WEBVTT - Quinta Brunson on ‘Abbott Elementary’s’ realness, her interview with Oprah, and why she can’t slow down 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:03.400 Hi everyone, I'm Kitty Kirk and this is next question. 0:00:04.519 --> 0:00:06.600 You know, when I told my team I was interviewing 0:00:06.640 --> 0:00:11.920 today's guest, they went nuts. Winda Brunson just seems to 0:00:11.920 --> 0:00:15.760 have that effect on people. She's the creator, writer, producer, 0:00:15.800 --> 0:00:20.680 and star of Abbot Elementary, a workplace mockumentary following a 0:00:20.720 --> 0:00:24.840 group of determined teachers and one slightly less motivated but 0:00:25.079 --> 0:00:31.000 hilarious principle at of Philadelphia Public School. Guys, I need 0:00:31.000 --> 0:00:34.400 a new rug. Mine is officially done. Me too. I 0:00:34.400 --> 0:00:36.320 shook mine out and all of the asthma kids had 0:00:36.360 --> 0:00:38.559 to go to the nurse's office. Yeah, mine's busted. And 0:00:38.600 --> 0:00:40.320 he can't class up a rug like he kind of 0:00:40.360 --> 0:00:43.320 couch with a nice quota plastic. He would it do? 0:00:43.560 --> 0:00:46.360 Baby booth? Which I think about this low film corrobborading 0:00:46.360 --> 0:00:49.560 here distracting makes our jobs harder, but exciting. Were about 0:00:49.600 --> 0:00:53.000 to be on TV because they are covering undefunded, poorly 0:00:53.080 --> 0:00:56.720 managed public schools in America. No press is bad press, barb. 0:00:56.880 --> 0:01:01.120 Look at mel Gibson, still thriving in front of the camera. 0:01:01.240 --> 0:01:06.000 Quinta plays Janine, one of the newer, more relentlessly enthusiastic 0:01:06.080 --> 0:01:11.200 teachers Behind the scenes, Quinta has created something unique, a 0:01:11.319 --> 0:01:15.800 network sitcom that manages to authentically portray the real world 0:01:15.920 --> 0:01:21.800 struggles of public school educators, and it's resonating. Viewership of 0:01:21.800 --> 0:01:24.720 the show, which is in its second season, is breaking 0:01:24.760 --> 0:01:29.120 records for ABC, and it's piling up all kinds of accolades. 0:01:29.640 --> 0:01:33.440 For this year's Critics Choice Awards, Abbott has more nominations 0:01:33.680 --> 0:01:37.560 than any other TV show it starts or benefiting too, 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:46.240 including Sheryl Lee Ralph, who's getting some long overdue Recognitionminin 0:01:46.800 --> 0:01:52.520 Dane Species. You might have seen her emmy speech. It 0:01:52.640 --> 0:01:57.200 brought the room to its feet and meet a tears song. 0:01:58.680 --> 0:02:27.520 I am a mana, I'm antist and not be. I 0:02:27.600 --> 0:02:29.680 caught up with Quinta at the tail end of her 0:02:29.760 --> 0:02:34.639 busy production schedule, and she was understandably beat. She spoke 0:02:34.680 --> 0:02:38.320 to me during a break between writing sessions in Los Angeles. 0:02:39.200 --> 0:02:41.720 It must be so fun to be in a writer's room. 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:44.520 My daughter is a writer for a show called The Boys, 0:02:44.680 --> 0:02:49.919 which is on Amazon. Yeah, yeah, and you know, and 0:02:50.040 --> 0:02:52.040 I hear her. She does a lot of her stuff 0:02:52.440 --> 0:02:56.040 on Zoom. But I've always wanted maybe when I come 0:02:56.080 --> 0:02:57.800 to l a. I'll be able to. Maybe you'll let 0:02:57.800 --> 0:02:59.840 me sit in on your writer's room. I come to 0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:02.160 l A for a month in the winter to see 0:03:02.600 --> 0:03:05.280 my daughter to work, you know, remotely, because I hate 0:03:05.280 --> 0:03:07.320 cold weather. I just have to get out in New 0:03:07.400 --> 0:03:11.360 York City and um, it must be so fun to 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:13.960 be in a writer's room. It is, um, you know, 0:03:14.080 --> 0:03:17.640 just like any other working experience. It can vary, you know, 0:03:17.680 --> 0:03:20.160 it depends on what room you're in, where you are. Yes, 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:23.480 so my daughter has been in some not so fun rooms, right, 0:03:23.919 --> 0:03:25.959 it happens. But I bet The Boys is actually a 0:03:25.960 --> 0:03:29.880 pretty fun one. I bet that's a great show with 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:33.799 great producers. I think that our room is made to 0:03:33.880 --> 0:03:37.600 be a really enjoyable environment. Um. I have two wonderful 0:03:38.080 --> 0:03:41.920 co producers, Justin how Pert and Patrick Schumacher, who really 0:03:41.960 --> 0:03:45.440 help facilitate such a healthy room. I I know, for 0:03:45.520 --> 0:03:49.520 me personally, I always wanted to have an enjoyable room 0:03:49.560 --> 0:03:53.800 where people can feel comfortable speaking, can we can brainstorm easily, 0:03:54.040 --> 0:03:58.840 We can be efficient as well as exciting. But we 0:03:59.000 --> 0:04:01.560 just we have a great room. One of my favorite 0:04:01.560 --> 0:04:03.920 thing about our room is we started ten every day 0:04:03.960 --> 0:04:07.880 and we're done typically before four o'clock. That's not that's nice. 0:04:08.600 --> 0:04:11.080 My favorite part is you know, we get to go home, 0:04:11.200 --> 0:04:13.480 so that's exciting. I would think it would be so 0:04:13.560 --> 0:04:16.680 important to have good chemistry in a writer's room and 0:04:16.800 --> 0:04:21.000 a good environment where people can riff and have fun 0:04:21.200 --> 0:04:24.839 and you know, and I don't know, it's it must 0:04:24.880 --> 0:04:28.400 be the strange alchemy because you have to be respectful, 0:04:28.480 --> 0:04:31.400 but you also have to feel free to throw out 0:04:31.480 --> 0:04:35.120 ideas and not be afraid. Right. Yeah, Like I said, 0:04:35.160 --> 0:04:39.760 like in a healthy room, you get to do all 0:04:39.800 --> 0:04:42.440 of those things. You get to throw out out ideas, 0:04:42.480 --> 0:04:45.279 you get to collaborate, you could be respectful of others. 0:04:45.560 --> 0:04:49.000 I think the key to a healthy room is respect, 0:04:49.279 --> 0:04:52.359 you know, respecting the other writers who are in the 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:55.200 room with you, their point of view. Um, we just 0:04:55.279 --> 0:04:58.520 had a conversation about the episode we're watching. And although 0:04:59.120 --> 0:05:02.120 it is my show, and I think in a lot 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:04.680 of other cases people would say, well what I say goes. 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:10.880 I'm always it's not just open to but grateful to 0:05:10.920 --> 0:05:13.640 be able to hear the thoughts of the writers and 0:05:13.720 --> 0:05:16.480 see making sure that we're all on the same page, 0:05:16.640 --> 0:05:21.000 that we're feeling heard their ideas make the show better. 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:24.520 So you have to maintain an environment where people feel 0:05:24.600 --> 0:05:29.800 comfortable sharing. And for me, my writing process goes all 0:05:29.800 --> 0:05:32.520 the way back to improv, which is the rules of 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:35.200 yes ending instead of no butt. So it's always how 0:05:35.240 --> 0:05:37.560 can we build off of each other? Um, how can 0:05:37.600 --> 0:05:42.520 we hear each other out and come to the something 0:05:42.560 --> 0:05:44.880 that makes the entire room comfortable? And if it doesn't, 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:47.640 let's talk about why and and really get in there 0:05:47.680 --> 0:05:51.080 and make something good. So I that's that's an important 0:05:51.080 --> 0:05:54.640 part of a writer's room, and when that writer's room 0:05:54.640 --> 0:05:56.760 is operating off of that is such a good experience 0:05:57.000 --> 0:05:59.240 like that, But it takes a lot of humility for 0:05:59.320 --> 0:06:04.479 someone like you to be willing to take feedback from writers. 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:07.680 And what if you feel like you know you want it, 0:06:07.720 --> 0:06:11.400 you're you're open to it, but you totally disagree. I mean, ultimately, 0:06:11.400 --> 0:06:13.599 it is your name on the show, so you do 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:16.039 you just say, you know, how do you how do 0:06:16.080 --> 0:06:20.200 you handle that? Like that's a really interesting observation and idea. 0:06:20.400 --> 0:06:24.880 But I like it the way I get it, you know, 0:06:25.279 --> 0:06:29.640 I just stay honest. I do. I love to hear 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:34.960 how everyone feels and very often my mind will be changed. 