LOS ANGELES — The Television Critics Association just gave Principal Ava Coleman something new to brag about.
Janelle James, who plays the inept principal, was among honorees as "Abbott Elementary" was the most-nominated television series at the 2022 Television Critics Awards. The ABC comedy earned a total of five nominations on Thursday, including new program, program of the year and individual achievement in comedy for both James and creator-star Quinta Brunson.
"Abbott Elementary," which also stars Lisa Ann Walter, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tyler James Williams and Chris Perfetti, follows a group of dedicated teachers at an underfunded Philadelphia public school.
With the Emmy Awards just around the corner, "Abbott Elementary" is starting off the television awards season on a strong note. The workplace comedy, however, isn't new to making waves.
"Abbott Elementary" kicked off its freshman season hitting new ratings milestones for ABC and partnering with Scholastic to bring free book fairs to Los Angeles' Cortada and Florence Griffith Joyner elementary schools. The new series also has achieved viral status on social media, spawning numerous fan accounts on Twitter.
The ABC series will return for its second season Sept. 21.
Apple's "Severance," Showtime's "Yellowjackets" and the final season of AMC's "Better Call Saul" were right behind, with four nominations apiece. "Better Call Saul" stars Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn were nominated in the individual achievement in drama category for their turns as Saul Goodman and Kim Wexler, respectively.
Netflix was the most-nominated streaming service with 13 nominations spread across dramas "Squid Game," "Maid" and more. HBO, with 12, and HBO Max, with nine, received a combined 21 nominations.
The 2022 TV Critics Awards will have an in-person ceremony on Aug. 6 at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena. Find the full list of Television Critics Association awards nominees at tvcritics.memberclicks.net/tca-awards.
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