Quinta Brunson Isn't Discarding Classic Television. She's Refining It

Though summer is typically for socializing and taking scenic vacations, creator, writer and star Quinta Brunson spent the months in preproduction for the highly anticipated second season of her ABC runaway hit, workplace comedy Abbott Elementary. Things are much different for the in-demand showrunner this time around. Between her ensemble's collective popularity and an expanded order of 22 episodes (compared to 13 in Season 1), neither the show nor the celebrated mind behind it has anything left to prove. Good thing, since she and her writers are taking the opportunity to play with pacing and format following the show's breakout success earlier this year. "There are episodes this season that could exist at any point in time or just for fun," she told Adweek. "The goal for Season 2 was to have a little bit more fun in that world we created. I was excited to have more episodes and more kind of pointless fun that doesn't necessarily have to be wrapped into a larger story arc." Since gracing the cover of Adweek's Convergent TV issue in April, Brunson has only further cemented herself as a formidable force in the entertainment industry through Abbott and other creative ventures. As a creator who has ostensibly restored the entertainment industry's faith in the traditional broadcast network sitcom during a time when streaming continues to reign supreme, Adweek's Game Changer of the Year leveraged modern-day viewing behaviors to build her rapidly growing audience and a renewed interest in live network viewing. And best of all, she's telling deeply human stories that feel accessible in the process. "There's always growth, there's always character development, but they're not such big, big, big moments," she explained. "It's really just fun for our audience." No sophomore slump After a year of unwavering success resulting in seven Emmy nominations and three wins—including Brunson's trophy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, courtesy of her work on the series pilot—the multi-hyphenate has learned to trust her and her team's creative instincts going into the new year. So far, it's proven to be effective in fending off the dreaded sophomore slump. "We had such a well-received first season that it felt easy to say, 'OK, let's just do more of what we did last season,'" Brunson said. "Because it's not like we have to do any course-correcting or anything like that. It just feels like we need to trust ourselves and do more of what we did and hopefully audiences will receive it." Receive it, they did: In the week after its initial airing, Abbott's Season 2 premiere managed to increase its ratings by 318% among adults 18-49, reaching 7 million viewers. This signifies the series' largest-ever delayed viewing ratings jump to date. For Brunson and her team, it also represents a fanbase willing to rock with certain creative risks, like opening the season without one of the show's bigger attractions—its precocious young cast—while focusing solely on the teachers and staff. According to the star, "I'm happy that the first episode was so well received, honestly. I know people like to see the kids, and going outside of the box a little bit with 'Development Day,' I was worried about how it would be received. But people liked it." Exciting new horizons In August, she inked a development deal with Warner Bros. TV, where she will create and develop original works for the company's various platforms, including HBO Max. Though her relationship with the studio dates back to 2018, the deal would be her first exclusive agreement with such a major entity. "I've always had a wonderful partnership with Warner Bros., so I think the development deal was being talked about for a very long time, while Abbott was airing," she said. "I feel like a lot of the people who I work with creatively—some of whom I've worked with since before Abbott—were already in my corner." In this moment, Brunson's future looks incredibly bright—and, most of all, very busy. While she loves having such a hands-on relationship with her work, she does look forward to the moments when she can pull back and relax. "Right now, I enjoy being in every meeting, in editing sessions, in mixing sessions and a part of every part of this process," Brunson said. "I do look to a year from now when maybe I can let go of the reins a little bit." Check out the rest of the 2022 Hot List here.

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Quinta Brunson Isn't Discarding Classic Television. She's Refining It

With Abbott Elementary, Adweek's Game Changer of the Year made broadcast sitcoms relevant again in a streaming-centric world

Shannon Miller

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