>>> NOW TO ONE OF HOLLYWOOD'S
RISING STARS WHOSE SITCOM IS A
BREAKOUT SUCCESS.
IN FACT, IT HAS ALREADY BEEN
RENEWED FOR SEASON TWO.
>> WELL, IT SHOULD BE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT "ABBOTT
ELEMENTARY" CREATED BY AND
STARRING QUINTA BRUNSON.
THE SITCOM CENTERS AROUND A
GROUP OF TEACHERS DETERMINED TO
HELP STUDENTS SUCCEED.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK.
>> OKAY, SO IF THE STORE HAS TEN
POTATOES, RIGHT, AND YOU TAKE
AWAY TWO OF THEM, HOW MANY
POTATOES WOULD THE STORE HAVE
LEFT?
>> I DON'T LIKE POTATOES.
>> LET'S NOT FOCUS ON THAT PART
OF IT.
>> YOU HAVE EIGHT POTATOES.
>> MARIE, WE KNOW THAT YOU KNOW.
I WAS ASKING SYDNEY.
WHY DON'T YOU GO SHARPEN UP SOME
COLORED PENCILS.
THAT WOULD BE FUN.
>> QUINTA!
FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATS ON SEASON
TWO.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THIS IS APPOINTMENT VIEWING
FOR PEOPLE.
PEOPLE DON'T APPOINTMENT VIEW
ANYMORE.
>> I KNOW.
>> WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS THAT
YOU THINK CAUGHT PEOPLE?
>> I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF
THINGS.
ONE THING IS ABC DID A REALLY
COOL THING AND PREMIERED THE
PILOT A MONTH BEFORE IT AIRED
AND THAT GAVE PEOPLE TIME TO
WATCH IT OVER THE WINTER BREAK.
THEY GOT TO WATCH WITH THEIR
FAMILIES DURING CHRISTMASTIME
AND EVERYTHING.
THEN WHEN THE SHOW CAME ON THE
AIR WE HAD A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO
ALREADY LIKED THE SHOW SO THEY
WERE EX SUITCITED TO TUNE IN AGA
THEY CAN'T WAIT FOR TUESDAY
NIGHT TO WATCH "ABBOTT" BECAUSE
THEY WANT TO HAVE A GOOD TIME,
WATCH SOMETHING WITH THE FAMILY.
IT KIND OF SHOWS US THAT
APPOINTMENT VIEWING ISN'T DEAD.
IT JUST HAS TO BE SOMETHING
PEOPLE WANT TO SHOW UP FOR.
>> THEY SHOWED UP FOR HER.
>> KELLY.
>> I'M SO HAPPY KELLY IS SITTING
HERE.
>> I AM AND, HODA, YOU'RE MY
GIRL, BUT I WAS LIKE, ME AND
KELLY, THAT'S THE SWEETEST
PERSON ON THE PLANET.
>> THAT'S SO SWEET.
>> I GOT TO MEET YOU AND JUST
THE SWEETEST PERSON ON THE WHOLE
PLANET.
>> BACK TO YOU --
>> SORRY.
>> WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE
REACTION ABOUT THE SHOW SO FAR?
>> MY FAVORITE REACTION IS WHEN
SOMEONE TELLS ME THAT THEY ARE
WATCHING IT WITH THEIR MOTHER,
DAUGHTER, NIECE, GRANDMOTHER,
GENERATIONS GETTING TOGETHER TO
WATCH THE SHOW MEANS A LOT TO
ME.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I INTENDED.
I WANTED FAMILIES TO WATCH A
SITCOM THE WAY I DID WITH MY
FAMILY GROWING UP, AND I'M HAPPY
TO GIVE SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN
ALL SHARE TOGETHER.
>> DID YOU INTEND FOR LeBRON
JAMES AND HIS FAMILY TO BE
WATCHING?
I MEAN, WAS THAT WILD?
>> I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO
SAY.
CAN YOU BELIEVE WE'RE THE SAME
SPECIES?
WE'RE THE SAME HUMAN?
AND I'M WEARING HEELS.
LOOK AT THAT.
HE -- I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO
SAY ABOUT THAT.
I LOVE LeBRON.
I SEEK TO OPERATE MY LIFE THE
WAY LeBRON PLAYS BASKETBALL.
>> YES!
>> YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?
>> HE HAS A REALLY GREAT TEAM
AND THEY'RE WINNING IN DIFFERENT
SPACES.
