Show creator Quinta Brunson and ABC Network are asking the court to drop a copyright infringement lawsuit, according to documents obtained by Radar Online.
Last year, writer Christine Davis filed a lawsuit, accusing the Abbott Elementary creator of copying the concept of her show This School Year. Per the outlet, court documents detailed that Davis felt that the concept and characters in Abbott Elementary were mimicked from her show.
“Without [Davis’] permission, license, authority, or consent, [Brunson & ABC] knowingly and illegal used [Davis’] works to create the Abbott Elementary television show,” the suit reads.
Per the documents, Davis claimed to have written her script in 2018 and registered it with the United States Copyright Office in March 2020. Abbott Elementary premiered on ABC a year later.
Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary series that follows the struggles of inner-city teachers at a public school in Philadelphia. Court documents state that Davis’ This School Year allegedly has a mockumentary style as well, but takes place in a New York public school setting.
The brilliance of the show also gained them many awards, including Emmys.
Comparing her script to Brunson’s, Davis claims the main character in the show is a woman named Ms. David who is a “young, idealistic teacher hoping to get tenure but also trying to convince everyone that the school needs to be reformed.”
Davis claims she took her work to two women named Shavon Sullivan Wright and Cherisse Parks at Blue Park Productions in July 2020. But after multiple meetings, her script went no where. She claims Brunson got a hold of her script and ABC started shooting it in September 2020.
Brunson and ABC not only want the case dismissed, but have their attorney fees paid by the defendant. According to the filing, Brunson’s team says the two works are not comparable.
“Starting with reading the very first page of Plaintiff’s treatment, it is evident that the concept and feel of the works are wholly dissimilar,” Brunson’s legal reps stated in the court documents. “While This School Year begins with a second-grade teacher Ms. Davis, slamming a book against her face at the idea that a new school year is starting, Abbott Elementary begins with a bubbly, positive, and optimistic second grade teacher, Janine Teagues, gushing about how excited she is to be starting another year with her students.”
The filing reportedly continues, “The remainder of the Abbott Elementary story focuses on Ms. Teagues and her colleagues doing everything they can to support their students despite the lack of resources and administrative support, while This School Year is much more cynical and is focused on the displeasure of the teachers at the prospect of teaching at P.S. 311.”
Brunson’s attorney argued, “the characters of the works are not similar either. [Davis] characterizes the protagonists of the two shows, Ms. Davis and Ms. Teagues, as ‘ambitious, young, motivated, and naïve characters,’ but in This School Year, Ms. Davis is already jaded about the inner workings of her school.”
“Ms. Davis is often miserable, seen literally screaming ‘from the top of her lungs’ and throwing a book in despair …By contrast, if there was one word to describe Ms. Teagues, it would be ‘enthused.’”
A ruling hasn’t been made it the case as of yet.
Abbott Elementary stars Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, and Chris Perfetti.
The show is in it’s second season and airs on ABC Wednesdays at 9/8c. It’s also available on multiple streaming services including Hulu, Prime Video, HBOMax, and YouTube. Be sure to check out season 2 finale show.
What do y’all think? Do you see any similarities in the scripts?
