Abbott Elementary is making the mockumentary feel fresh again

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https://www.vox.com/culture/22878792...ary-abc-review

After success with The Office, Parks and Recreation and Modern Family, the mockumentary format began falling out of favor "for some good reasons," says Emily VanDerWerff. "The further the mockumentary got from its roots, the more the devices of talking-head interviews and characters mugging to the camera felt like worn-out clichés, rather than the unconventional twists on sitcom rhythms they had been at one time. The Office spent so much time thinking about who was filming the documentary within the show that it built a major plotline around the identity of those filmmakers in the final season. But Modern Family’s team never really bothered to establish why the characters were being filmed. It just didn’t care. So if nothing else, ABC’s new series Abbott Elementary deserves points for making the mockumentary feel fresh again. The new sitcom, set in a cash-strapped public school in Philadelphia, has characters offering long, sardonic looks into the camera and occasional moments when they talk directly to it to share their thoughts. But the series has subtly rethought its approach to this material, so it never feels staid. It honestly took me a few minutes to realize I was watching a mockumentary, so successfully does the show tinker with the format. Creator and star Quinta Brunson’s choices in the pilot underline what’s different here. Other mockumentaries have been built around singular, strong personalities, like Michael Scott or Leslie Knope. Abbott Elementary, however, is built around a kind of everywoman. Second-grade teacher Janine Teagues (Brunson) just wants to do good work and give her kids the education they need, despite how underfunded the school is. She’s navigating an American bureaucracy that increasingly doesn’t care, and a principal (the scene-stealing Janelle James) who has invited a news crew to the school to document everything that’s happening in a weird attempt to feed her own desire for fame." As VanDerWerff notes, "the mockumentary can struggle with having a more relatable protagonist, simply because the fake-documentary format can feel a little dry without someone outrageous there to spur the action. But Brunson’s choice to center Janine and not one of the show’s goofier characters pays off. Yes, some of that is because Brunson plays Janine and knows exactly what will be funny in her specific voice, and some of that is because Brunson turns up Janine’s eager-to-please nature just enough in most scenes, so she seems slightly more heightened. But the chief reason Brunson’s choice works, I think, is due to the very different dramatic stakes of the series compared to most mockumentaries."

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• Abbott Elementary is already hitting its stride after a few episodes: "I generally give shows a full season before gauging their long-term prospects," says David Dennis Jr. "It takes at least that long for characters and writers rooms to find their footing. As great as black-ish has become, for instance, its first season had some growing pains as it tried to establish its voice before its stellar sophomore season. Abbott Elementary, however, delivered one of the better pilot episodes I can remember and is already hitting the marks usually reserved for a second or third season. Each character and their motivations were immediately apparent: Brunson’s Janine Teagues is the hopeful, naive young teacher whose ambition gets her in trouble; Chris Perfetti’s Jacob Hill is the liberal white ally whose performative gestures devolve into parody; Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Barbara Howard is the near-retirement vet who doesn’t bother hoping for better leadership. It only took half an episode to feel like you know these characters. Maybe because we grew up going to school with them. But most importantly, the pilot, and the two subsequent episodes, were hilarious. The cutaways featuring the surly janitor will have you laughing out loud. The shady principal is absurd. And the way the show takes us into a world where the people in charge care least about the kids who need them stings because it’s true."
• Abbott Elementary has a very clear sense of which actors have eye-catching chemistry together: "One of the things all good sitcoms do is figure out new ways to make the same collection of people bouncing off of each other over and over again funny each time," says Lisa Weidenfeld. "There’s an art to it, so that each time, say, Leslie and Ron interact, it’s still funny, and ideally over time, part of what makes it funny is your expectation of how that conversation will go. Abbott Elementary still has plenty of territory to cover in terms of who among its core cast is funniest together, but going by the early episodes, the show has a very clear sense of which actors have eye-catching chemistry together." Weidenfeld adds: "Still, the show is moving along at a brisk clip for a series still finding its footing."
• Quinta Brunson created Abbott Elementary intending for viewers to be invested in the school workplace: "I wanted to make the audience fall in love with the workplace, and I wanted the comedy to feel like you, the audience member, were working at Abbott, too," she says. "That informed the mockumentary style — a style I’m already obsessed with, but I think the reason I love it so much is because it makes you feel as if you’re there. Especially with subject matter like this, I think it’s important for the audience to feel like they’re in on an inside joke with our show. If I say to you right now, 'No soup for you,' that only means something to you because you’ve seen Seinfeld, too. And if you haven’t seen Seinfeld, then that means diddly squat to you. To me, the best jokes are inside. They can only live in the world and the soul of that show."
• Brunson hopes Abbott Elementary gets viewers to laugh -- while thinking about education funding: “It’s a bigger commentary on America’s treatment of lower classes,” says Brunson. “Our country doesn’t care as much about its lower classes as its richer class ... and because of that, schools like Abbott are suffering. Our funding should definitely be going more into the pockets of these schools than it is a billionaire’s venture....We just don’t care enough about it. Because if we did, schools wouldn’t be in that position, and they’d be fully funded already. End of story.”

