public school in Philadelphia . The ensemble cast includes Tyler James Williams , Janelle James , Lisa Ann Walter , Chris Perfetti , William Stanford Davis , and Sheryl Lee Ralph . The series premiered on December 7, 2021, and
102-535: A future version of the character played by his younger brother Tyrel Jackson Williams . In 2014, Williams starred in Justin Simien 's independent film Dear White People as Lionel Higgins, and was cast as the recurring character Noah on the television series The Walking Dead . In 2016, Williams played Russ "Monty" Montgomery in the Criminal Minds spin-off Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders . Williams
153-465: A long-term liberal incumbent played by Gore Vidal . Man Bites Dog is a 1992 Belgian black comedy crime mockumentary written, produced, and directed by Rémy Belvaux , André Bonzel , and Benoît Poelvoorde . In 1995, Peter Jackson and Costa Botes directed Forgotten Silver , which claimed New Zealand "director" Colin McKenzie was a pioneer in filmmaking. When the film was later revealed to be
204-511: A mockumentary about the survival of the megalodon . The Canadian series Trailer Park Boys and its films (1998–present) were one of the first mainstream examples of Canadian mockumentaries. Popular examples in the US include sitcoms The Office (2005–2013), Parks and Recreation (2009–2015), and Modern Family (2009–2020); the American improv comedy Reno 911! (2003–2009); Derek (2012–2014);
255-415: A mockumentary refers to films, while the term comedy verite refers to TV series, though term is widely used here. The series Documentary Now! (2015–present) on IFC , created by Saturday Night Live alumni Bill Hader , Fred Armisen , and Seth Meyers , spoofs celebrated documentary films by parodying the style and subject of each documentary. Hight argues that television is a natural medium for
306-456: A mockumentary, Jackson received criticism for tricking viewers. Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan from 2006, and its 2020 sequel Borat Subsequent Moviefilm , are two controversial yet successful films that use this style, as does Brüno , a similar film from 2009 also starring Sacha Baron Cohen . Sony Pictures Animation released their second animated feature, Surf's Up in 2007, which
357-446: A mockumentary, as it provides for "extraordinarily rich sources of appropriation and commentary". In 2018, the BBC released the series Cunk on Britain created by Charlie Brooker and starring Diane Morgan about British history with Philomena Cunk, an extremely dim-witted and ill-informed interviewer, asking various experts ridiculous questions. The follow-up Cunk on Earth featuring
408-475: A second season. According to a tweet made by Quinta Brunson, the first day of filming for the second season began on July 18, 2022. On July 21, 2022, ABC ordered the second season of 22 episodes, giving it a full-season order. The second season premiered on September 21, 2022. On January 11, 2023, ABC renewed the series for a third season. In May 2023, the Writers Guild of America strike occurred which impacted on
459-406: A second-grade teacher alongside Janine. Perfetti portrays Jacob Hill, an awkward history teacher, and Ralph portrays Barbara Howard, an old-school kindergarten teacher whom Janine looks up to. In an interview with Insider , Brunson revealed that her character of Janine Teagues was originally planned to be just a side character in the series, as a staff member of Abbott. During the initial visions of
510-432: A similar plot was released by BBC Two in 2022 and is available on Netflix . The BBC series People Like Us was first produced for radio in 1995 before a television version was made in 1999. Kay Stonham 's Audio Diaries was a similarly short tenured radio mockumentary that premiered the year after People Like Us 's run on Radio 4 ended. Tyler James Williams Tyler James Williams (born October 9, 1992)
561-428: A week before the season premiere it was announced via The Wrap that the season would see the introduction of various recurring guest stars, including Lauren Weedman as Kristen Marie, Leslie Odom Jr. as Draemond Winding and Keyla Monterroso Mejia as Ashley Garcia, all of whom appeared within the first eight episodes of the season. The second season also featured a cameo from Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty in
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#1732905834778612-411: Is a 1978 television film in mockumentary style about The Rutles , a fictional band that parodies The Beatles . The Beatles' own 1964 feature film debut, A Hard Day's Night , was itself filmed in mockumentary style; it ostensibly documents a few typical (and highly fictionalized) days in the life of the band as they travel from Liverpool to London for a television appearance. Since the beginning of
