‘Abbott Elementary’ returns for Season 3 next week. Here’s what to know

It’s back to school for fans of “Abbott Elementary” as the ABC sitcom returns next week.

The series, which was created by and stars West Philadelphia-native Quinta Brunson, returns Wednesday, Feb. 7 with a special, hour-long Season 3 premiere. A new trailer shows what the staff of the titular Philly public school have been up to since viewers last saw them in the spring, and it’s clear that changes have been afoot.

To commemorate the mockumentary’s return to TV, the “Abbott Elementary” team is launching a “Lunch Break” tour to donate meals and supplies to underserved schools across the country. The tour, which features a giant “lunch box vehicle,” will make a stop in Philadelphia on Friday, Feb. 2. No further information has been released about where the Philly stop will be.

With just one week before “Abbott Elementary” returns, here’s what to know about Season 3:

Who’s in the Season 3 cast?

There will be some new faces this season. “Abbott Elementary” is welcoming actors Josh Segarra, Kimia Behpoornia and Benjamin Norris to recurring roles. The trio will portray “good-natured Philadelphia school district representatives who aim to bring fresh perspectives to their roles as school ambassadors,” Deadline reported.

Segarra — known for roles in “The Other Two,” “Scream VI” and “She-Hulk” — will play a character named Manny, Behpoornia (“Hacks”) will play Emily and Norris (“Never Have I Ever”) will play Simon.

Lisa Ann Walter, the recent “Celebrity Jeopardy!” champion who plays sassy second-grade teacher Melissa on the show, told Entertainment Tonight “so many great characters” will be in the third season. 

Segarra, Behpoornia and Norris join a beloved returning cast that includes Brunson, who also produces and writes the show, as plucky second-grade teacher Janine Teagues. The fictional public school’s other quirky staff members are played by Walter, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Chris Perfetti and William Stanford Davis. The show has featured cameos by acclaimed actors like Ayo Edebiri, Leslie Odom Jr. and Taraji P. Henson.

What can we expect from Season 3?

The new season is sure to set itself apart from previous installments, for multiple reasons. 

Rather than beginning the season at the start of the school year, as the show did previously, the series will pick up in the middle of the school year to reflect its February premiere. The show experienced monthslong delays due to last year’s dual Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. For this reason, the season will also be shorter than Season 2, containing just 14 episodes compared to 22. 

“Our season will still be on the school calendar. Last year, we started airing in September, when school started. We’re not doing that this year,” Brunson told Deadline in October. “It’s not like coming back to a family show where you can pop in on that family on any sitcom-y thing. It’s really like, what’s going on in the school?”

The hour-long premiere will center on a district-wide career day planned by Janine, who is anxious for it to be a success. The first episode also will show Ava (James) trying out a new approach to her role as principal, according to ABC. The first episode contains some surprises, according to Walter.

“I will tell you this, the premiere episode of Season 3 is so chock full of new, exciting stuff,” Walter told Entertainment Tonight. “I can’t even, we’re not allowed to say it obviously. But all I can say is stay tuned. It’s a lot.”

One such surprise seems to be the formerly lax Ava’s newfound rigidity as leader of the school, following an Ivy league stint over the break.

“I went to Harvard this summer,” Ava says during the trailer. “I’ve learned what it truly takes to do the job of a principal.”

ABC also teased details of the second episode, which airs Wednesday, Feb. 14. The Valentine’s Day episode handles the revelation that Janine’s ex Tariq (Zack Fox) is dating the mother of one of the school’s students, while Gregory (Williams) hesitantly deals with his newfound status as the “cool teacher.”

Where did we leave off?

When viewers last saw the “Abbott” crew, they were on a school field trip at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. The Season 2 finale marked the first time the show, which is set in Philly, was actually filmed in the city. 

During that fateful night at the museum, Janine and Gregory finally had a tense chat about their feelings for each other. The pair, who have been pushing the boundaries between friendship and flirtation since the show began, shared a highly anticipated kiss earlier that season. But things were complicated because Janine was dating Gregory’s friend at the time. 

The coworkers walked away from the Franklin Institute as just friends, with Janine hoping to focus on herself and Gregory looking for new beginnings. One of the most pressing concerns on fans’ minds is how the pair’s will-they-won’t-they relationship will resolve, but Season 3 is sure to give their slow burn more time to either simmer or fizzle.

In the Season 3 trailer, Gregory and Janine refer to their friendship as “good” and “fine,” which appears to be a polite way of saying things are awkward.

The latest accolades

At the Emmys earlier this month, “Abbott Elementary” added to its long list of awards. Brunson won outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her performance in the second season. It was Brunson’s second Emmy, having previously won for writing the pilot episode of “Abbott Elementary.” On Instagram, Brunson shared a larger-than-life congratulatory bouquet sent to the “Abbott” set by Oprah Winfrey, who Brunson portrayed in a 2022 Weird Al Yankovic biopic.

When and where to watch

Fans can catch up on Seasons 1 and 2 of “Abbott Elementary” on Hulu before the new season premieres Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 9 p.m. on ABC. Watch the trailer below: