Comedy Star of the Year: Quinta Brunson
A proponent of the traditional sitcom for creating Abbott Elementary, Brunson has Hollywood intrigued, but the young comic and recent Emmy winner’s mandate is clear: “I really just want to make a good TV show.”
What’s earned Brunson attention, however, is the fact that what she’s doing is anything but simple. Before ABC launched Abbott in January, the suggestion that broadcast comedy could overwhelmingly win over critics and pull in 7 million weekly viewers across platforms in 2022 would have been impossible.
But, with her mockumentary spin on an underserved Philadelphia grammar school, Brunson has many in Hollywood reassessing what’s possible in this crowded market.
That has led to a flurry of pitches for the sitcom savant to take on extra work, something she’s quick to dismiss. “I’ve narrowed it down,” says Brunson. “If it doesn’t serve Abbott right now, then I feel like I don’t have to do it.”
ABC upped Abbott‘s order to a robust 22 episodes for its sophomore season.
Brunson, chosen by THR as comedy star of the year, is concerned about boundaries, the genre’s shifting landscape and her recent boozy run-in with Paul Rudd.
