One upcoming new medical comedy may be the reason a belovedAbbott Elementarycharacter needs to be written out for season 5, making their return impossible.Abbott Elementary’s castwas always among the features that made the sitcom stand out, and the possibility that the comedy may lose one is always daunting. A new Fox series may nevertheless cause that.
While centering on the teachers and principal at the Willard R. Abbott Public School,Abbott Elementaryalways included several guest starsin various capacities. With the story often focusing on a student, their parents appear occasionally. However, a major player inAbbott Elementary’s story has always been the school district, making some of its employees regularly part of the story.
Josh Segarra Joins Fox’s Medical Series, Best Medicine
Segarra Will Play Sheriff Mark Mylow In Fox’s Medical Comedy
Josh Segarra appeared 12 times inAbbott Elementaryseasons 3 and 4 as Manny Rivera. His school district team, including Simon and Emily, convinced Janine to join them at the district to bring the teachers’ perspective and make her students’ lives better from afar. Even after Janine returned to Abbott Elementary, Manny’s role within the district meant he often reappeared.
However,Segarra’s new role as Sheriff Mark Mylow in Fox’s upcoming medical comedyBest Medicinemight make it harder for him to play Manny inAbbott Elementary, raising a question of whether season 5 writes Manny out.Segarra joinsBest Medicineas a series regularalongside Josh Charles, Abigail Spencer and Annie Potts, making his role bigger in Fox’s comedy.
Best Medicineis set to focus on Charles’ Martin Best, a hotshot surgeon with an illustrious career in Boston who chooses to move to an East Coast fishing village where he spent time as a child. There, he will butt heads with the village inhabitants due to his appallingly rude bedside manner, especially with Spencer’s local school teacher, Louisa Glasson.
An unlikely love triangle will include both Martin and Mark once Martin and Mark’s ex-girlfriend Louisa grow closer.
Martin’s connection to the village will also include Potts’ Aunt Joan, a strong and sturdy lobster woman with a big heart underneath her stern demeanor, and Fox’s comedy series is also set to tackle the secret reason behind their losing touch over the years. Between that and Martin’s “deep-seated psychological issues,”Best Medicinewill have plenty of storylines to explore.
Segarra’s Mark is set to be one of the first to welcome Martin. Described as a “loveable, open-hearted lawman” who is not the brightest but knows the town “like the back of his hand,” Mark will be excited to befriend Martin. However, an unlikely love triangle will include both Martin and Mark once Martin and Mark’s ex-girlfriend Louisa grow closer.
Josh Segarra
Sheriff Mark Mylow
Based on the10-season UK seriesDoc Martin,Best Medicinereceived a straight-to-series order and is a co-production of Fox and Warner Bros. TV.It has yet to be revealed whenBest Medicinewill premiere on Fox, or whether its release date will be part of Fox’s Fall schedule or midseason one, but its episodes are set to be hour-long.
Starring In A Network Show Will Make Segarra’s Return To Abbott Elementary Almost Impossible
TV’s Schedule Makes It Difficult To Appear In More Than One Network Show
Segarra’s series regular role inBest Medicinemakes it difficult for him to play Manny. Granted,Manny’s role wouldn’t need to have a big presence inAbbott Elementaryseason 5, as the school’s dealings with the district are much fewer now that Janine doesn’t work for them anymore. Still, Segarra’s Manny nevertheless appeared in fourAbbott Elementaryseason 4 episodes.
Segarra joiningBest Medicineas a series regular is a massive step up compared to his role as Manny inAbbott Elementary, where he only appeared in a guest starring capacity.
WithBest MedicineandAbbott Elementarybeing network TV shows, they roughly follow the same packed schedule. Indeed,Abbott Elementaryseason 5is set to begin production in July 2025 and is usually filmed in Los Angeles, whileBest Medicineis set to go into production in summer 2025 in upstate New York. This makes appearing in both almost impossible.
Why Losing Segarra’s Manny In Abbott Elementary Is Disappointing
Manny Is Likeable & Was Instrumental In Various Plots In Abbott Elementary Seasons 3 & 4
Manny’s role inAbbott Elementarywas never central, as the premise of the mockumentary workplace comedy hinged on following the team at the public school. However, his arrival shifted things for the better inAbbott Elementaryseason 3. Indeed,if Abbott’s teachers were always wary of trusting the district, they found an ally in Manny.
Manny and Janine’s collaboration did great things for Abbott Elementaryand the other schools in the area,showing that the district could work in the service of the schools if good ideas were implemented. Indeed, without Manny recommending Janine, the librarians in the library initiative would have never taken off, making their cooperation completely necessary.
Manny’s energetic and optimistic attitude made him a character that was fun to be around, even when he seemingly threatenedAbbott Elementary’s main couple.If it wasn’t for Gregory perceiving Manny as a threat, being sure he and Janine were dating,who knows how long it would have taken him to admit his feelings for Janine and act on them.
Abbott Elementaryseason 4 is available to stream on Hulu domestically and Disney+ internationally.
Even after he helped set up Janine and Gregory as a couple,Manny was the first to be on Abbott’s sidewhen they were accused of taking unsanctioned donations. When he was proved wrong, he still helped them get Ava reinstated. With Manny not there inAbbott Elementaryseason 5, the teachers lose their biggest ally.
Abbott Elementary
Cast
Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary comedy series centered around a group of dedicated teachers at a struggling public school in Philadelphia. The show highlights their efforts to overcome bureaucratic challenges and underfunding, while showcasing their commitment to making a positive impact on their students' lives.
Best Medicine
Best Medicine follows Martin Best, a talented surgeon who leaves his prestigious position in Boston to work as a general practitioner in a small East Coast fishing village from his childhood. His brusque demeanor causes friction with the eccentric locals, leading to tensions despite being the town’s sole physician.
