Abbott Elementary season 5: Release date speculation and latest news

Over the years, the Quinta Brunson-led show has seen the likes of Bradley Cooper, Kevin Hart, Ayo Edebiri, Taraji P Henson and more graces the hallways of the underfunded Philadelphia school.

Thankfully, a UK release date for the fourth season of Abbott Elementary has just been confirmed for next month – but when will season 5 be airing? And who will star? Read on for everything you need to know about the fifth season of Abbott Elementary.

Abbott Elementary season 5 release date speculation

A release date for Abbott Elementary season 5 is yet to be confirmed.

Seeing as the sitcom has retained quite a regular release pattern over its previous four seasons, we can assume that season 5 could be turned around pretty quickly meaning that we could be looking at a late 2025 or early 2026 release date.

The series renewal news was officially announced in January 2025 with a video shared to its official Instagram page.

The caption reads: "Season 5, here we come! Join your favourite staff and students for more #AbbottElementary on ABC and stream on Hulu."

Abbott Elementary season 5 cast: Who will return?

We'd expect all the main Abbott Elementary cast to return for season 5, led by Quinta Brunson.

Although yet to be confirmed, the cast we'd expect to reprise their roles are as follows.

• Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues
• Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie
• Janelle James as Ava Coleman
• Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa Schemmenti
• Chris Perfetti as Jacob Hill
• Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard
• William Stanford Davis as Mr Johnson

Season 4 saw the introduction of Matthew Law as O’Shon, the school district IT rep. As well as the main cast, there are some other supporting cast members we'd expect to return.

Those include:

• Jerry Minor as Mr Morton
• Nikea Gamby-Turner as Shanae
• Matthew Law as O’Shon

Of course, the series is known for its iconic crossovers and guest cast, so it remains to be seen just who could be making an appearance in the fifth season.

What could Abbott Elementary season 5 be about?

The mockumentary sitcom follows the day-to-day at an underfunded Philadelphia school in a predominantly Black neighbourhood. The documentary crew follows the teachers round to learn about life at the school, where things are often mismanaged and somewhat chaotic.

Brunson leads the cast as second-grade teacher Janine Teagues, who is intent to help all her students, although she faces her fair share of challenges. As the seasons have gone on, we've gotten better insight into each of the teachers' lives, so we're sure that the fifth season will continue to give us those tidbits from their lives.

Speaking to Deadline about the kind of storylines she'd love her character Ava to touch on in future seasons, actress Janelle James said: "Just her backstory. Who was her family? Did she actually grow up in Philly, or did she just end up there? Why is she a principal?

"My theory about Ava is she’s pretty well off, and this is something that she just does. This is her way of helping kids, even though people don’t see it that way or give her any credit for it. This is a way to give herself some social standing.

"This is a way for her to compete with her sorority sisters. This is a way for her to get attention. I think she’s just so layered in her motivations. I’d like to see what those are."

Is there a trailer for Abbott Elementary season 5?

No! As the series renewal has just been announced, there isn't a trailer for season 5 just yet.

However, you can rewatch the season 4 trailer below.

Abbott Elementary season 4 will premiere in the UK on Wednesday 26th February on Disney Plus, with season 4 continuing to air on ABC in the US. You can sign up to Disney Plus from £4.99 a month now.

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