Quinta Brunson is acknowledging a reality that tends to hit successful TV ensembles sooner or later: when a show runs long enough, the same schedule that keeps it stable can also make it hard for people to do anything else.
In a recent interview tied to the series’ next chapter, Brunson said some Abbott Elementary cast members “would love to pursue other projects,” but the ABC comedy’s production calendar is a major constraint. She noted the show shoots for about seven months each year, limiting the windows for outside work.
The schedule pressure behind a hit network comedy
Unlike shorter streaming shoots, traditional network series often require long production runs—especially when you’re the lead of an ensemble comedy that films across much of the year.
Brunson framed the situation plainly: the show’s success is something the team is grateful for, but the workload can be “very time-consuming,” and that time commitment “can stop people from being able to do a lot of other things.”
Brunson’s comments weren’t presented as a crisis or a behind-the-scenes conflict. Instead, they read like a practical acknowledgment that actors and creatives often want to stretch—films, limited series, stage work, writing projects—once a long-running show has proven itself.
What Brunson said about the show’s future
Brunson has not announced an end date for Abbott Elementary, but she did speak openly about thinking ahead and looking at what she wants to do next beyond playing Janine and running the day-to-day machine of the show.
That nuance matters. Headlines can make it sound like she’s “done,” but the actual message is closer to: this show has been a gift, and it’s also a huge commitment—so it’s normal to plan for what comes after.
The ensemble that made Abbott work
The conversation comes as the series heads toward its fifth season, with the core group widely expected to remain intact: Tyler James Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Janelle James, William Stanford Davis, and Chris Perfetti alongside Brunson.
The show was renewed for Season 5 earlier this year, and previous seasons remain available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
Conclusion
Brunson isn’t throwing cold water on Abbott Elementary—she’s describing the trade-off of a hit: consistent work, long shoots, limited flexibility. And as the show keeps going, it’s reasonable that some cast members will want the breathing room to take on other projects, too.
