'Abbott Elementary' Season 3: Everything We Know

The most wholesome show on TV is finally coming back!

still from abbott elementary
(Image credit: Gilles Mingasson/ABC)

It may have taken a while, but Abbott Elementary is reopening for the year! After sweeping several awards shows with its stellar first season (and picking up several more nods at this year's Emmys with season 2), ABC's beloved workplace comedy was renewed for its third season in January 2023. “Each week, this talented group of artists celebrates true unsung heroes—public school teachers,” Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group, told Variety in January 2023. “Abbott Elementary is the gift that keeps on giving, and I look forward to many more magnificent episodes of this brilliant, authentic, and just plain funny series.”

Abbott season 3 was perhaps the most heartbreaking delay of last year's WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, as the sitcom was originally planned to return to air last fall. Fans have been eagerly awaiting their weekly dose of serotonin (as well as an answer to the season 2 finale's romantic cliffhanger) ever since. Now that the strikes are well behind us and season 3's officially on its way, here's what we know about the upcoming episodes.

When does 'Abbott Elementary' season 3 premiere?

Mark your calendars: ABC has announced that Abbott Elementary's third season will premiere on February 7, 2024, at 9 p.m., returning to its Wednesday night time-slot with a special hour-long(!) episode. The season will come in at 14 episodes total, per Deadline—down from season 2's 22 episodes (sigh).

Is there a trailer for Abbott Elementary' season 3?

Yes! The first teaser for the new season promises a new set of antics to deal with, including Principal Ava (Janelle James) planting new cameras all over the school, and Janine (creator Quinta Brunson) receiving new iPads for her students, most of which aren't working.

Where can you stream 'Abbott Elementary' season 3?

If you don't have access to your local ABC channel, new Abbott episodes will be available to stream in the U.S. the next day on Hulu and internationally on Disney+. Seasons 1 and 2 are currently available to stream if you'd like to rewatch or catch up before the new season arrives.

What will 'Abbott Elementary' season 3 be about?

While Abbott is primarily about a dedicated group of teachers and their day-to-day lives keeping their underfunded Philly public school afloat, the show also keeps a bit of romantic angst going with the will they/won't they pairing of Janine and Gregory (Tyler James Williams). In an interview with TV Line, Quinta Brunson broke down their big moment at the end of season 2, with Janine and Gregory confessing that they liked each other, but Janine deciding she needed some time to herself before entering into a new relationship.

"Especially Janine, at the end of this kind of growth path we’ve had for her this season, I wanted her to be able to make a decision that she felt was best for herself after learning new information about herself," Brunson told the outlet. "It’s more about maturity. She’s maturing, he’s maturing. We wanted that mature path to continue for them both as individuals. I kind of want the characters to be able to grow a little bit more as individuals, so we can see where they land."

So, expect season 3 to continue the long road toward Janine and Gregory finally getting together. (Or possibly not, if you're against that endgame.) Either way, Brunson also confirmed that their relationship won't be the main focus of the show. “Our show isn’t about dating. It’s about this school, it’s about the kids, etc. So Janine and Gregory are not the no. 1 storyline of Abbott. It’s the school and the kids. So it feels good to kind of have them be a mess in the background, because it’s very often how dating goes.”

Quinci LeGardye
Contributing Culture Editor

Quinci LeGardye is a Contributing Culture Editor who covers TV, movies, Korean entertainment, books, and pop culture. When she isn’t writing or checking Twitter, she’s probably watching the latest K-drama or giving a concert performance in her car.