Even many great sitcoms struggle to justify big-name cameos as anything more than a ratings grab, butAbbott Elementaryseason 4 fixed this issue after earlier outings fell victim to the unfortunate trend.Abbott Elementary’s cast of charactersare reliably hilarious, and the show’s stars don’t need any outside help when it comes to getting laughs from its sizable audience.
That said, it is natural for a popular sitcom to attract some stars in cameo roles. In its first two seasons,The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri andEmpire’s Taraji P. Henson played the sister and mother ofQuinta Brunson’sAbbott Elementaryheroine Janine, respectively. This was an ingenious use of big-name guest stars as Janine’s family revealed more about her personality and upbringing.
As such, although these cameos were impressive in terms of their star power, they also served the series as a whole. Viewers emerged from these episodes not only surprised to see a famous face on the show, but also understanding Janine more thoroughly than before. This sidestepped an issue that many sitcom cameos face, and one thatAbbott Elementaryseason 3 later struggled with.
Many Sitcoms Fail To Justify Big-Name Cameos
A Lot of Famous Sitcom Guest Stars Fell Into This Trap
A lot of sitcom cameos are straight-up pointless, and evenAbbott Elementaryisn’t immune to this issue. FromFriendstoHow I Met Your MothertoThe Big Bang TheorytoNew Girl, there are countless examples of sitcoms bringing in superstars for cameos that ultimately add nothing to the show.
Perhaps the most infamous instance of this phenomenon isFriendsseason 8, episode 9, “The One with the Rumor,” wherein Brad Pitt played Ross’s old school friend Will Colbert.Pitt’sFriendscameowasn’t devoid of laughs, but it did jar with the established world of the series and feel like an obvious attempt to shoehorn in a major guest star.
Although both Britney Spears episodes ofHow I Met Your Motherwere strong and Spears provided a charming, funny performance, the A-list cameo still unavoidably overshadowed the rest of the show’s story.
Similarly, Britney Spears appeared in two episodes ofHow I Met Your Mother, playing the receptionist at Ted’s dermatologist’s office. Although both these episodes were strong and Spears provided a charming, funny performance, the A-list cameo still unavoidably overshadowed the rest of the show’s story.
An even more striking case of this issue arose inNew Girlseason 3, episode 14, aptly titled “Prince,” wherein the R&B legend played himself in an extended cameo. LikeSpears’ cameo inHow I Met Your Mother, this gag was perfectly funny but derailed the storyline of its episode, so the outing soon became about its big-name cameo.
Chris Perfetti
Jacob Hill
In contrast, Taylor Swift’s momentary cameo inNew Girl’s season 2 finale was stronger, as her tiny supporting role was a funny way to cap a long-running storyline. The revelation that CeCe’s betrothed also had a secret love he wanted to marry was already funny, so revealing that she was played by Swift was merely an inspired extra touch.
Earlier Seasons of Abbott Elementary Struggled With A-List Cameos
Season 3’s Bradley Cooper and Kevin Hart Appearances Were Particularly Pointless
AlthoughAbbott Elementaryseason 1 was laser-focused on character development, the show understandably loosened up as it continued. This wasn’t a bad thing, as seasons 2 and 3 offered new insights into the show’s supporting stars and fleshed out subplots that weren’t centered by earlier outings.
However, it also meant thatAbbott Elementaryseason 3’s big-name celebrity cameos were somewhat pointless. These appearances weren’t even unfunny, but they did feel utterly removed from the established world of the show. The classic sitcom cameo problem of A-list casting overshadowing the cast’s usual chemistry was worsened by how random these gags seemed.
Abbott Elementaryis available to stream on Hulu.
For instance,Abbott Elementary’s heroine Janinebecoming convinced that Kevin Hart was her biological father could have been a poignant way to explore her abandonment issues and her distant relationship with her mother. However, from the moment she voiced this thought, viewers were waiting for the inevitable cameo appearance from Hart himself.
Bradley Cooper appearing as himself in a random school child’s show and tell felt more like an excuse to cram in an A-list cameo than an organic storytelling choice.
Similarly, Bradley Cooper could have played a guest role on the show, like those played by Josh Segarra, Lana Condor, or Mike O’Malley. However, the actor appearing as himself in a random school child’s show and tell, and awkwardly standing around as the awed classroom stared, felt more like an excuse to cram in an A-list cameo than an organic storytelling choice.
Luckily,Abbott Elementary learned its lesson after season 3. Although these cameos were undeniably impressive,Abbott Elementary’s Ava bringing Questloveto Ava Fest was a far funnier gag. Crucially, this appearance felt earned, as supporting characters spent the entire preceding episode debating whether Ava really knew Questlove or if she was lying for clout.
Abbott Elementary’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Crossover Fixed This Perennial Sitcom Problem
Abbott Elementary’s Crossover Proved Surprise Cameos Can Work
Clearly, there’s a lot of hype aroundAbbott Elementary, judging by season 3’s cameos and season 4’s crossover withIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This makes sense, since the series is one of the most acclaimed comedies on television right now. Crucially, however,Abbott Elementaryseason 4 was the first outing to marry major A-list cameos with storytelling that felt rooted in the show’s world.
Brunson promised that season 4’s crossover would make television history, and she didn’t disappoint, bringing the stars of FX’s iconic R-rated sitcom into the family-friendly world of Abbott Elementary.
WhileAbbott Elementary’sIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiacrossovertook months to pull off, thanks to the scheduling of the two shows, it was well worth the wait. Brunson promised that season 4’s crossover would make television history, and she didn’t disappoint, bringing the stars of FX’s iconic R-rated sitcom into the family-friendly world ofAbbott Elementary.
Where season 3 just showed off some random stars,season 4’s big crossover event brought together a group of A-list stars to make TV history. The cast ofIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiaare in high demand on the big and small screens with projects likeHigh Potentialand theSuper Mario Brosmovies, but this didn’t stop them from prioritizing Abbott.
Abbott Elementary’sIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiacrossover bodes well for season 5 as it proves the ABC sitcom is putting the show’s creative freedom to good use. The crossover was a textbook example of sitcom cameos benefiting a show, as the earlier hit sitcom’s main cast members elevated the outing.
From start to finish, the crossover made incredible use of the entireIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiacrew with not a moment of wasted screen time. Thus, although earlier seasons were seduced by the allure of cameos that were more showy than necessary, this crossover proved the series found a way to make A-list guest appearances work forAbbott Elementary.
