This year’s holiday episode of Abbott Elementary shows Jacob being in charge of the annual Winter Show — for now.
In Us Weekly’s exclusive clip from the Wednesday, December 10, episode of the hit ABC series, Jacob (Chris Perfetti) prepares to work on the celebration with Gregory’s (Tyler James Williams) help.
“I hope Jack Frost has 401K matching because he is working overtime,” Jacob quips as Gregory notes that they wouldn’t both be working on the show, saying, “I know you assigned it to both of us but I didn’t want to do it.”
Jacob, meanwhile, is excited to take on the responsibility. “I really wanted to do it,” he adds.
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After Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) reminds them how high expectations will be, Gregory makes it clear he wasn’t involved. “All decisions were made by Jacob,” Gregory clarifies. “I didn’t weigh in because I do not care.”
Jacob promises a “whole vibe shift” with his vision, which quickly makes Gregory change his tune. The first-grade teacher questions Jacob’s music choices before walking back his thoughts on the matter.
According to the official synopsis, Jacob “takes the lead on organizing Abbott’s annual Winter Show” in Wednesday’s episode while Janine (Quinta Brunson) celebrates her 30th birthday.
Abbott Elementary, which debuted in 2021, focuses on teachers in a Philadelphia public school. After premiering on ABC, the sitcom quickly became critically acclaimed and picked up many accolades, including Golden Globe and Emmy awards.
In addition to Perfetti, 36, and Williams, 33, Abbott Elementary stars Brunson, 35, Walter, 62, Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph and William Stanford Davis.
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Before season 5 premiered, Perfetti reflected on how the show has found ways to introduce fresh story lines.
“We can’t really make people laugh with the same jokes over and over again. So it’s always been a priority of our writers to try and delve deeper into who these people are,” he exclusively told Us in October 2024. “[For example] when you meet [a character’s] family, you just get to show and paint with all of these colors that we’re not really used to seeing.”
Perfetti continued: “I’m just so glad that we’re doing it because a sitcom is kind of like a trap for two dimensionality. So keeping it fresh and keeping it relatable and keeping it real while keeping it funny is obviously very helped by our mockumentary format. But it’s always been a top priority.”
Abbott Elementary airs on ABC Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET and is available to stream on Hulu the next day.