663-699: Is a Cold-War era American "mockumentary" film that made use of archival government footage from the 1950s. Woody Allen's 1983 film Zelig stars Allen as a curiously nondescript enigma who is discovered for his remarkable ability to transform himself to resemble anyone he is near, and Allen is edited into historical archive footage. In 1984, Christopher Guest co-wrote and starred in the mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap , directed by Rob Reiner . Guest went on to write and direct other mockumentaries including Waiting for Guffman , Best in Show , and A Mighty Wind , all written with costar Eugene Levy . In Central Europe,
714-412: Is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a documentary. The term originated in the 1960s but was popularized in the mid-1990s when This Is Spinal Tap director Rob Reiner used it in interviews to describe that film. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues in a satirical way by using a fictional setting, or to parody
765-525: Is an American actor and rapper. He began his career as a child actor, making several appearances on Saturday Night Live , Little Bill , and Sesame Street . Williams later rose to prominence for playing the role of Chris Rock on the UPN / CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris (2005–2009). Following this, he starred as songwriter Cyrus DeBarge in the Disney Channel film Let It Shine (2012), and Noah on
816-489: Is based on her mother. On September 3, 2020, an untitled workplace comedy pilot starring Brunson landed a put pilot commitment at ABC with Brunson, Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker serving as executive producers. In February 2021, ABC gave the project an official pilot order, originally with the title of Harrity Elementary . In May, the project was given a series order under a new name of Abbott Elementary . Filming for
867-488: Is tone-deaf, unqualified, and uninvested - and recent substitute hire Gregory Eddie, who was rejected when applying for the position of principal. Brunson said that her mother's 40-year career as a schoolteacher inspired her to create Abbott Elementary , named after Joyce Abbott, one of her elementary school teachers. The series is set in Brunson's hometown, Philadelphia. She said that Barbara Howard (played by Sheryl Lee Ralph )
918-649: The AMC drama television series The Walking Dead (2014–15) . He currently stars as Gregory Eddie on the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary , for which he received critical acclaim as well as a Golden Globe Award , a Screen Actors Guild Award and three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series . Additionally, Williams has appeared in films such as Detroit (2017) and The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021). Williams
969-456: The 1950s when archival film footage became available. A very early example was a short piece on the " Swiss Spaghetti Harvest " that appeared as an April Fools' prank on the British television program Panorama in 1957. Mockumentaries can be partly or wholly improvised . Early work, including Luis Buñuel 's 1933 Land Without Bread , Orson Welles 's 1938 radio broadcast of The War of
1020-405: The 1980s, the mockumentary format has gained considerable attention. The 1980 South African film The Gods Must be Crazy (along with its 1989 sequel ) is presented in the manner of a nature documentary , with documentary narrator Paddy O'Byrne describing the events of the film in the manner of a biologist or anthropologist presenting scientific knowledge to viewers. In 1982, The Atomic Cafe
1071-548: The Hulu content hub added by Disney in early 2024. The show also streams on Max after each season completes its broadcast. In Australia and New Zealand the show was first released on Disney+ under the Star content hub on February 16 as a Star Original with a 6 episode premiere with new episodes weekly before airing in several countries in Europe such as UK, France, Italy and Germany. In Canada,
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#17329058347781122-553: The Money , Law & Order: Special Victims Unit , and the show Hi-Jinks . In late 2009, Williams appeared in the second season of True Jackson, VP as True's love interest Justin "Lil' Shakespeare" Weber in the two-part episode "Flirting with Fame." In 2012, Williams played the role of Owen in the series Go On . He also played the lead role of Cyrus DeBarge in the Disney Channel film Let It Shine alongside Coco Jones , Trevor Jackson , and Brandon Mychal Smith . Williams
1173-449: The Money and Run (1969), The Clowns (1970) by Federico Fellini (a peculiar hybrid of documentary and fiction , a docufiction), Smile (1975) , Carlos Mayolo 's The Vampires of Poverty (1977) and All You Need Is Cash (1978). Albert Brooks was also an early popularizer of the mockumentary style with his film Real Life , 1979, a spoof of the 1973 reality television series An American Family . Woody Allen 's Take
1224-427: The Money and Run is presented in documentary style with Allen playing a fictional criminal, Virgil Starkwell, whose crime exploits are "explored" throughout the film. Jackson Beck , who used to narrate documentaries in the 1940s, provides the voice-over narration. Fictional interviews are inter-spliced throughout, especially those of Starkwell's parents who wear Groucho Marx noses and mustaches. The style of this film
1275-460: The U.S. education system, plus some extra credit for a deftly handled will-they-won't-they dynamic." Metacritic , which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 80 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter said "[it] works well enough to deliver a consistent good time — and I suspect that given time, Abbott Elementary could blossom into something truly special". Han also said
1326-485: The World ". The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour (1970–1971) also featured mockumentary pieces that interspersed both scripted and real-life man-in-the-street interviews, the most famous likely being "The Puck Crisis" in which hockey pucks were claimed to have become infected with a form of Dutch elm disease . All You Need Is Cash , developed from an early series of sketches in the comedy series Rutland Weekend Television ,
1377-547: The Worlds , various April Fools' Day news reports, and vérité -style film and television during the 1960s and 1970s, served as precursor to the genre. Early examples of mock-documentaries include various films by Peter Watkins , such as The War Game (1965), Privilege (1967), and the dystopic Punishment Park (1971). Further examples are " The Connection " (1961), A Hard Day's Night (1964), David Holzman's Diary (1967), Pat Paulsen for President (1968), Take
1428-660: The comedy series The Muppets (2015); People Just Do Nothing (2011–2018) and the Australian Chris Lilley shows Angry Boys , Summer Heights High , We Can Be Heroes: Finding the Australian of the Year , Ja'mie: Private School Girl , Jonah from Tonga and Lunatics . Shows currently running in this format include What We Do in the Shadows (2019–present) and Abbott Elementary (2021–present). Strictly speaking,
1479-664: The documentary form itself. While mockumentaries are usually comedic , pseudo-documentaries are their dramatic equivalents. However, pseudo-documentary should not be confused with docudrama , a fictional genre in which dramatic techniques are combined with documentary elements to depict real events. Nor should either of those be confused with docufiction , a genre in which documentaries are contaminated with fictional elements. They are often presented as historical documentaries, with B roll and talking heads discussing past events, or as cinéma vérité pieces following people as they go through various events. Examples emerged during
1530-696: The fictional Olympic Deliverance Commission in the run-up to the 2012 Summer Olympics ), and W1A , which follows the main characters of Twenty Twelve as they start work at the BBC, as well as The Office (2001) and its many international offshoots , and Come Fly with Me (2010), which follows the activity at a fictional airport and its variety of staff and passengers. British comedy duo Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French often presented short mockumentaries as extended sketches in their TV show French & Saunders . Discovery Channel opened its annual Shark Week on 4 Aug 2013 with Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives ,
1581-522: The film (David Koechner, Eric Roberts, Chaz Bono, Ed Begley Jr.), performing arts (Ja Rule, Billy Morrison), and TV (Lindsey Shaw, Pierson Fode, Johnny Bananas) to play fictional versions of themselves. In television, the most notable mockumentaries in the 2000s have been ABC Australia 's The Games (1998–2000), the Canadian series Trailer Park Boys (1999–present), the British shows Marion and Geoff (2000), Twenty Twelve (2011–2012) (which follows
Abbott Elementary - Misplaced Pages Continue
