‘Jennifer Hudson’ To Attend ‘Abbott Elementary’

'Jennifer Hudson' will chat with Chris Perfetti (l.), Quinta Brunson during the show's 'Abbott Elementary' week.
'Jennifer Hudson' will chat with Chris Perfetti (l.), Quinta Brunson during the show's 'Abbott Elementary' week. (Image credit: Disney/Gilles Mingasson)

The Jennifer Hudson Show will spend the week of April 8 with the cast of ABC’s Emmy-winning comedy, Abbott Elementary. 

Series star and creator and multiple Emmy-winner Quinta Brunson, who plays optimistic second-grade teacher Jeanine Teagues at the fictional Philadelphia school, will kick off the week on Monday, sitting down with Hudson in the show’s Burbank, California, studio. Also appearing that day is Deanna Dixon, known on social media as “The Rideshare Queen.” Dixon’s viral videos boast more than 20 million views and include carpool karaoke, cab confessions and personal chat.

Tyler James Williams, who stars as fellow teacher Gregory Eddie, shows up on Tuesday along with Dorian Missick, who stars in Netflix’s new movie, Shirley, about Black Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s historic run for president in 1972.  Janelle James, who plays Principal Ava Coleman, and William Stanford Davis, also known as the school janitor, Mr. Johnson, come by on Wednesday. 

Thursday brings Emmy-winner Sheryl Lee Ralph, who stars as kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard, and Chris Perfetti, who plays eighth-grade teacher Jacob Hill. Finally, Lisa Ann Water, who stars as the questionably-connected second-grade teacher Melissa Schemmenti, drops by on Friday.

Besides the cast appearances, Jennifer Hudson is launching an Abbott Elementary-themed Watch and Win sweepstakes, also starting Monday. Participants can win a bundle of Abbott Elementary merchandise as well as a poster signed by Jennifer Hudson.

Produced by JHUD Productions and Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Telepictures and distributed in national syndication by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, The Jennifer Hudson Show is executive produced by EGOT-winner Hudson, who also serves as host, along with Mary Connelly, Andy Lassner, Corey Palent, Graehme Morphy and Walter Williams III.  The Jennifer Hudson Show is renewed for a third season on the Fox Television Stations and across the country.

Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.