Abbott Elementary Is Following The Office's Winning Formula

Abbott Elementary’s fourth season has somehow managed to top the comedy’s successful third season. With 22 episodes, viewers watch the good people at Abbott Elementary handle the new construction of a developing country club in the area, bringing challenges, perks, and blackmail wrapped in a hilarious bow.

As unique and inspiring as Abbott Elementary is, however, it’s hard not to notice the similarities with another workplace comedy, The Office. The Office is one of the most successful mockumentaries of our time, merging awkward humor with relatable workplace experiences. Fans of both comedies can see the similarities between characters and storylines despite Abbott Elementary coming eight years after The Office officially wrapped.

The Similarities Between Abbott Elementary And The Office Are Striking

Abbott Elementary and The Office have more things in common than meets the eye. While Abbott Elementary is completely individual and deserves the praise and accolades it has received, the series has clearly mirrored The Office’s winning formula to grab the audience’s attention.

Abbott Elementary cast — TheThings/Instar

Janine and Gregory: Will They or Won’t They?

Janine Teagues and Gregory Eddie are the show’s top characters that mirror The Office’s Pam Beesly and Jim Halpert. Both Janine and Pam were in serious relationships when they met their workplace love interests, Gregory and Jim. Both couples keep fans on their toes as it took three seasons for Janine and Gregory to become official, similar to Season 4 for Pam and Jim.

Main Cast of Abbott Elementary	Character
Quinta Brunson	Janine Teagues
Tyler James Williams	Gregory Eddie
Janelle James	Ava Coleman
Sheryl Lee Ralph	Barbara Howard
Lisa Ann Walter	Melissa Schmmenti
Chris Perfetti	Jacob Hill
William Stanford Davis	Mr. Johnson

The Quirky Boss

Ava Coleman is Abbott Elementary’s principal and the group’s quirky, fearless leader. Ava is far different from The Office’s Michael Scott, but both bosses bring comedic relief, know what their employees need, and truly care for their jobs. Both Ava and Michael eventually leave their positions before coming back, inevitably. Fans are in the midst of Ava’s short departure from Abbott in Season 4.

There’s Always A Bigger Villain

Throughout Abbott Elementary, it’s the school vs. the Philadelphia School District. Abbott’s teachers are always looking for funding or ways to improve the school, which often places them at the disposal of the district. Likewise, those at Dunder Mifflin Scranton on The Office are constantly going head-to-head against corporate.

Chris Perfetti, Larry Owens and Matteo Lane

How Abbott Elementary Season 4 Brought Back A Classic Season 1 Joke

It feels like the writers are teasing viewers with this callback.

Mockumentary Style

Both comedies are shot in a mockumentary style. This means the characters are being filmed for a documentary and react in real time. The characters will look at the camera or talk to the crew who are filming them.

A Love For Pennsylvania

Abbott Elementary is focused on a public school in Philadelphia, whereas Dunder Mifflin is just about two hours from Philadelphia in Scranton. Later in The Office, Jim spends more time in Philadelphia and hopes to move closer because of work.

Between the style of both shows and the similarities in characters, it’s clear why The Office fans love watching Abbott Elementary and vice versa. It’s long been said that the classic TV comedy died after The Office went off air, but thanks to Abbott Elementary, original TV comedies are back.

Abbott Elementary’s Creator Was A Big Fan Of The Office

In an interview with Philadelphia Magazine, Quinta Brunson (who also plays the main character, Janine Teagues) spoke about the comparisons and references to The Office.

When asked if Quinta was a fan of The Office, the actress and writer didn’t hold back. “Huge. Fan. But I wasn’t an early adopter. There was an episode that came on after the Super Bowl in 2009, and that’s the first one I saw. Everybody I knew had been talking about it forever, but I refused to watch it.”

After watching that one episode of The Office, Quinta shared that she fell in love with workplace comedies. However, in an interview with Variety (via ScreenRant), Quinta pointed out a big difference between shows: the characters’ reception to the cameras and its viewers.

How Abbott Elementary Scored An Appearance From A Three-Time Grammy Winner

A very special singer graced the school with a performance.

Because characters like Jacob Hill, Ava Coleman, and Janine Teagues are so welcoming to the cameras and its viewers, Quinta finds Abbott Elementary more similar to Parks and Recreation, not The Office.

“Weirdly, you know, Abbott gets compared to The Office a lot, but I would say it’s a little bit closer to Parks [and Recreation]. It is somewhere in the middle, and we knew that from the beginning.”

The award-winner continued, “But I always thought in The Office the goal was not to invite. Nobody there except Michael was inviting, and his was done in lack of self-awareness. But in Parks everyone felt very inviting… I just thought more characters there were like, Yeah, welcome to our story. And I think I studied a lot of that for Janine.”

Here’s Where You May Have Seen “Wyatt” From Abbott Elementary Before

You may recognize Zach’s new love interest from somewhere else.

Quinta even joined forces with Randall Einhorn, who was a director and cinematographer on The Office. For Abbott, Randall is an executive producer and director, according to Vulture.

With Season 4 of Abbott Elementary still going strong as of this article’s publishing, ABC renewed the series for a fifth season, which is set to premiere in the fall of 2025.

Stream all seasons of Abbott Elementary on Hulu.