Abbott Elementary continues to be top of the class. ABC’s tentpole comedy stands out from other network sitcoms as a beacon of positivity through hardship that allows smart writing and sharp characters to shine. Abbott Elementary season 6 has premiered, and just a few weeks from now, Abbott will hit a major milestone: its 100th episode.

Historically, reaching 100 episodes was an achievement for sitcoms because that number meant a show was likely to go into syndication, airing on repeat on the original network or other networks. The show would then become an income source for the writers and actors long after the series ended.

Per Deadline, Abbott Elementary’s 100th episode will be set at Disney and will be filmed this month. The episode will air in December and serve as an event episode before the midseason finale and winter hiatus. Plot details are not yet known, but sitcoms go big to celebrate a 100th episode.

ABC/Disney has always been great at corporate synergy, and the network has found many excuses to set a sitcom episode at one of its theme parks over the decades. The trend goes all the way back to 1993 and a two-part Full House special.

The Show Has Increasingly Found Ways To Get The Teachers Out Of Abbott Elementary

Network sitcoms thrive on contained sets, and Abbott Elementary is no exception. Keeping most of the action inside Abbott makes the show relatively inexpensive to produce. However, the writers have increasingly found ways to get the teachers out of the school, and those excursions have become some of the show’s most memorable episodes.

Abbott has taken its teachers on field trips to places like the Franklin Institute and Smith Playground, while another storyline sent them to a teachers’ conference. These episodes give the series a visual change of pace, but they also create opportunities to shake up established character dynamics.

The museum trip, for example, provided the setting for Janine and Gregory’s long-awaited kiss, making the unfamiliar environment meaningful beyond simply giving the audience something new to look at. The series has also demonstrated that it isn’t afraid of the logistical challenges that come with leaving its regular sets.

Previously, Abbott Elementary filmed an episode during a Phillies game, putting its characters in the middle of a real sporting event. Season 5 went even further, moving a significant portion of its story to an abandoned mall, proving that the show can expand its world without losing its identity.

That willingness to explore Philadelphia is one of Abbott‘s biggest strengths. Few current sitcoms use their real-world setting as effectively, whether through stories that send the teachers across the city or through appearances from Philly celebrity cameos on Abbott Elementary. For a show built around one school, Abbott has consistently found ways to make its world feel much bigger.

ABC Has Been Sending Its Shows To Disney Parks For Decades

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ABC has always been especially good at turning its corporate connections into entertainment, and Disney theme parks are one of its favorite tools. Even Dancing with the Stars, an ABC unscripted dance competition show, has annual Disney-themed nights with episodes built around music from the company’s movies, television shows, and theme parks.

ABC’s scripted sitcoms have been doing something similar for decades, using a trip to Disney as an excuse to make an ordinary episode feel like an event. The tradition goes back to the 1993 Full House special that kicked off this long-running trend, but ABC kept finding new reasons to send its sitcom families to Disney.

These episodes give Disney a chance to sell viewers on the magic of its parks, as when Dre gave his family a VIP Disney experience in the Black-ish season 3 premiere. The Tanners in Full House, Winslows in Family Matters, Conners in Roseanne, and the entire Pritchett-Dunphy clan in Modern Family have all had their own Disney trips, but the excuse can be flimsy outside a family vacation.

Family Matters sent the Winslows to Disney in 1995 for a science competition, while Sabrina the Teenage Witch used a class field trip to get its characters there in 1998. The 1990s were particularly packed with these episodes, with Roseanne, Step by Step, and Boy Meets World all making theme-park episodes in 1996 alone — with two even airing on the same day.

The appeal is obvious: Disney gets to showcase the magic of its parks, while ABC gets a built-in excuse to make a sitcom episode feel bigger and more memorable. Abbott Elementary is continuing that tradition with its upcoming 100th episode, appropriately titled “One Hundred.”

Release Date

2021 – 2026-00-00

Showrunner

Quinta Brunson, Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker

Directors

Randall Einhorn, Jennifer Celotta, Jaime Eliezer Karas

Writers

Quinta Brunson, Riley Dufurrena, Garrett Werner, Joya McCrory, Kate Peterman, Justin Tan, Brittani Nichols, Ava Coleman, Chad Morton, Rebekka Pesqueira, Brian Rubenstein

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  Quinta Brunson

  Janine Teagues

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  Tyler James Williams

  Gregory Eddie