'Abbott Elementary' Season 2 earns highest viewership for an ABC comedy in three years

In its sophomore season, not only did "Abbott Elementary" delve deeper into its beloved characters and film in Philadelphia for the first time, it also hit record-high viewership marks for ABC.

"Abbott Elementary," Quinta Brunson's Emmy-winning sitcom set in a Philly public school, earned the biggest audience for an ABC comedy in three years during its second season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Based on 35-day, multi-platform ratings, "Abbott Elementary" averaged 9.1 million viewers per episode, according to THR. This is the best viewership for an ABC comedy since "Modern Family" and "The Conners" during the 2019-2020 season. "Abbott Elementary" also earned a 3.57 rating among adults 18 through 49 years old, which is the best for any series on ABC this season.

In its second season, "Abbott Elementary" grew by 12 percent in total viewers, and was up by 30 percent in the 18 to 49 demographic. Streaming, along with viewing outside the seven-day window of the episodes' premiere dates, accounts for about 57 percent of the sitcom’s total audience.

This isn't the first time "Abbott Elementary" has drawn comparisons to "Modern Family." The Season 2 premiere of the sitcom, which aired in September, became ABC's highest-rated comedy telecast in three years, since the series finale of "Modern Family" in April 2020. 

The second season of "Abbott Elementary" dove deeper into the teachers' lives outside school. For instance, the family life of Janine (Brunson) was explored, with big-name guest stars like Taraji P. Henson and Ayo Edebiri joining the cast as Janine's mother and sister, respectively.

Janine's will-they-won't-they relationship with coworker Gregory (Tyler James Williams) also hit the ground running. The season ended with a field trip to the Franklin Institute, marking the first time the series filmed in Philly. It was on that field trip that Gregory and Janine finally had a heart-to-heart about their feelings for each other.

Looking ahead, the series has already been renewed for a third season, but production on the season may be pushed back amid the ongoing Hollywood writers strike. Until then, "Abbott Elementary" Seasons 1 and 2 can be streamed on Hulu.