Quinta Brunson, the Brains Behind ABC’s Smash Hit

Quinta Brunson did the impossible: She made broadcast television cool again. In Abbott Elementary, a mockumentary about teachers in Philadelphia, Brunson plays Janine Teagues, a try-hard optimist eager to share her love of teaching despite budget limitations and cynical co-workers. The show delivered the best ratings for a comedy on ABC in three years. Episodes trended on Twitter after each weekly broadcast, even though most viewers caught them on demand. Critics loved the show, too.

Brunson, who started her career by posting funny videos to Instagram, is now a Hollywood star. ABC ordered a second season, which started airing in September. And Brunson, who won an Emmy for writing the show, signed a deal with Warner Bros. Television Group—the studio that makes Abbott Elementary—to create and develop more programming.