The mockumentary was not a new idea whenThe Officefirst 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 likeParks and Recreation,Modern Family, or evenArrested 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 fromAbbott Elementary’s mockumentary predecessors, adding the endlessly earnest and entertaining location of a South Philadelphia Public School, and leaving the cringe humor behind,Quinta Bronsonhas rejuvenated the mockumentary sitcom in a way that feels purposeful.
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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 Micheal 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 onThe Officeand 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 AmericanOffice, beyond the second season, shied away from the so-awkward-you-have-to-look-away vibe of the original.
Parks and RecreationandModern Familyalso 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 Elementaryfeels like a continuation in the direction ofParks & RecandModern 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 ofParks and Rec’sTom 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 itsowrong. 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 thatThe Officewould 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 watchingThe Officefeels less relatable currently than as a reminder of how far we’ve come in the last nearly twenty years.Abbott Elementaryaccomplishes 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 likeModern Family’sCam Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) orThe Office’snear-constant problematic jokes at the expense of the more marginalized characters, there’s a lot to improve upon.The Officedid 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’tgetthat Michael wasn’t supposed to be laughedwithbutat. Even the wayParks and Rectreats Jerry Gergich (Jim O’Heir) and, likewise,The Office’sToby 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, butAbbott Elementarypushes 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 inAbbott Elementary’scharm. 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), butAbbott Elementarymakes it joyful. This harkens back to some of the best moments ofParks and Recreationwhen 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 bethatexaggerated for comedic effect. In fact, the realism ofAbbott Elementarycomes from Quinta Bronson’s mother’s experience as an elementary school teacher in Philadelphia. By taking place in a school that is K-8Abbott Elementaryprovides 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 Elementaryalso 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 ofThe Officechronicling 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 whatThe Officegot so right and all the imitation mockumentaries that followed fostered as well.Abbott Elementaryis, 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 abigway. She gets a laugh every time she’s on-screen. And Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams) isAbbott’sanswer 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 toThe Office’sresident Romeo, he’s grounded, he’s charming, kind of effortlessly cool, he seems like a nice, normal guy, and he already appears to have averycute 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 ofThe Officereally blew people’s minds. The innovation of this kind of story-telling on TV became a bit of a trend.Parks and Recreationfollowed, and it was a great show, but the purpose of the documentary-style was lost.Modern Familywas similarly just mimicking the style without giving the purpose much thought. This is the biggest reason why these shows are less effective thanThe Office. In its final season,The Officerevealed 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 ofThe Officewas 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.
InParks and RecandModern Familythe 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 Elementarydoes 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.