HE DEFINITELY INVIGORATES THEM
WITH THEIR GREATNESS AND I THINK
THAT'S AWESOME.
YOU'RE DOING THAT.
I THINK YOU'RE DOING THAT WITH
BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW AND OTHER
PROJECTS.
YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT THIS ONE.
WAY SO MANY IDEAS.
>> PEOPLE HAVE KNOWN FROM YOU
THIS SHOW AND YOU'VE BEEN
WRITING FOR A LONG TIME, WHO IS
THIS NEW PHENOM.
YOU'VE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR
A WHILE.
>> YEAH.
I WAS PARTICIPATING IN OTHER
PROJECTS AND I KNEW THAT
EVENTUALLY I WANTED TO HAVE A
SITCOM OF MY OWN WITH MY VISION
AND AS A CREATOR AND SHOW
RUNNER.
ALL THE STUFF YOU DO BEFORE THAT
LEADS UP TO THAT POINT WHETHER
IT BE OTHER CREATORS OR NETWORKS
ET CETERA, I LOVED EVERYTHING
THAT I GOT TO DO LEADING UP TO
"ABBOTT."
I'M STILL DOING THINGS HERE AND
THERE AND OTHER THINGS THAT WILL
COME OUT.
I LOVE WORKING WITH TEAMS.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION, A
GIRLFRIEND OF MINE IS A TEACHER,
A SHOUT OUT TO HER.
SHE'S SO FUNNY.
SHE SAYS WHEN THE KIDS ARE IN
CLASS, YO MISS, MISS, CAN YOU --
MY NAME IS -- DID THAT HAPPEN TO
YOUR MOM?
>> YOUR MOM WAS A TEACHER?
>> OH, I DON'T THINK MY MOM --
SHE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THAT
ISSUE.
THE CHARACTER IS VERY MUCH BASED
OFF OF MY MOTHER.
HER CLASS WAS --
>> SHE DIDN'T PLAY THAT?
>> SHE DIDN'T PLAY THAT.
I WISH I COULD FIND A DIFFERENT
WAY TO SAY THAT.
SHE DIDN'T PLAY THAT.
>> YOU DO SO MANY THINGS RIGHT.
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DO --
ANOTHER ONE OF THE MANY THINGS
YOU DO RIGHT, YOU'RE GIVING
BACK.
MOST PEOPLE WHEN THEY HIT IT,
WHEN THEY HIT SOMETHING GREAT,
THEY'RE ON THE TAKING END.
YOU'RE ON THE GIVING END.
YOU'RE GIVING MONEY AWAY.
HELPING REACH TEACHERS, HELPING
SCHOLASTIC.
TELL US WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
>> IT WAS A NO-BRAINER.
WHEN WE REALIZED WE HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DO ANYTHING FOR
TEACHERS, WE JUMPED ON IT.
I TALKED TO THE MARKETING TEAM
AND ABC UP FRONT, LOOK, WE'RE
MAKING THIS SHOW, WE HAVE TO
THINK ABOUT THINGS WE CAN BE
DOING TO WHAT THE SHOW IS ABOUT.
I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE
MARKETING TEAM.
THEY BROUGHT THE IDEA OF THE BUS
TOUR THAT WE DID AND I WAS LIKE
BRILLIANT.
THIS IS WHAT WE CAN DO TO GIVE
BACK TO SCHOOLS.
THE TEACHERS AND THE STUDENTS.
THAT BUS HAS SO MANY SUPPLIES ON
IT AND IT'S A TRAVELING TEACHERS
LOUNGE, TOO.
THE TEACHERS GET TO TAKE A BREAK
BUT ALSO GET TO LEAVE WITH A
BUNCH OF STUFF FOR THEIR
CLASSROOMS AND THEN WE ALSO
WORKED OUT THE SCHOLASTIC BOOK
FAIR.
THE PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHOLASTIC
IS INCREDIBLE.
THEY HAVE BEEN PARTNERS SINCE
BEFORE.
NOW WE ARE ABLE TO DO BOOK FAIRS
FOR SCHOOLS THAT ARE TITLE ONE
OR -- IT FEELS INCREDIBLE WE ARE
ABLE -- NO ONE IS STANDING IN
OUR WAY OF DOING THINGS LIKE
THIS.
>> IT'S GREAT THAT YOU'RE
SPEARHEADING IT AND MAKING SURE
THAT IT HAPPENS.
>> AND CONGRATULATIONS.
YOU'RE HAVING A MOMENT IN YOUR
LIFE AND WE'RE EXCITED TO BE