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It’s a great show! I highly recommend it.

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How 'Abbott Elementary' Evolves the Mockumentary Sitcom

The new ABC series is putting a new spin on the subgenre.

The mockumentary was not a new idea when The Office first aired (see, This is Spinal Tap), but the British and American versions of the show did take the genre into a new direction–specifically, TV. Since then, the innovation has turned to imitation, and many have tried their hand at the mockumentary-style sitcom; shows like Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, or even Arrested Development.

The advent of reality TV initially spun-out into the decline of scripted shows as a means of entertainment, but the mockumentary-style sitcom was the solution. As a method of filmmaking, it makes a lot of sense. It allows for more ease of writing, because by taking inspiration from reality TV talking heads, the characters can verbalize what they are thinking or feeling straight to the camera, the format allows for cheaper productions as most episodes can be bottle episodes, and the camera can become a character, enabling itself to add commentary on the scene within the scene, using something as simple as a quick zoom.

By using the camera work, the editing, and the character-driven methods from Abbott Elementary’s mockumentary predecessors, adding the endlessly earnest and entertaining location of a South Philadelphia Public School, and leaving the cringe humor behind, Quinta Bronson has rejuvenated the mockumentary sitcom in a way that feels purposeful.

Cringe Humor

The Office (US) was a kinder, gentler, and less awkward adaptation of the original version of the show from the UK. This was most evident in the characters of Michael Scott (Steve Carell) vs David Brent (Ricky Gervais). Where David is irredeemably cringe–problematic, obnoxious, and rude, Michael has an innocence about him that is still ignorant and problematic, but decidedly more human. There have been more than enough think pieces on The Office and how it wouldn’t get made today because of a more politically correct social climate. And that very well might be true. The long, awkward silences, the Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) furrowed-brow, shrugging reaction shots commenting on the discomfort of feeling trapped by an incompetent and insensitive boss with little social awareness is extremely relatable. But even the American Office, beyond the second season, shied away from the so-awkward-you-have-to-look-away vibe of the original.

Parks and Recreation and Modern Family also toned the cringe down in their mockumentary style sitcoms–preferring to stay just this side of too uncomfortable to watch. Instead, they leaned a bit more on cartoonish characters and the real world response to them. Abbott Elementary feels like a continuation in the direction of Parks & Rec and Modern Family–engaging with the silly (with a dash of cringe) without going overboard with the awkwardness. And that really works. There are two characters which embody the cluelessness of Michael Scott or the harmless vapidity of Parks and Rec’s Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari); the social media influencer/school principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James) and the “woke” white guy teacher Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti) who means well but just regularly gets it so wrong. Both of them bring the more overt comedy and a hint of the discomfort that dealing with someone with a lack of self-awareness can bring– but they don’t cross over into the meanness brought on by the same types of characters in the mockumentaries of the past.

A Kinder Comedy

One thing the people who suggest that The Office would never get made today are right about is that the new era of comedy is one that’s less based on stereotypes of marginalized people or “punching down.” Things like sexual harassment are taken so much more seriously that watching The Office feels less relatable currently than as a reminder of how far we’ve come in the last nearly twenty years. Abbott Elementary accomplishes being funny without crossing the line into mean, and that makes it a joy to watch. All previous iterations of the mockumentary sitcom have had some problematic moments and material that hasn’t exactly aged well. Whether it’s Leslie Knope’s (Amy Poehler) white-feminist brand of social consciousness, or a straight man playing a gay character like Modern Family’s Cam Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) or The Office’s near-constant problematic jokes at the expense of the more marginalized characters, there’s a lot to improve upon. The Office did try to be as mindful as possible when giving this material to the less aspirational, and least self-aware characters, but that didn’t always get through to certain demographics of the audience, who didn’t get that Michael wasn’t supposed to be laughed with but at. Even the way Parks and Rec treats Jerry Gergich (Jim O’Heir) and, likewise, The Office’s Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) turns even their more altruistic characters into bullies–it’s definitely funny, the irrational collective hatred of one scapegoat character (especially when he works for HR) feels like an inside joke with the audience, but Abbott Elementary pushes itself to not use meanness as a crutch. The comedy comes mostly from the circumstance of a very earnest second-year teacher, Janine wanting to do a good job at a workplace where the odds are stacked against her.

