Back in January, one of my daughters sent me the text you see at the left there.

It was a great day.

I had been wanting to watch Abbott Elementary for years.

A few years ago I watched the pilot with Kathy and couldn't get her to commit.

I tried to get others to watch and was unsuccessful. I half-heartedly watched the second episode at some point and lost steam because no one was watching it with me.

Then my daughter texted and I started again. I watched with two of my daughters - we’d watch a couple together on the weekend and then have ‘homework’ during the week (that’s not an intentional school-based show pun, but it works so I’ll keep it), watching a few epsisodes by ourselves until the ones we watched together again on the weekend.

It was a good way to binge watch without binging all day, and it wasn’t an overwhelming task - we thought we might be able to catch up to the currently-airing season. (We started this around the time of the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover episode. I think I saw the commercials during the NFL Playoffs.)

This weekend, we finally caught up to real-time, just in time for tonight’s season finale. (Which we probably won’t watch until the weekend.)

I love the show.

Years ago when I was more creative I thought an elementary school-based television show would be great. One where it followed kids through the years, with a focus on certain classrooms and teachers.

I get a little jealous at how good Abbott Elementary is because it takes that kind of format way beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

It’s so good.

I love how there are continuing little jokes that are subtlely brought back in random episodes, rewarding loyal viewers.

There’s incredible character growth, and those students who are, all told, a small part of the show, keep coming back in different important ways over the course of the show. (I can’t find evidence online so I’m going to choose to believe this: There’s a little kid who dresses as Mr. Johnson for Halloween in, I think, the first season, and another older kid who does a project about Mr. Johnson in a later season…and I’m choosing to believe that’s the same kid.)

The school situations in the show are all realistic - every teacher can relate to every situation.

And I love (especially given my current job) how each season ends with a field trip.

There’s a part of me that’s glad I don’t just sit around watching TV all of the time with my kids.

But part of me has wanted to watch something as a family because that’s something my family did so much growing up.

It’s nice to finally have something to watch together, even if it’s not the entire family.

And there’s really no more perfect show to watch together as a family than Abbott Elementary.