One underrated element of Abbott Elementary’s success is the sitcom’s revival of a trope that I thought was dead and gone. Abbott Elementary’s cast of characters won over critics and viewers alike when the series began in 2021. Since then, the workplace sitcom has gone from strength to strength, earning impressive reviews while adding increasingly high-profile celebrity guest stars to its cast list. Abbott Elementary season 4 is my most anticipated TV return of 2024 thanks to the cast’s stellar chemistry, the will they, won’t they romance between Janine and Gregory, and the show’s sharp satirical edge.

Although Abbott Elementary’s season 3 finale focused on an eventful end-of-year party between the eponymous location’s faculty, most episodes of the series center on the minutiae of school life. Struggles with the school district, office politics, and navigating the underfunded public education system make up the bulk of Abbott Elementary’s storylines. While these themes could seem dry or dull, Abbott Elementary uses an ingenious trick to breathe life into its workplace setting. I thought that the show’s format was long gone after a handful of flops in the last decade, but Abbott Elementary managed to bring back a sitcom staple.

Abbott Elementary’s Mockumentary Format Revived A Dead Sub-Genre

Mockumentary Sitcoms Were Once Commonplace

Unlike most contemporary sitcoms, Abbott Elementary revived the mockumentary format that was everywhere in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s. The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Modern Family are the most obvious examples of successful mockumentary sitcoms, but Arrested Development’s influential sitcom style also borrowed from the format. Even elements of non-mockumentary sitcoms, like 30 Rock’s fourth-wall breaks or Brooklyn 99’s handheld camerawork, owed a debt to the omnipresent style. I didn’t think that any series could bring back this format after it died out in the mid-2010’s, but Abbott Elementary managed this impressive feat.

2013’s underrated Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous and 2015’s The Comedians and The Muppets were a trio of high-profile flops that proved the mockumentary format wasn’t a bulletproof guarantee of sitcom success. These failures, along with the success of sitcoms that moved away from the understated mockumentary aesthetic, gradually made the format less popular. I wasn’t heartbroken when the mockumentary sitcom era came to an end since the format provided viewers with some classic shows and hadn’t outstayed its welcome. However, I did think it would be a while before the style was seen on screens again.

Abbott Elementary’s Mockumentary Format Shapes Its Tone

The Series Feels Lived-In And New At The Same Time

While Abbott Elementary season 3’s celebrity guest stars might stretch credulity at times, one of the show’s best qualities is its relatively grounded setting. Compared to The Good Place or Ghosts, Abbott Elementary has a fairly straightforward premise. However, this is what makes the mockumentary format such an inspired choice. Abbott Elementary using a dated style was secretly genius since the social commentary of the series is up-to-the-minute and fresh, but the show visually feels like a classic 2010s sitcom. Viewers could be forgiven for thinking they had stumbled across a classic show from 2010.

This is central to Abbott Elementary’s success since looking like The Office or Parks and Recreation allows the show to revive the appeal of those earlier shows with a twist. I’ve been consistently surprised by Abbott Elementary’s satirical digs at public education funding, institutional racism, the problems with charter schools, and other timely issues that earlier mockumentary sitcoms sidestepped. Abbott Elementary’s social commentary is razor-sharp but feels more palatable precisely because the show looks like an old sitcom from a decade ago. To me, this subversive maneuver is the show’s smartest aesthetic choice as it makes political commentary accessible.

Abbott Elementary’s Meta Moments Are Refreshingly Rare

The Sitcom Doesn’t Lean Into Its Mockumentary Setup

Although Abbott Elementary season 4’s storyline must address a few unanswered questions, the show has managed to avoid my biggest issue with mockumentary sitcoms throughout its first three years. Namely, Abbott Elementary doesn’t draw too much attention to its mockumentary format and avoids feeling corny as a result. There will be no embarrassingly misguided storylines like The Office’s infamous Brian the Camera Guy here. Abbott Elementary seldom mentions the existence of the crew, much like Modern Family.

When the camera crew is referenced, it is via jokes like them losing their equipment and missing months of school to cover for the real-life writer’s strike. Principal Ava mentions the show’s setup in passing during season 3, noting that she has a camera crew following her around when competing with her former sorority sister rival. The question of why the crew has been filming for so long and what they intend to produce from all this footage is unanswered since it doesn’t matter. The mockumentary format is a means to an end and, for Abbott Elementary, a perfect fit.