On the surface, HBO's "Somebody Somewhere" and ABC's "Abbott Elementary" do not appear to be part of the same entertainment universe. The former is an ambling premium-cable dramedy set in small-town Kansas, while the latter is a cheerful network sitcom set in an urban elementary school in Philadelphia. The genial "Abbott Elementary" is family friendly, and the F-bomb flinging "Somebody Somewhere" is really, really not.
However, there is a place where the lost denizens of Manhattan, Kansas, can happily meet and mingle with the underpaid, overtaxed teachers of Abbott Elementary. And that place is right in the middle of your heart.
In the bear-hug dispensing spirit of "Ted Lasso" and the sweetly wry tradition of "Parks and Recreation," these new TV arrivals are welcome reminders that there is room in our pop-culture lives for recognizably flawed human beings doing the best they can under authentically challenging circumstances. And best of all, they manage to be very, very funny while they are doing it.
