Sheryl Lee Ralph is ready to keep ringing the school bell on Abbott Elementary for years to come.
With the ABC workplace sitcom heading into its sixth season, the Golden Globe nominee has floated an ambitious benchmark for the show’s future: the longevity of Grey’s Anatomy.
“I look at it like this: If Grey’s Anatomy could be on for 20 years, why can’t we?” Ralph said.
Her comparison comes as Grey’s Anatomy prepares to begin Season 23 on ABC. The drama, which premiered in 2005, returns Oct. 15 at 10/9c and remains the network’s longest-running scripted primetime show.
Ralph’s hopes for Abbott Elementary are rooted in her continuing affection for Barbara Howard, the no-nonsense elementary school teacher she has played across the sitcom’s first five seasons.
“I love Barbara Howard so much,” she said. “I’m not going to tell you I’m tired of her because I’m not tired of her. I want to take this journey with her.”
Ralph is also thinking about how Barbara could evolve if the series continues well beyond its newly confirmed season.
“If this show lasts for five more seasons — that would be 11 seasons now — I would love to still be with her, and just as I continue to grow, I really hope Barbara Howard continues to grow, but it’s all in the hands of Quinta Brunson in the writers’ room,” she added.
A long run would bring practical questions
While Ralph is enthusiastic about remaining with Barbara, Brunson has previously acknowledged that the demands of making Abbott Elementary can affect the cast’s ability to take on other work.
Before the comedy received its Season 6 renewal in March, Brunson said she was “looking forward to moving away” to projects beyond the series.
In earlier comments, she expressed gratitude for the show’s continued audience while explaining the substantial time commitment involved in producing it.
“We are so fortunate and blessed to be on a network TV show for five seasons, and for people to still be fans,” Brunson said last year. “That being said, I have cast members who would love to pursue other projects, and our show is very time-consuming. We shoot about seven months out of the year. That can stop people from being able to do a lot of other things.”
Those comments present a more immediate reality alongside Ralph’s long-term hopes. Although Ralph can envision staying with Barbara for another five seasons — or even seeing Abbott Elementary approach the kind of run achieved by Grey’s Anatomy — she made clear that the character’s path remains dependent on Brunson and the show’s writers.
What Happens Next?
For now, Abbott Elementary is confirmed to return for Season 6 on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 8:30/7:30c on ABC. No run beyond the sixth season has been confirmed in the supplied material.
Ralph, however, has made her own position unmistakable: she is not ready to leave Barbara Howard behind and wants to continue growing alongside the character for as long as the sitcom’s journey allows.