Abbott Elementary Writer Brittani Nichols Talks Love Interests and Guest Stars

We had the privilege and joy of speaking with Brittani Nichols, one of the writers of Abbott Elementary, to ask some of the burning questions the fans have about the show.

And we got answers, y'all!

The interview was engaging, and it ultimately shed light on how the writers decide the direction of the storyline and what to look forward to in the future of Abbott Elementary.

Janine and Gregory? Will they? Or won't they? Oh, my gosh! First of all, they're so socially awkward. So it's almost a little painful to watch every week. How are you all handling that? Do you listen to the fan's input, or how are you all determining the pace of that relationship?

The pace of that relationship, I think, is completely determined by Quinta; she comes into the beginning of the season, and then it's like, okay, at the beginning of the season, they're going to be here.

At the end of the season, they're going to be here, and it's really on us as a room to sort of fill in those peaks and valleys. Because will-they-or-won't-they relationships have existed in television for as long as television has existed, so it's not that that concept is new, but I think that it's the way that we execute it.

We want it to feel specific to this world, specific to these characters, and to the black experience. We want to really color it in a way that even though it's some familiar tropes, it's still something that feels unique and new.

I definitely think it feels unique. But you know, usually one of the people has a little swag. One person might have a little swag, but in this case, they're both so awkward. But I think that is what makes it super adorable.

Super, super dorky, and adorable. It's interesting that you say that because I think in my personal experience, having watched these couples over a couple of decades, I guess that I've been watching television.

I feel like, often, the couples are uneven. A lot of the time, it is one person. You're like, man, I really love that person, and the other person just isn't fleshed out as much because their main character-defining aspect is that they are the love interest, right?

It's not that they are just their own complete, different person that could go off and have their own life and their own stuff completely outside of their relationship that has nothing to do with their relationship.

And so I hope that part of that that you're picking up on their social awkwardness and their weirdness is because you know exactly who these people are apart, so it's more genuine.

When you say I want them to be together, it's because you see exactly how they could fit together, and it's not just about "Oh, well, this person just likes them, and so I like that character. So I just am going along with their desires."

You, genuinely as an outside perspective, are like, "Oh, if I just knew these two people in real life. I would try to set them up." I think that's what we're trying to achieve.

These two would be great together. But another thing that's really great about it is it doesn't take away from how great the show is itself because there's still so much of the storyline happening and so many things building. And just kudos to you guys. This is fantastic television. It really is.

 Thank you. Yeah, it's just one of those things where not everyone gets attached to romantic pairings. And so we really want to draw out and develop those other relationships to like those friendships that are also occupying the world. We want people to see the growth and development.

Do you all have education consultants? Do you speak with anyone, or is it based on what you know about school systems?

So, at the beginning of this season, we talked to a few people that work in the Philadelphia public school system, and we also talked to a woman that works in the Los Angeles public school system.

So we don't have consultants that stay on throughout the season, but we try to have conversations with people that are really boots on the ground to hear their opinion on the storylines that we already sort of have cooking.

So it's not so much that we're pulling ideas from these conversations. But we're saying, hey, this is what we know, based on the research that we've already done, based on the conversations that we've had with each other. How does this align with your actual lived experience in these spaces?

Something that was just super, super dope last year was Orlando Jones being cast as Gregory's dad. Is there any other dream casting, nostalgia casting, or something special coming soon?

We don't usually cast that way. We usually just come up with the characters sort of written and formed and then think about who could work at this point.

I don't think we've had a situation where we started with, like, "oh, man, we really want them in the show," and went backward from there. There are just so many talented people; all of the writers know so many talented people. All the casting directors are so familiar with all of the that exist.

I hope that it is a long run to show. Then I hope that we continue to have people pop up that folks get excited about. Because of the nature of everything, it's bound to be that some of them will feel nostalgic and familiar or like something that you know people on Twitter have discussed before.

So I think there will be a lot of people that that pop up that the folks get excited about, especially even for the rest of the season. I think there are some people coming that are going to be really exciting.

 Will there ever be an expansion of the cast outside of the primary cast -- any other kinds of teachers? Will we see another maintenance man, a Special Ed teacher, or a music teacher?

Yeah, I mean, I think that we've seen certain people like Mr. Morton start to pop up more. And yeah, I think that, as time goes on, we'll get to build out the world more and more, and I think it's also like something that we set up in the first season is that this is a school with a lot of turnover.

And I think that that's sort of a some of the underlying logic of yeah -- we're sticking with the teachers that stick with the school.

So the more that people stick with the school, and you say, if you know they're having some sort of effect on other teachers, and making this a place that is more hospitable for teachers that are engaged, you're going to see people that gravitate towards them.

And you're going to see people that maybe don't want anything to do with them. So I think it's just like the longer that we're in the world, the more we're going to see, and the more we'll learn about how Abbott operates.

So, is there a reason Ava can't stand Janine? Like, there's mean girl stuff happening. If she can throw shade on her, she will, and it's so funny, even though there's always an element of truth in it.

I think it's one of those situations where Janine didn't nip it in the bud because in the first few episodes, if you go back, you'll see that Ava is sort of checking in, you know?

I'm playing like there's sort of this room and opportunity for Janine to have jumped in, but, no, we don't like that -- cut that out, and she's never done it. And so I think everyone just saw it as part of their dynamics.

I think maybe it's one of the things where Janine learns to stand up for herself; that's going to be one of the areas where she finally says, hey, could you not roast me as much?

Janine is book smart, but she was very naive in that first season.  Now, we see her getting a little competitive and catching onto stuff. So I feel like her character is progressing and establishing boundaries; could standing up for herself be next?

Well, yeah, I mean, I think that's an important time to remember that these characters, Janine and Gregory, are 25-26 at the beginning of their professional careers.

And I think when I think back to myself in my mid-twenties, I was definitely still learning how to have boundaries with people, how to stand up for myself, and how I fit into these professional worlds, like what my role was going to be versus what I thought my role was versus what other people thought my role was.

So I think it's really a function of just how old she is. And yeah, I think the more that you put it in the context of -- this is a person in their mid-twenties, figuring out their professional, emotional, and romantic life. At the same time, under a lot of stress, you start to have a little more empathy for Janine.

And this is coming from someone who thinks Janine is pretty annoying.

Everything you all do is fantastic, and if this is the last time I get to talk to you, I want you to know you all do an outstanding job, and you know we'll keep watching, and I'll keep reviewing. Thank you so much, Brittani!

Thank you so much for doing this and for taking the time to review the show. I know that can be a really time-intensive process, too. So I appreciate you helping get eyeballs on the show because reviews really do help do that.

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So, there you have it, Abbott fans; there is so much to look forward to at Abbott Elementary!

You have to admire the intentionality the writers and showrunners have with the evolution of these characters and building a world to which we can all relate.

What are your thoughts on the interview? Who would you like to see on the show?