For a longstanding comedy series like ABC ‘s Abbott Elementary , creator Quinta Brunson faces the challenge every season of expanding characters’ backstories and keeping things interesting for those who have watched since Season 1. One of the ways Season 5 faced that challenge was taking the familiar squad of teachers to an abandoned mall for a couple episodes. Brunson took inspiration from real-life situations in L.A. schools after the wildfires in 2025. “I’m inspired a lot by what is happening with actual schools,” Brunson said during Deadline’s Contenders TV panel. “I learned about many schools going into malls. It happened here [in L.A.], actually, with the fires. A school where a friend of mine worked, they wound up in an old Sears because their school burned down in the fires.” RELATED: Full Coverage Of Deadline’s Contenders TV Event Another way Philadelphia culture was incorporated in Season 5 was through baseball with the staff of the titular elementary school attending a Phillies game.…