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.…