1632-694: The first episodes "[are] a willingness to deal with class head on, while also finding humor in the characters' situations", and concluded that Abbott Elementary is "crowd-pleasing." On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has received an approval rating of 100% with an average rating of 9 out of 10, based on 23 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Class is back in session and the plucky teachers of Abbott Elementary remain an absolute delight, with creator/star Quinta Brunson's savvy and sweet sensibility honed to perfection." Meanwhile, Metacritic has reported an average rating of 88 out of 100, based on ten reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". On Rotten Tomatoes,
1683-460: The first season began on August 16, 2021, in Los Angeles, California , and concluded on November 5, 2021. In August, three crew members tested positive for COVID-19 but production was not impacted. The first season premiered on December 7, 2021, and concluded on April 12, 2022, consisting of 13 episodes. On March 14, 2022, just before the first season was set to conclude, the series was renewed for
1734-478: The first time that viewers were exposed to mockumentary was in 1988 when the Czechoslovakian short film Oil Gobblers was shown. For two weeks, TV viewers believed that the oil-eating animals really existed. Tim Robbins ' 1992 film Bob Roberts was a mockumentary centered around the senatorial campaign of a right-wing stock trader and folksinger, and the unsavory connections and dirty tricks used to defeat
1785-464: The premiere episode, which garnered a large amount of online attention. When asked by the National Hockey League , executive producer Patrick Schumacker stated that Gritty's appearance in the series was "a long time coming." He revealed that Gritty was originally due to appear in one of the early episodes of the first season, but scheduling conflicts delayed the cameo. "Gritty was always, from
1836-462: The production of third season. On November 10, 2023, ABC picked up the series for a full third season of 14 episodes. The third season premiered on February 7, 2024, with a two-episode premiere. Three days after the third season premiere, it was also renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on October 9, 2024. In March 2021, Tyler James Williams , Janelle James , Lisa Ann Walter , Chris Perfetti , and Sheryl Lee Ralph were announced to star in
1887-455: The school are harsh and most teachers quit after their second year. Optimistic second-grade teacher Janine Teagues is determined to help her students despite the circumstances. She works with awkward, good-intentioned history teacher Jacob Hill; no-nonsense kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard; and second-grade teacher Melissa Schemmenti, Barbara's close friend who has questionable connections. They are joined by new school principal Ava Coleman - who
1938-629: The series airs on Global , with episodes available to stream on the Global TV app the next day. The first two seasons are currently available to stream on Disney+ under the Star content hub. The series has average scores of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and 83 on Metacritic. On Rotten Tomatoes , the first season holds an approval rating of 98% with an average rating of 8.3 out of 10, based on 46 reviews. The site's critical consensus said, " Abbott Elementary earns top marks for its empathetic yet sidesplitting critique of
1989-433: The series alongside Brunson. In November of the same year, William Stanford Davis was confirmed to recur as Mr. Johnson, the janitor. Brunson portrays Janine Teagues, the optimistic second-grade teacher who leads the series and its ensemble. Williams portrays Gregory Eddie, a substitute first-grade teacher who harbors a crush on Janine. James portrays Ava Coleman, the school's inept principal. Walter portrays Melissa Schemmenti,
2040-469: The series was renewed for a third season consisting of 14 episodes, which premiered on February 7, 2024, with a two-episode premiere. Three days after the third season premiere, it was also renewed for a fourth season , which premiered on October 9, 2024. Willard R. Abbott Elementary School is a predominantly Black Philadelphia public school where a documentary crew is recording the lives of teachers working in underfunded, mismanaged schools. Conditions at
2091-423: The series, Barbara Howard was meant to be the "driving force" of the series. And then [Warner Bros] said, 'You're crazy if you think we are buying the show without you in it, and I was like, 'Oh, okay. That's fair.' So, I had to put myself in it. In July 2022, just months prior to the series returning for its second season, it was announced that Davis would be promoted to series regular for the season. Additionally,
Abbott Elementary - Misplaced Pages Continue
2142-525: The start, a Philadelphia institution that we wanted to incorporate into the show," "The show takes place in Philly, and we try, as much as we can, to populate the show with the insider Philly, whether that's Philly slang or actual cameos from locals of note, like Jim Gardner , who's the now-retired anchor of ABC News over in Philadelphia . We try to make it as authentically local to Philadelphia as possible. Gritty
2193-532: The third season has received an approval rating of 100% based on 11 reviews. The site’s critical consensus reads, " Abbott Elementary has done its homework on sitcom longevity, finding fresh complications for its ragtag band of educators while deepening them as well-rounded people rather than comical caricatures." Meanwhile, Metacritic has reported an average rating of 82 out of 100, based on seven reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of mock and documentary )
2244-608: The voice of Bobby, briefly replacing Devon Malik Beckford in 2000, and played himself (or an eponymous character, "Tyler") on the PBS series Sesame Street from 2000 to 2005. He rose to fame in September 2005 by playing the title character in the hit series Everybody Hates Chris , which finished in May 2009. He won a Young Artist Award in 2007 for his work on the show. He was also a guest star in Two for
2295-472: Was a no-brainer, and also at the top of the list." The series does not use any original music or score written or recorded for it, instead using pre-existing and/or library music, often used as diegetic music (or source music) , often performed "live" by cast members. The previously released song, "Hold'em", performed by Maker, was used as its main title theme. In the US, the show airs on ABC and streams on Hulu with next-day availability and Disney+ through
2346-508: Was also featured on nine songs on the film's soundtrack, showing off his rapping skills. The film premiered on June 15, 2012, and his songs "Don't Run Away," "Me and You," "Guardian Angel," "Let It Shine" and "Moment of Truth" all received airplay on Radio Disney . The videos were also played frequently on the Disney Channel. Williams also guest starred in the Disney XD series Lab Rats as
2397-586: Was born in Westchester County, New York , and grew up in Yonkers, New York . His mother, Angela Williams, is a counselor, and his father, Le'Roy Williams, is a teacher and retired police sergeant. Williams has two younger siblings, both of whom are also actors; Tyrel Jackson Williams (b. 1997) and Tylen Jacob Williams (b. 2001). Williams began his acting career at age 4. He later starred in Little Bill as
2448-569: Was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2017, after experiencing symptoms for three years. Since his diagnosis, he has undergone treatment, including multiple surgeries. In 2019, Williams was cast as Jake in The Wedding Year , a teen romantic comedy film directed by Robert Luketic and starring Sarah Hyland , Jenna Dewan , Matt Shively , and Anna Camp . In 2020, Williams played the role of Paul in The Argument . In 2021, he began playing
2499-513: Was met with critical acclaim and strong viewership numbers on Hulu and other delayed viewing methods. The show has been nominated for 24 Primetime Emmy Awards , winning four including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Brunson. Abbott Elementary has also won three Golden Globe Awards , with acting wins for Brunson and Williams and the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 2023. In January 2023,
2550-551: Was the first of its kind to incorporate the mockumentary style into animation. REC , a 2007 Spanish film by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, uses journalism aesthetics to approach a horror universe set up in a real building in Barcelona . The film was remade in the United States as the 2008 film Quarantine . Ivo Raza's 2020 mockumentary Reboot Camp is a comedy about a fake cult that uses an ensemble cast of celebrities from
2601-408: Was widely appropriated by others and revisited by Allen himself in films such as Men of Crisis: The Harvey Wallinger Story (1971), Zelig (1983) and Sweet and Lowdown (1999). Early use of the mockumentary format in television comedy can be seen in several sketches from Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974), such as " Hell's Grannies ", " Piranha Brothers ", and " The Funniest Joke in
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