William Stanford Davis played the eccentric custodian Mr. Johnson in the hit first season of Abbott Elementary and he's now been promoted to series regular! The show, which was created by Quinta Brunson, who also stars in the series as Janine Teagues, has garnered much support and praise throughout its first season. It resulted in the series racking up a number of Emmy nominations both for acting and for the show as a whole, all of which is beyond deserved. The series is a wonderfully fun and heartwarming show that does tackle big issues like funding for our public school system, but it's still incredibly hilarious and sweet to watch.
Along with Brunson, the show gained 7 Emmy nominations including Outstanding Casting For a Comedy Series, an Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nomination for Brunson, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series nominations for Janelle James as Ava Coleman (the school's principle) as well as a nomination for Sheryl Lee Ralph who plays Barbara Howard, a fellow teacher who Janine loves. The show also got nominations for Outstanding Comedy, Outstanding Comedy Writing, and another acting nomination for Tyler James Williams who plays Gregory Eddie, the potential love interest to Brunson's Janine.
While Standford Davis was not a major player in Season 1, his character made a lasting mark with fans as he was in charge of fixing the school — which Janine always seemed to make worse — as well as watching the kids who didn't get to go on the class field trips. He was funny, smart, and a character much like that of Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation that might not be a major player but quickly became a fan favorite. So it's nice to know that we will be seeing more of him in Season 2!
Abbott Elementary filled the hole in our hearts that shows like Parks and Recreation and The Office previously filled. It is a workplace mockumentary that gives us characters who are far from perfect, and yet we've fallen in love with them anyway. These teachers are trying and sure, they're not doing the best of jobs, but it's clear they care. It's why whenever Janine does something that might be "annoying" or overbearing for the other characters in the show, we, as the audience, want her to succeed because we know what it's like to have that teacher who does want better for her students.
Abbott Elementary is getting the praise it deserves and if that means more of Mr. Johnson in the future, then that's better for us all! Check out Mr. Johnson in a moment from Season 1 below: