Abbott Elementary Ratings Shoot up 200% With Season 1 Finale
The newest hit sitcom on the block ended its first season with a pretty massive bang. Abbott Elementary, the new mockumentary sitcom from creator/star Quinta Bruson, has been a critical darling throughout its first season on ABC and consistently delivering great ratings. Unlike most shows, the viewership for Abbott actually grew as the series went on, helping to establish the show as a new network comedy powerhouse. The success all season set Abbott Elementary up for an impressive finale that saw its viewership triple in the week since it aired.
According to a report from Variety, Abbott Elementary's first week viewing saw a 200% spike from its live numbers. When it aired on ABC last Tuesday night, Abbott had 2.8 million total viewers and a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic. After a week of on-demand and streaming views, the numbers for that episode have leapt to 5.9 million total viewers and a 1.8 demo rating.
Unsurprisingly, ABC is bringing Abbott Elementary back for a second season. The series will likely return as one of ABC's core sitcoms, alongside The Conners and The Goldbergs.
Abbott Elementary has renewed the popularity of the mockumentary style sitcom, made popular by shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation. Given the style, and a will-they-won't-they relationship at its center, Abbott Elementary has drawn a lot of comparisons to the Emmy-winning Office series. Star Tyler James Williams doesn't mind the comparison, as it proves they must be doing something right.
"It's impossible for The Office not to be an influence. It's the golden standard of this style," Williams told Variety in a recent interview. "And Randall Einhorn, who [was a cinematographer and director] on The Office is one of our executive producers, and directed [six] episodes of this season. So there's gonna be a lot of things that feel that way. However, for me, unfortunately, I can no longer watch The Office. Because I don't want to bring things in that I'm not even cognizant of. I have to lose The Office in this process, so that we don't end up directly stealing anything here."
"It's like the comparison between [Michael] Jordan and the Bulls and LeBron [James] and – not the Lakers now, because, geez, we're not making playoffs ... but you know what I mean? The fact that this is even the conversation, particularly as a Season 1 show, is incredibly humbling. It's an honor. If that's the bar that we're being compared to, that's where I would like to reside. I like high stakes. So if it comes down to, 'Which one's better? The Office or Abbott?' I'll take that fight every day."
Abbott Elementary's entire first season is available to stream on Hulu.