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:37.560 But every once in a while, say Nope. This is 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:41.240 what makes it my show to me, and if I 0:06:41.279 --> 0:06:44.400 were to waiver on this, then it wouldn't feel like 0:06:44.520 --> 0:06:46.880 my show or something that I'm comfortable having my name 0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:50.440 put on, and vice versa, if the thing were to 0:06:51.080 --> 0:06:53.200 Most of the time you're getting into that discussion about 0:06:53.279 --> 0:06:55.560 something that might blow up, you know, something that might 0:06:56.279 --> 0:07:00.719 get get audience feedback that is not necessar saily great. 0:07:00.800 --> 0:07:04.200 We haven't had that happen in it with Avid, thank goodness, UM, 0:07:04.279 --> 0:07:08.240 but you know, every now and then it happens. We 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:13.040 had a charter school storyline this season that UM upset 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:17.480 a few people who who work in charter schools, And 0:07:18.440 --> 0:07:21.600 because that was my decision, I was able to say, yeah, 0:07:21.640 --> 0:07:25.240 I own that, Yeah you're upset, and that's okay. I 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:28.000 made that decision. Uh, and I take that fully on 0:07:28.040 --> 0:07:31.080 my back because that is what I wanted to happen 0:07:31.080 --> 0:07:34.080 in the show. So whenever I do just kind of 0:07:34.080 --> 0:07:36.120 say no, this is the way I wanted, I'm also 0:07:36.200 --> 0:07:39.560 making sure I'm prepared to take whatever blowback could come 0:07:39.560 --> 0:07:44.080 from that decision, which I that's part of the responsibility 0:07:44.360 --> 0:07:48.840 of helming a show UM as a creator and just 0:07:49.000 --> 0:07:52.840 knowing that if things go South. It's on YouTube. But 0:07:53.000 --> 0:07:57.960 also only that I think is really important. Well, it 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:02.480 sounds like it's it's a fun place to work, and um, 0:08:02.560 --> 0:08:07.000 and thanks are going so well for you. First of all, 0:08:07.160 --> 0:08:10.000 I just want to say congratulations from for all your 0:08:10.040 --> 0:08:12.720 success you're Are you still thirty two or if you 0:08:12.800 --> 0:08:17.760 turned thirty three? Quina? Thirty three? In let's see what 0:08:17.800 --> 0:08:25.200 day it is? How many days? Wow? Wow? Well that's 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:30.280 still your baby. You're very young and you know, oh 0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:34.079 my god, honey, you know I'm sixty five, So thirty 0:08:34.120 --> 0:08:37.120 three sounds pretty sweet to me. Although I wouldn't change 0:08:37.120 --> 0:08:41.040 a thing. No, I feel I feel lucky to be 0:08:41.120 --> 0:08:44.240 the age I am, and I feel like everyone needs 0:08:44.240 --> 0:08:48.640 to appreciate every year they have on the planet. Absolutely, 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:52.520 but I feel really bad. Things are going so so 0:08:52.679 --> 0:08:55.880 badly for you these days. I'm kidding. I feel like 0:08:56.000 --> 0:08:59.640 I feel like I feel like every interview must start 0:08:59.679 --> 0:09:05.320 this way. Quenta, Wow, what a year you've had. You're 0:09:05.360 --> 0:09:09.320 the award winning writer, creator, and showrunner of Avid Elementary. 0:09:09.720 --> 0:09:14.280 You single handedly revived the dying Network sitcom. The Hollywood 0:09:14.320 --> 0:09:18.040 Reporter named Comedy Star of the Year, and you just 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:23.480 played Oprah in Weird The Aligankovic story. So does every 0:09:23.520 --> 0:09:27.800 interview start that way, Quinta? You know most of them do? Yes, 0:09:28.840 --> 0:09:32.520 most of them do? Yeah. I can't lie well. I 0:09:32.640 --> 0:09:35.080 tried to start out in a more original way, but 0:09:35.120 --> 0:09:38.640 I couldn't figure out how to do that. So I 0:09:38.720 --> 0:09:41.120 just want to ask you. I mean, how are you 0:09:41.160 --> 0:09:44.920 dealing with it? Is it is this thrilling? Is it overwhelming? 0:09:45.160 --> 0:09:53.079 Is it a mixed bad? What it is? Um? Over No, 0:09:53.440 --> 0:09:56.200 overwhelming is not the right word. It's thrilling. I think 0:09:56.240 --> 0:10:01.000 that I focus very much on keeping my feet on 0:10:01.040 --> 0:10:03.320 the ground, and I think that's what keeps it from 0:10:03.360 --> 0:10:06.920 becoming overwhelming. You know, I think I know what's happening 0:10:07.000 --> 0:10:10.040 every day, Even on days where I'm don't totally know 0:10:10.640 --> 0:10:15.839 my entire schedule, I'm keeping in tune with what's going on. UM. 0:10:15.880 --> 0:10:20.000 I recently had that interview with Oprah which came out yesterday, 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:22.360 and although I have not watched it, I remember talking 0:10:22.400 --> 0:10:28.040 about Oprah was talking to me about UM. You know, 0:10:28.559 --> 0:10:34.640 her her rise of making her show was essentially a blur, like, 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:37.320 it's just happening. You're just doing your job every day, 0:10:37.320 --> 0:10:39.679 and I feel like you probably can relate. You're just 0:10:39.720 --> 0:10:44.959 doing your job and and Oprah said that she felt 0:10:44.960 --> 0:10:47.079 like for the first time she was able to look 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:49.280 at me and see what it looked like or felt like. 0:10:49.760 --> 0:10:53.960 So I feel like that comforted me because I can't 0:10:54.080 --> 0:10:57.160 really slow down to see what it looks like. Things 0:10:57.200 --> 0:11:00.360 are just happening every day and I'm just writing wave 0:11:00.920 --> 0:11:03.640 because ultimately, I feel like I just need to, like, 0:11:03.720 --> 0:11:06.520 you know, stay healthy, and it feels good to focus 0:11:06.559 --> 0:11:09.840 on my work like that. Um. I think that in 0:11:09.840 --> 0:11:12.440 the future I'll be able to look back and just 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:14.719 be like, whoa that this is all crazy, But for now, 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:17.680 I've just compartmentalized it into things that happened every day. 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:20.520 So even talking to you, although you were the wonderful, 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:23.880 incredible kid, Curic, it's like, you know that's in the 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:25.880 calendar is okay, I'll be doing that and then I'll 0:11:25.880 --> 0:11:27.880 be going back to the writer's room and then who knows. 0:11:27.920 --> 0:11:30.240 I think I'll process it in like three months. At 0:11:30.280 --> 0:11:32.880 the same time, have you taken any like moment to 0:11:32.960 --> 0:11:36.120 just say, wow, this is so exciting. I mean, it 0:11:36.240 --> 0:11:40.199 is kind of kiss met when everything comes together. You know, 0:11:40.720 --> 0:11:44.920 it doesn't happen that often, right, And yeah, for you 0:11:45.200 --> 0:11:49.959 to come up with this idea. Yeah, write it, create it, 0:11:50.600 --> 0:11:54.559 starring it, and birth that. Really I hope you've able 0:11:54.640 --> 0:11:58.520 to been able to take a moment to say this 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:01.480 is this is really cool? I think so I think 0:12:01.480 --> 0:12:04.440 I have I do. I have those moments every now 0:12:04.480 --> 0:12:06.720 and then. I took my dad to a six Ers 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:12.640 game this past week, and um was that crazy? It was, 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:15.400 you know, because I'm in my l a bubble a 0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:18.760 lot and getting to go back home is rare, you know, 0:12:18.800 --> 0:12:23.480 it's kind of like holiday time. Um. I was excited 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:25.319 to take my dad to that