Key Takeaways
- Janelle James will make her hour-long comedy-special debut with How Romantic, tackling body counts, bank accounts, and why women should wrestle men.
- The longtime comic and Abbott Elementary scene-stealer previously released the album Black and Mild and appeared in Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup and The Standups.
- Janelle James: How Romantic premieres on Netflix Tuesday, Nov. 10, shortly before Abbott Elementary celebrates its 100th episode at Disneyland.
From the school to the stage, Janelle James is set for her big hour-long comedy debut.
On Monday, Oct. 19, Netflix announced that the Abbott Elementary scene-stealer will perform in her first-ever hour-long comedy special. According to a logline from Netflix, the special, titled How Romantic, will see James discuss “everything from body counts and bank accounts to why women should wrestle men.”
Long before James played the absent-minded but loving Principal Ava Coleman on Abbott Elementary, she was touring as a comic beginning in the late 2000s. She had previously opened for Chris Rock, and released a comedy album called Black and Mild in 2017. She has also previously appeared on Netflix’s short comedy specials The Comedy Lineup and The Standups. As Abbott Elementary launched James into household name status, she’s appeared in other movies and shows, like One of Them Days and Central Park. James is currently developing a series called Rock City for Hulu alongside Happy Endings creator David Caspe.
In a preview clip for How Romantic, James jokes about the idea of men wanting guns to protect themselves from other men, as men are seemingly aware of how dangerous they are. “We not scared of the bogeywoman,” James says in the clip. “She sounds like fun!”
James is currently delivering laughs in Abbott’s sixth season, but also delivering some heartfelt moments. In the most recent episode, Principal Coleman offers reassurance to a student whose parents are going through a divorce. The comedy special is set to premiere shortly before the 100th episode of Abbott Elementary, which will take place at Disneyland — a rite of passage for iconic ABC sitcoms.
But in the meantime, as we count down to the milestone, fans can look forward to laughs in the sneak peek above.
Janelle James: How Romantic premieres on Netflix Tuesday, Nov. 10.
