*Quinta Brunson, writer of “Abbott Elementary,” is speaking out about the massive success of her hit ABC mockumentary series that is based on her high school years.
Per Deadline, “Abbott Elementary” follows “a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal —as they navigate the Philadelphia public school system. Despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life, and though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.”
Speaking to PopSugar about her new show, the actress said: “I would love to be able to make this show for a very long time because I enjoy making it and I enjoy being with these people,” Brunson explained. “I enjoy our crew, our writers room, [and] honestly, the partnership we have with WB and ABC. It’s really respectful and strong. And for all those reasons, I would like to continue to make this show and tell these stories with these teachers, for sure. So hopefully it can just keep going.”
READ MORE: ABC’s ‘Abbott Elementary’ Debuts to Historic Quadruple Ratings
Brunson plays Janine on the show, a poor school teacher who has her “dark side, stemming from her lack of friends in childhood and an inability to potty-train while she was a child,” per The Blast.
“In my experience, the most optimistic people in my life who keep me going and cheer me up. They often have some stuff they’ve been through in their life that they’ve either had to bounce back from or are dealing with,” She explained. “And Janine is also 25. She does not have it all together,” she said.
The series debuted in December, and per ABC’s metrics, “Abbott Elementary” received a 0.6 rating in their target demographic, with only 2.71 million viewers watching, per Deadline.
“To have only had a few episodes air and just for it to be an abundance of love, conversation, and just enjoyment of the show is just so, like, I don’t know. I am just so happy, so overwhelmed,” she explained to Harpers Bazaar. “It was weird to feel like I had to pull back from Twitter because of too much positivity. I was like, ‘I don’t know what to do with so many nice messages and nice comments.’”
She added, “I’m a child of the internet, but at the end of the day, ratings are still a huge indicator in how successful a network perceives a show to be. After the first episode premiered, ABC was like, ‘Whoa! These are the numbers!’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t care! But now I have to care.’”
Watch “Abbott Elementary” Tuesdays at 9/8 on ABC, and stream on Hulu.
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