Although ABC came close to killingAbbott Elementary’s success with an ill-judged time slot move, fortunately, the network fixed this in time for season 4 part 2.Abbott Elementary’s cast of charactersare one of the funniest lineups on TV, so it is no surprise that the series has earned so much critical acclaim throughout its first three seasons.Abbott Elementaryseason 1’s Rotten Tomatoes critical score was a near-perfect 98%, while seasons 2 and 3 managed to improve on this with a flawless 100% score.
Abbott Elementary Season 4, Episode 5 Mocked Its Strangest Quirk With A Hilarious Consequence
Abbott Elementary made fun of the show’s outdated format in season 4, episode 5, and the sitcom ironically justified this setup in the process.
While this praise may sound excessive, it isn’t.Abbott Elementaryhas revived the mockumentary workplace sitcom format popularized byThe OfficeandParks and Recreationthroughout the 2010s and added a layer of social commentary via the show’s canny depiction of real-life issues facing modern educators. This is why it was so worrying to seeAbbott Elementaryseason 4’s ratingswere among the lowest of ABC’s scripted offerings in the 2024-2025 season.Abbott Elementarymight be critically adored, but even a show this funny could not succeed in the wrong time slot.
Abbott Elementary Season 4, Part 1’s Late Timeslot Negatively Affected Its Ratings
Abbott Elementary Should Never Have Aired At 9:30 pm
Inexplicably,ABC movedAbbott Elementary’s time slot so season 4’s early episodes aired at 9:30 pm in 2024, which proved too late for a comedy premiere. The fact that ABC’s iconic sitcom hitModern Familyaired at 9 pm throughout its 11-season run should have been enough to prove this, whileAbbott Elementary’s own ratings success in earlier seasons should have reinforced the idea. However, the network still went through with the change and, despite reliably stellar reviews, the ratings ofAbbott Elementaryseason 4 part 1 inevitably suffered as a result.
Abbott Elementary’s ratings dropped from a season 3 low of 2.24 million to a season 4 low of 1.89 million for season 4, episode 4, “Costume Contest.” Luckily,Abbott Elementary’sIt’s Always Sunny In Philadelphiacrossoverturned things around for the series. Season 4, episode 9, “Volunteers,” benefited from the popularity of the long-running FX sitcomIt’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, pulling in an impressive 3.76 million viewers. This was the second-biggest success in the show’s history after season 3, episode 6, “Willard R. Abbott.” That outing earned an astounding 6.9 million viewers, but this was skewed.
ABC Moves Abbott Elementary Season 4, Part 2 To An Earlier Time Slot
Abbott Elementary Season 4’s Second Half Airs A Full Hour Earlier
“Willard R. Abbott” aired directly after the Academy Awards, which always results in outsized ratings for whatever series is lucky enough to follow the awards show. Luckily, the success ofAbbott Elementary’sIt’s Always Sunny In Philadelphiacrossoveris much more organic, and, in an even more reassuring piece of news,TVLinereports that ABC has movedAbbott Elementary’s time slot for season 4, part 2.The remaining episodes ofAbbott Elementaryseason 4 will now air at 8:30 pm,which is a far more fitting time slot for the largely family-friendly sitcom.
It would be understandable for viewers unfamiliar with the series to assume Abbott Elementary was aimed at a more mature audience, judging by its 9:30 pm time slot.
This is great news for a variety of reasons. WhileAbbott Elementary’s positive critical reception was undeniably impressive, it did little to improve the show’s ratings throughout season 4 part 1. It would be understandable for viewers unfamiliar with the series to assumeAbbott Elementarywas aimed at a more mature audience, judging by its 9:30 pm time slot. Prospective viewers might have reasonably guessed that the show was set in a school but suitable only for adult viewers, like Hulu’s Brian Jordan Alvarez hitEnglish Teacher. However, this would be a mistake.
Why An Earlier Timeslot Could Help Abbott Elementary Season 4’s Viewership
Abbott Elementaryis as family-friendly as the likes ofModern FamilyandThe Office, and its new time slot reflects this.Abbott Elementaryseason 4 part 2 has a much more appropriate time slot, and this change arrived at a perfect time for the series.Abbott Elementary’sIt’s Always Sunny In Philadelphiacrossoverwill inevitably attract new viewers, something the show needs for two reasons. For one thing, the average viewership of most shows typically declines as they continue, and this trend has historically proven particularly strong with network sitcoms.
6.6 million
9-1-1
6.5 million
5 million
4 million
Abbott Elementary
3.3 million
Furthermore, season 4 part 1’s unfortunate time slot did real damage to the show’s ratings, taking them below 2 million for the first time in 4 years. Luckily,Abbott Elementary’s new lead-in is the sitcomShifting Gears,which should earn a sizable audience thanks to star Tim Allen. Furthermore, the show doesn’t face too much stiff scripted sitcom competition, with Fox airingThe Masked Singer and NBC airingChicago Medin the same time slot. This means thatAbbott Elementaryseason 4 can now gain back its popularity with viewers after continuing to impress critics even in the wrong time slot.