Location, Location, Location

The school building itself plays quite a role in Abbott Elementary’s charm. The lights are always going out, the teachers don’t have enough supplies, the staff come from all different backgrounds and have vastly different teaching styles and personalities, the students are funny and wacky in the way only children can be, and the children’s parents also add another layer of drama and comedy. That is not to mention the clueless and ambivalent administrator who constantly makes the teacher’s jobs more difficult. There’s also an old man custodian who has all the best and funniest lines in every episode. An inner-city school with limited resources can be a sad setting for a tv show or movie (and usually serves as a vehicle for a tired “white savior” trope), but Abbott Elementary makes it joyful. This harkens back to some of the best moments of Parks and Recreation when compulsive do-gooder Leslie Knope would hold her town hall meetings featuring a very disgruntled and oppositional Pawnee population. The ridiculousness of caring too much when no one else cares enough is fertile ground for getting a laugh. The scenarios Janine and the other teachers have to work through are relatable to teachers all over the country. These are not made-up problems, they don’t even really have to be that exaggerated for comedic effect. In fact, the realism of Abbott Elementary comes from Quinta Bronson’s mother’s experience as an elementary school teacher in Philadelphia. By taking place in a school that is K-8 Abbott Elementary provides a lot of different levels and circumstances for humor from the students and their interactions with the teachers.

Outside the actual comedy of the sitcom, Abbott Elementary also provides a very honest glimpse into what teachers actually do–everything from the work, the pay, the problems, the emotional labor, and that feels important and relevant, especially right now. This more serious (and more political) background plot is reminiscent of The Office chronicling Dunder Mifflin’s decline as a paper company existing through an economic recession and trying to survive through the digitization of the country, making their product obsolete.

A Strong Cast of Characters

One thing that all of these mockumentaries have in common is a strong cast of unique characters. Leslie Knope cares so much it hurts, Micheal Scott reminds his employees and the audience to be child-like and play, Tom Haverford and Donna Meagle remind the audience to engage in self-care and luxury, and all the realistically romantic couples provide beautiful examples of love, companionship, and partnership. The tight-knit ensembles of these shows are at the heart of what makes them so successful and enjoyable to watch. Following the characters, as they grow and change and become more fleshed out and fully realized feels like knowing them. They feel like friends. That is what The Office got so right and all the imitation mockumentaries that followed fostered as well. Abbott Elementary is, once again, taking this to a new level. After only six episodes, the personality of each character is clear and adds something special to the ensemble.

Veteran teacher Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph) takes her job seriously, she is the best and most respected educator at the school, but she has a lot of pride and has a hard time asking for help. Janine looks up to Barbara and wants to be like her, but hasn’t found her footing yet. Janine’s earnestness is her most endearing and most irritating (at least to her coworkers) quality. She is the heart at the center of the show and school. South Philly born-and-raised Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Anne Walter) is ziti-baking, tough-talking, possibly mafia-connected comedic relief in a big way. She gets a laugh every time she’s on-screen. And Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams) is Abbott’s answer to Jim Halpert. As the newest staff member and a temporary substitute teacher at that, he is the outsider–he isn’t yet accustomed to the weirdness of this workplace. Similar to The Office’s resident Romeo, he’s grounded, he’s charming, kind of effortlessly cool, he seems like a nice, normal guy, and he already appears to have a very cute crush on Janine–seeing the value in her in a way that no one else really seems to. Not to mention the fact that he’s got a great eye-contact-with-the-camera-as-something-really-ridiculous-happens face. The budding romance, Janine’s growing confidence, Gregory opening up to caring about the kids, the workplace, and his feelings for Janine, and watching the staff work together to solve problems and clean up the messes made by their bumbling administrator gets more intriguing with every weekly episode. It’s easy to get invested.

The Documentary

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but let’s be real, the quality isn’t ever the same as the original. The shooting style of The Office really blew people’s minds. The innovation of this kind of story-telling on TV became a bit of a trend. Parks and Recreation followed, and it was a great show, but the purpose of the documentary-style was lost. Modern Family was similarly just mimicking the style without giving the purpose much thought. This is the biggest reason why these shows are less effective than The Office. In its final season, The Office revealed the reason why a documentary film crew had been following the people of Dunder Mifflin, Scranton around for the last 9 years–they were actually making a documentary. The postmodernism comes full-circle with the release of the documentary, the characters responding to feedback from people who watched it, and each character giving their own commentary on seeing the last decade of their lives unfold within the documentary itself–there is even a where-are-they-now live Q&A in the finale episode following the release of the doc. This was a complete story. The “why’s” were answered. The mockumentary style wasn’t used only because it makes for easier storytelling, cheaper sets, and because it was “in style” at the time (especially considering that the wild success of The Office was the reason why it became all the rage in the first place). It wasn’t just a response to the previous few years’ obsession with reality TV, the documentary was an important part of the story–present throughout; planned, thoughtful, and fulfilled.

In Parks and Rec and Modern Family the documentary style is never addressed. Why are these normal people voicing their thoughts and feelings directly into a camera? No one knows. Why is there a camera crew following these people around as they live their lives? No one knows.

Abbott Elementary does not make this mistake. From the first few minutes of the pilot episode, the characters comment on the film crew and explain that a documentary is being made about the school. Context. Acknowledging the documentary right away adds a new layer to the mockumentary-style sitcom, and it will be interesting to see how this unfolds in future episodes and seasons of the show.