game just because when 0:12:25.320 --> 0:12:27.160 I was little, he used to take me to games, 0:12:27.200 --> 0:12:28.679 you know, and so I was excited to be able 0:12:28.720 --> 0:12:33.800 to do that for him. And were you on the JumboTron? Yeah, yeah, 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:36.240 I heard, I heard I was. But they had us 0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:38.679 ring the Liberty bell, which is what you know, celebrities 0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:41.920 do at the beginning of the six Years game. And um, 0:12:42.080 --> 0:12:44.040 that was a moment where I got to sit and 0:12:44.080 --> 0:12:46.600 take it in, like, whoa, I'm able to take my 0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:49.640 dad to the six Years game. I'm able to like 0:12:49.679 --> 0:12:53.920 sit courtside with my dad and have you know, like 0:12:54.440 --> 0:12:57.400 James Harten say hey to me and like the the 0:12:57.480 --> 0:12:59.440 you know, the nets and stuff, and my dad got 0:12:59.440 --> 0:13:03.000 to meet the legendary basketball player named World be Free. 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:06.080 I didn't know him. My dad's out about him, but 0:13:06.160 --> 0:13:08.960 then that you know, he's freaked out. Then later that 0:13:09.000 --> 0:13:10.720 guy was like, I love your show, and I was like, 0:13:10.720 --> 0:13:12.800 oh my god, thank you, and you know my dad 0:13:12.840 --> 0:13:15.160 loves you and you know it took a picture with him, 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:17.920 which was so cool. So it's like moments when I'm 0:13:17.960 --> 0:13:22.040 able to do that for my dad or yeah, this 0:13:22.240 --> 0:13:26.000 is I have a couple of show. It's the most 0:13:26.720 --> 0:13:30.360 you know, odd moments. It's not technically when I'm accepting, 0:13:30.480 --> 0:13:32.320 worried or something. It's like when I can do something 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:36.800 very hyper specific for my family. Well, it's I think 0:13:36.840 --> 0:13:40.439 it must be incredibly exciting. And I want to talk 0:13:40.520 --> 0:13:42.839 to you about your family, Quentin a minute and a 0:13:42.920 --> 0:13:46.520 little bit about your upbringing and sort of your slightly 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:51.800 circumlocutious road to creating this show, because you've done a 0:13:51.800 --> 0:13:54.760 lot of other things I know kind of leading up 0:13:54.800 --> 0:13:57.400 to this point, but but I wanted to focus just 0:13:57.720 --> 0:14:00.360 for a minute on the show. I know you came 0:14:00.400 --> 0:14:02.520 up with the idea because your mom was a kindergarten 0:14:02.559 --> 0:14:05.560 teacher and she used to come home and regale you 0:14:05.640 --> 0:14:09.640 all with stories. Did you think, I mean when you 0:14:09.720 --> 0:14:12.720 set out to do this show. Tell me a little 0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:16.320 bit about your thought process, because I'm so fascinated by 0:14:16.440 --> 0:14:20.040 the genesis of an idea. The idea really came when 0:14:20.040 --> 0:14:22.640 I went to go visit my mom, and I spent 0:14:22.760 --> 0:14:25.240 so much time with my mom in schools. I was 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:27.040 in her class, I went to the school where she 0:14:27.080 --> 0:14:31.920 taught for all of the elementary school, and then constantly 0:14:32.120 --> 0:14:35.200 was just more than just being a student. Was always 0:14:35.280 --> 0:14:38.160 in schools and my mom was very involved, so just 0:14:38.200 --> 0:14:41.960 hearing about everything from her. That wasn't until I, you know, 0:14:43.040 --> 0:14:45.640 I went to college and moved to l A. And 0:14:45.640 --> 0:14:47.600 then all of a sudden, I wasn't in that environment 0:14:47.640 --> 0:14:50.280 as much anymore. But I wasn't in that state of 0:14:50.520 --> 0:14:56.880 knowing how important or formidable, you know, that environment was 0:14:56.960 --> 0:14:58.920 to me and how familiar I was with it. So 0:14:58.920 --> 0:15:01.200 when I went back to visit my mom before she retired, 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:04.640 I was just in this environment again. All of a sudden, 0:15:04.920 --> 0:15:07.680 that familiarity just hit me in the face. I was like, WHOA, 0:15:07.760 --> 0:15:11.560 I forgot how you know this halways smell these floors, 0:15:11.600 --> 0:15:15.160 this these walls, man, this is so rich and it's 0:15:15.240 --> 0:15:17.560 something a world I know really well that I forgot about. 0:15:18.320 --> 0:15:22.600 So I think for me, I like to create stories 0:15:23.080 --> 0:15:26.800 about a world I know very well, and I feel 0:15:27.640 --> 0:15:30.880 like I like to know the smell of that world, 0:15:31.120 --> 0:15:33.280 you know, I like to know all of those kinds 0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:39.680 of details. And ultimately, you know, despite what people take 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:43.480 away from when they watch Abbott, I really just wanted 0:15:43.520 --> 0:15:46.160 to make a workplace comedy. That was my goal. Just 0:15:46.520 --> 0:15:52.160 a twenty two minute sitcom. Uh no more poignant than 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:58.880 then uh, you know any of the other workplace comedies. Really, 0:15:59.640 --> 0:16:05.240 I think with a show like Abbott that naturally the 0:16:05.400 --> 0:16:09.880 heart comes out differently, the lessons that people learn from 0:16:09.920 --> 0:16:14.160 the show, It just comes out because of uh where 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:17.520 me and the writers the places where we could be 0:16:17.680 --> 0:16:21.440 right from. You know, we're I think we're big on 0:16:22.240 --> 0:16:27.520 humor and humanity and so uh because of that, people 0:16:27.560 --> 0:16:29.680 get a lot more from the show. But my goal 0:16:29.840 --> 0:16:32.280 is to keep it a workplace comedy. These things need 0:16:32.360 --> 0:16:35.920 to happen here the same way that they've happened on 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:39.120 you know, shows like The Office or just shoot Me. 0:16:39.200 --> 0:16:43.360 Like it just needs to feel um. So I love 0:16:43.440 --> 0:16:46.160 that it's both the sitcom and and sort of the 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:51.240 mockumentary style of the office. Um, and it feels a 0:16:51.240 --> 0:16:54.920 little ted Lassoe with the heart and the focus on 0:16:55.320 --> 0:17:00.280 the characters, the teachers. How did that come come? Bath? 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:02.640 Did you just say, I like this style, so I 0:17:02.680 --> 0:17:05.479 want to have the teachers. I want them to convey 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:09.720 what's happening internally and all that. Yeah. I just thought 0:17:09.760 --> 0:17:12.080 it was a great opportunity for mocumentary. I mean, I 0:17:12.119 --> 0:17:15.639 saw it as a mocumentary initially. That's just what I 0:17:15.680 --> 0:17:18.720 saw when I thought of the idea. But what was 0:17:18.760 --> 0:17:23.280 always fun to me about mocumentary is with it you 0:17:23.320 --> 0:17:26.840 get two versions of a character. It's just multilayered, which 0:17:26.840 --> 0:17:32.240 I think is so beautiful for the mundane field fields. Um, 0:17:32.280 --> 0:17:36.960 you know. Yeah. Uh. There's a show that people don't know, 0:17:37.040 --> 0:17:39.679 but it was one hbos an Australian show called Jamay 0:17:39.920 --> 0:17:42.359 and it was it was very it is really silly, 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:46.080 not the most politically correct, but it was just this 0:17:46.119 --> 0:17:50.720 girl going to her prep school and you find yourself 0:17:50.760 --> 0:17:54.479 all of a sudden, super into this girl's life, you know. 0:17:54.640 --> 0:17:57.280 And I think it's that those double layers to people 0:17:58.000 --> 0:18:02.080 that mocumentary provides that makes them more enticing and I 0:18:02.119 --> 0:18:05.600 felt like that was really great for these teachers, in 0:18:05.640 --> 0:18:09.880 particular in the school like abbott Um, to get two 0:18:09.880 --> 0:18:11.719 sides of them, what they showed her the camera and 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:15.520 what they showed to their um uh, their cowork It's 0:18:15.520 --> 0:18:19.199 also interesting to watch that relationship develop over time. You know, 0:18:20.200 --> 0:18:22.639 a character like Gregory, who kind of wants nothing to 0:18:22.640 --> 0:18:25.880 do with the cameras at first, are now finding them 0:18:25.880 --> 0:18:29.040 to be the only people. You know, he they that 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:32.520 he can trust. And I think it's fun for the audience, 0:18:32.600 --> 0:18:35.000 you know, it keeps them on their toes of There's 0:18:35.040 --> 0:18:37.120 so many people who, like in our show, would love 0:18:37.160 --> 0:18:41.600 for Gregory and Janine to get together. But you know, 0:18:41.640 --> 0:18:43.600 Gregory and Jeanine don't know what the audience knows. They 0:18:43.600 --> 0:18:46.320 really don't. They don't know what the cameras know, you 0:18:46.359 --> 0:18:49.080 know what I mean, they don't they You guys are 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:53.280 seeing it, but they're not seeing anything really right. Same 0:18:53.280 --> 0:18:55.800 thing with Barbara, I mean, all of our characters. There's 0:18:55.960 --> 0:18:58.440 there's opportunities for Barbara to say stuff to the camera 0:18:58.440 --> 0:19:01.000 about her profession that she would never say to your 0:19:01.000 --> 0:19:04.000 co workers. So I just find it so exciting. It's 0:19:04.080 --> 0:19:07.600 such an exciting format. I don't think it always works, 0:19:07.640 --> 0:19:11.919 you know, like I think sometimes it's a hindrance or 0:19:12.160 --> 0:19:14.720 a crutch, but I don't think it is here. It 0:19:14.800 --> 0:19:17.400 makes you feel like you're part of the inside joke, 0:19:18.200 --> 0:19:22.000 you know, as a viewer when people like glance at you, 0:19:22.080 --> 0:19:24.600 even if it's quick like when you were getting off 0:19:24.600 --> 0:19:27.640 the ladder and you glance quickly at the audience or whatever. 0:19:28.440 --> 0:19:33.560 It Yeah, it makes you. It brings you into that world, 0:19:33.760 --> 0:19:36.480 and it makes it feel much more intimate, which I 0:19:36.520 --> 0:19:40.320 thought was really important too. I knew that, and once again, 0:19:40.359 --> 0:19:42.199 I didn't give it that much thought. I think I 0:19:42.240 --> 0:19:45.560 was just moving with the current of the idea. But 0:19:47.000 --> 0:19:49.440 there are ways people could look at a public school 0:19:49.520 --> 0:19:55.200 like Abbott and dismiss it and dismiss what kind of 0:19:55.240 --> 0:19:58.880 love is there and what kind of cares there. So 0:19:59.840 --> 0:20:02.240 I wanted people when they watched the show to feel 0:20:02.280 --> 0:20:04.720 like they're in this school. I didn't want them to 0:20:04.720 --> 0:20:08.200 to feel like they're the aquarium looking in at the fish. 0:20:08.400 --> 0:20:10.840 I wanted them to be in there with them, because 0:20:11.160 --> 0:20:13.720 a certain kind of care comes from the audience. Then 0:20:14.080 --> 0:20:16.600 they want to protect these characters. They want to protect 0:20:16.600 --> 0:20:19.280 these kids. They work at Abbot two, they go to 0:20:19.320 --> 0:20:24.119 abbit two. Um, I think that that's something that's so powerful. 0:20:25.080 --> 0:20:27.159 And yeah, it was kind of like a theory I 0:20:27.240 --> 0:20:30.399 was testing and it wound up being true watching people 0:20:31.040 --> 0:20:33.119 care so much about these characters and you know, like 0:20:33.200 --> 0:20:36.000 want merch want they want the abbot, they want the 0:20:36.040 --> 0:20:38.720 most the lanyard, Like why do you want that lanyard? 0:20:38.760 --> 0:20:41.880 But you know people want to they feel a part 0:20:41.920 --> 0:20:44.040 of it. And that's so beautiful to me, and I 0:20:44.040 --> 0:20:46.440 think that's the sign of like a good a good show. 0:20:47.480 --> 0:20:50.080 When we come back, Quenta walks me through the often 0:20:50.200 --> 0:20:54.479 real life inspiration for her avid elementary teachers. That's right 0:20:54.520 --> 0:21:09.240 after this. I wanted to ask you about the focus 0:21:09.240 --> 0:21:11.199 of the show because it really, as you know, is 0:21:11.240 --> 0:21:15.800 on the teachers. And um, I'm curious what you're hearing 0:21:15.880 --> 0:21:21.920 from teachers because teachers are rarely portrayed in such a 0:21:22.000 --> 0:21:26.760 loving light I think, and obviously funny too, But have 0:21:26.920 --> 0:21:30.760 you heard from a lot of teachers who who say 0:21:30.280 --> 0:21:34.480 they finally feel seen? I'm getting tired of that expression, 0:21:34.520 --> 0:21:36.760 but you know what I mean. I know, I mean 0:21:36.800 --> 0:21:39.960 all the time, all the time, all the time. What 0:21:40.000 --> 0:21:44.560 do you hear from them? It's always thank you, thank 0:21:44.600 --> 0:21:47.280 you for showing what we go through. And you know, 0:21:47.440 --> 0:21:50.640 teachers are interesting because we usually talk about feeling seen 0:21:50.760 --> 0:21:55.960 in terms of like race or sex, um, sexual preferences, sexy, 0:21:56.359 --> 0:21:59.120 but not with like a profession. And I think that's 0:21:59.160 --> 0:22:07.320 what's so unique about teaching is it's this marginalized part 0:22:07.480 --> 0:22:10.520 of the government workforce. You know, we we have to 0:22:10.600 --> 0:22:14.360 have teachers. We have to No one can do anything 0:22:14.480 --> 0:22:17.679 without a teacher. It's just you know, in order for 0:22:17.880 --> 0:22:19.280 me and you and I to sit here and talk, 0:22:19.320 --> 0:22:21.439 we had to learn English. We had to, you know, 0:22:22.640 --> 0:22:28.360 learn so much. And teachers do that and um, they're 0:22:28.359 --> 0:22:33.679 paid so little. There overlooked, they're under appreciated. Um, they 0:22:33.680 --> 0:22:36.680 should be the most revered next to doctor. You know 0:22:36.680 --> 0:22:39.960 what I mean. I couldn't agree with you more so 0:22:42.119 --> 0:22:46.040 more than feeling seen for them, it's it's not like 0:22:46.119 --> 0:22:50.399 seeing like representation. It's appreciation for what they do, you know, 0:22:50.520 --> 0:22:54.240 for their actual work. I think is what they're feeling. 0:22:54.760 --> 0:22:59.600 It's like someone appreciates our work. And now the world 0:22:59.840 --> 0:23:02.320 is starting to appreciate our work more. We're not just 0:23:02.480 --> 0:23:04.960 someone who stands in front of a chalkboard. I would 0:23:04.960 --> 0:23:08.480 always have kids say to me, you know the way 0:23:08.520 --> 0:23:10.520 they my mom was a teacher, so there will be 0:23:10.520 --> 0:23:12.720 other kids in my class who looked at teachers in 0:23:12.760 --> 0:23:14.679 this very foreign way. But to me, I'm like, this 0:23:14.760 --> 0:23:16.760 is my mom. She comes here, she does this job, 0:23:16.800 --> 0:23:19.000 and then she goes home, she makes dinner, she buys 0:23:19.040 --> 0:23:21.320 me clothes, she takes me to church, to cheese. She said, 0:23:21.440 --> 0:23:25.240 she like five other kids. But to them, when you're 0:23:25.240 --> 0:23:27.720 just a student, that's just a teacher, and they they 0:23:27.760 --> 0:23:29.320 do stuff, they get on your nerves, and then they 0:23:29.359 --> 0:23:30.840 go to sleep at the school and then they wake 0:23:30.920 --> 0:23:33.639 up in the morning and they teach you again. And 0:23:34.480 --> 0:23:36.640 I think that that's the way a lot of like 0:23:36.720 --> 0:23:41.240 America unfortunately, looks at teachers. And I think teachers just 0:23:41.320 --> 0:23:43.640 come up to me to tell me, you know, thank 0:23:43.640 --> 0:23:46.240 you for appreciating what they do and knowing that it's 0:23:46.280 --> 0:23:51.840 more than just babysitting and that it's a hard, hard job. Um. 0:23:51.880 --> 0:23:55.840 I'm such an advocate for them being paid more, and 0:23:55.880 --> 0:24:00.280 I I don't know who I have to, like, I 0:24:00.320 --> 0:24:02.399 don't know what we have to do to get them 0:24:02.400 --> 0:24:07.360 paid more, but they just deserve like so much more money, 0:24:07.680 --> 0:24:12.840 especially in under resourced schools like like Abbot Elementary Um, 0:24:13.000 --> 0:24:16.840 which you you focus on in a kind of funny 0:24:17.240 --> 0:24:19.760 but serious way. And I love that you take real 0:24:19.800 --> 0:24:23.119 life issues that educators face but do it in a 0:24:23.200 --> 0:24:27.240 way that is not too heavy handed. Is it challenging 0:24:27.320 --> 0:24:30.840