Abbott Elementary Season 5 Isn’t Doing A Live Episode And That’s Good
While Abbott Elementary season 5 will feature an episode that was filmed live, I’m already relieved to realize that the hit ABC sitcom won’t be attempting to broadcast an episode live. Abbott Elementary’s cast of characters is always hilarious, and the last four seasons prove that they are nothing if not up for a challenge.
Season 4’s crossover with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia saw the family-friendly network sitcom bring in characters from the R-rated FX show and somehow successfully blend the two worlds seamlessly. After that, Abbott Elementary season 4’s finale took the cast to the real-life Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia for an adorable ending to the season’s story.
However, there are a few sitcom trends that I wouldn’t wish on any cast, no matter how talented. Some experiments take a lot of time and effort to pull off, only for the end result to feel like little more than an unnecessary gimmick. A perfect example would be the dreaded live episode, something I feared Abbott Elementary would attempt in season 5.
Abbott Elementary Season 5 Won’t Feature A Live Episode
One Episode of Abbott Elementary Season 5 Was Filmed At A Live Sporting Event
Credit: Image courtesy of Everett
At San Diego Comic Con 2025, the creators of Abbott Elementary teased that season 5 would include an episode filmed at a live sporting event. No further details were revealed, so, naturally, this critic feared the worst. I feared the “Live” nature of the episode meant it would be broadcast live from this event, even though this would obviously clash with the event itself.
Fortunately, my fears have since been quelled. Speaking to Deadline, Quinta Brunson teased that the episode was filmed during a real-life Phillies game and, in a moment of great fortune for the show’s creators, this turned out to be a historically great game with plenty of drama and shocking moments.
Filming a sitcom episode at a real-life sporting event comes with a plethora of complications but, luckily, these complications are very different from the problems with filming and broadcasting an episode live.Abbott Elementary season 5’s story already had plenty of built-in challenges before the show promised a live episode, so I’m glad the show avoided this convention.
The Conners and The Simpsons Explored The Premise Before
A surprisingly high number of network sitcoms have staged live episodes, and only a small handful have been worth the extra effort. Since 30 Rock was a comedy show about the creation and production of a fictional in-universe comedy show, the sitcom managed to pull off a meta live episode that was genuinely inventive, funny, and dazzling in its technical proficiency.
However, 30 Rock was a rare sitcom that actively drew attention to its own status as a TV show, meaning characters constantly winked at the audience as well as outright breaking the fourth wall at times. In contrast, Abbott Elementary’s success is down to its relatable, immersive world.
Like The Office, Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, and many other mockumentaries, Abbott Elementary has a more deadpan, less cartoonish sense of humor than its multi-camera competitors. A show like Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage or Shifting Gears might potentially be able to pull off a live episode, as they are more self-consciously stage-y and over the top.
Even then, the two live episodes of The Conners prove that this experiment is hardly worth the time invested. Although both of these outings were passable, their audience interaction segments were inevitably stiff and cringeworthy thanks to the awkward nature of live television acting. Thus, the episodes became evidence that it’s a high-effort gimmick for a pretty middling payoff.
The same problem arose when The Simpsons featured a live audience interaction segment in season 27, episode 21, “Simprovised.” It is technically impressive that, through motion capture technology, the animated sitcom was able to stage a live segment where Homer responded to audience questions in real time. However, the segment itself was stage-y, awkward, and dull.
Since Abbott Elementary’s stars don’t need any help winning over audiences, the show has no reason to resort to this sort of ratings gambit. So far, the series has focused more on delivering quality character comedy than pulling off goofy stunts, and the result has been a consistent Rotten Tomatoes rating that never dips below 98%.
Quinta Brunson’s Series Doesn’t Focus On Trends
Janine and Gregory talking in the hallway in Abbott ElementaryCredit: Photo by Gilles Mingasson for ABC Courtesy Everett Collection
Perhaps I should have known that Abbott Elementary wouldn’t risk wasting one of season 5’s episodes on a live broadcast experiment. After all, the series has managed to resist the allure of gimmicky trends for its first four years. This is why season 4 featured so few celebrity cameos after season 3’s A-list turns from Kevin Hart and Bradley Cooper.
Abbott Elementary could have kept bringing in superstars on a weekly basis, given the show’s popularity, but the series instead focused on a crossover with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia that was more focused, funny, and unexpected than any number of stars appearing in the titular school. This proves just how much the show has its priorities straight.
When one sitcom does a live episode, another can always outdo it by pulling off a live two-parter. However, although Abbott Elementary’s perfect replacement show does exist, there is no other series on network TV offering the same unique blend of character comedy, social satire, and heart.
As such, I’m relieved to see that Brunson’s series dodged an overrated TV gimmick in favor of something more interesting and original. Long may Abbott Elementary reign as a rare hit sitcom that is more interested in consistency than gimmicky novelty for its own sake.
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