Image via Disney/Gilles Mingasson
Published Jan 28, 2026, 12:00 PM EST
Abbott Elementary has made a big change to the school in recent episodes as they held class in a mall until Abbott was back in action. Now that the teachers are heading back to their typical classrooms, naturally they have another issue to deal with: Picture day. Today, Collider is delighted to bring you a sneak peek from Season 5, Episode 12, "Picture Day." In our early look at tonight's episode, the teachers are caught off guard when Ava (Janelle James) forgets to give them any notice for picture day.
Our exclusive sneak peek shows rain pouring down in Philadelphia, making the staff miserable when they walk into Abbott. Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) has mascara streaking her face, Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) needs to fix her hair, and they all look like they swam into school. Except for Ava, who looks picture-perfect but conveniently forgot to let the staff know that the photographer was coming to school for the ever-dreaded picture day. She also admits to forgetting to give them paychecks and more. The episode is described as follows: "When picture day catches the teachers at Abbott by surprise, chaos ensues."
Abbott Elementary has kicked off the year in epic fashion, with James taking home an award at the Critics' Choice Awards for her work on the series, as well as the show still getting numerous nominations. The rest of the cast includes creator Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Chris Perfetti, and more. While the show has taken us out of the halls of Abbott for a lot of this season, it is going to be great to return to the classroom once again!
'Abbott Elementary' Is Keeping the Mockumentary Alive
Abbott Elementary, for a lot of comedy fans, is the embodiment of an entire subgenre. The "mockumentary" style of comedy used to be huge on comedy Thursdays. Both The Office and Parks and Recreation would air back-to-back, and since their conclusions, it is a style that hasn't really been picked up outside of Abbott Elementary. We now have The Paper, but the Peacock series is a spin-off of The Office. So Abbott Elementary is keeping the love and appreciation for the subgenre alive, which is part of why the show still has such a dedicated fanbase.
You can see the teachers tackle "Picture Day" in the new episode of Abbott Elementary tonight at 8:30 PM ET on ABC. Stay tuned at Collider for more.
Release Date December 7, 2021
English (US) ·