Abby's
Abby's is an American NBC sitcom about a former Marine who operates an unlicensed backyard bar in San Diego.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Abby's was an American situation comedy created by Josh Malmuth for NBC. The series centered on Abby, a bisexual Latina former Marine sergeant who converted the backyard of her San Diego home into an unlicensed bar. The informal establishment operated according to Abby's personal rules and attracted a recurring group of friends, neighbors, and regular customers. The ensemble included Bill, the engineer and new landlord who initially objected to the bar; Beth, a lawyer-turned-housewife and committed patron; James, a reluctant and conflict-averse bouncer; Rosie Consari, Abby's longtime friend and bar-back; and Fred Herbert, a bail bondsman who had known Abby since childhood and served as a father figure. The program was developed by Malmuth, a San Diego native, with executive producers Mike Schur and David Miner. Its premise and visual style were influenced in part by Bacchanal, a New Orleans wine bar known for its outdoor patio, string lights, live music, and indoor-outdoor seating. The San Diego setting was central to the show's identity, while production took place at Universal City Studios. The series was notable for being filmed largely on an outdoor set, reflecting the open-air character of Abby's backyard venue. NBC first committed to a put pilot for the then-untitled project in September 2017. The network ordered a pilot in January 2018 and later commissioned the project to series in May of that year. Pamela Fryman directed the pilot. Natalie Morales was cast as Abby in February 2018, followed the next month by Nelson Franklin, Jessica Chaffin, Leonard Ouzts, Neil Flynn, and Kimia Behpoornia in regular roles. Abby's premiered on March 28, 2019, as a spring midseason replacement. It ran for one season and aired through June 13, 2019. NBC canceled the series in May 2019, before the final episode had aired. Contemporary critical reception was mixed: Rotten Tomatoes recorded a 73% approval rating from 15 reviews, while Metacritic reported a score of 60 out of 100 from 15 critics. Reviews commonly recognized the cast, particularly Morales, while questioning the consistency of the early humor and the development of the bar's central conflicts. Because the show ended after one season, Abby's remained a short-lived television property rather than an ongoing consumer brand.
History
Abby's originated as a television comedy project developed by writer Josh Malmuth, who was born in San Diego. The concept focused on a former Marine who ran an informal bar from her backyard, allowing the series to combine a traditional ensemble sitcom structure with an unusual, mostly outdoor setting. Malmuth drew inspiration from Bacchanal, a New Orleans wine bar recognized for its patio, string lighting, music stage, and mixed indoor-outdoor layout. That influence helped shape the show's central location as a social venue rather than a conventional domestic living room or commercial bar. NBC awarded the then-untitled project a put pilot commitment on September 22, 2017. Malmuth wrote the pilot and was attached to executive-produce it with Mike Schur and David Miner. The proposed production companies included Universal Television, Fremulon, and 3 Arts Entertainment. NBC moved forward with a formal pilot order on January 23, 2018, and Pamela Fryman was announced as pilot director shortly afterward. Casting began with Natalie Morales, who was announced as the lead on February 22, 2018. She played Abby, a bisexual Latina former Marine sergeant and the owner of the unlicensed backyard bar. In March 2018, Nelson Franklin, Jessica Chaffin, Leonard Ouzts, Neil Flynn, and Kimia Behpoornia joined as regular cast members. Their characters formed the bar's core social circle: Bill was Abby's new landlord and an initially disapproving engineer; Beth was a loyal customer and former lawyer; James worked as the bouncer despite disliking confrontation; Rosie was Abby's oldest friend and bar-back; and Fred was a bail bondsman with a longstanding paternal relationship with Abby. NBC ordered the project to series on May 8, 2018. The network announced that it would serve as a spring 2019 midseason replacement, later setting the premiere for March 28. Production was filmed at Universal City Studios, but the series was designed to look and feel largely outdoors. This production choice reinforced the premise that Abby's bar was an improvised, semi-private gathering place governed by its owner's rules. The show's setting and premise also created a recurring source of potential conflict through the bar's lack of a formal license and Bill's position as Abby's landlord. The series aired from March 28 through June 13, 2019. NBC announced its cancellation on May 30, 2019, after one season. The cancellation occurred before the broadcast run had concluded. Critical response was neither strongly negative nor broadly enthusiastic. Rotten Tomatoes listed a 73% approval rating based on 15 reviews, with an average score of 6.01 out of 10. Metacritic gave the series 60 out of 100 from 15 critics, characterized as mixed or average. Reviews generally regarded the cast, especially Morales, as a strength, while finding that the early episodes did not consistently deliver strong comedy or develop the bar's legal and interpersonal tensions in depth. With no second season commissioned, Abby's concluded as a single-season network sitcom.
- 2019
Series premiere
[1]Abby's premiered on NBC on March 28.
- 2019
Cancellation after one season
[1]NBC canceled the series in May; its final episode aired June 13.
- 2018
Pilot ordered
[1]NBC formally ordered a pilot for the project in January.
- 2018
Series order announced
[1]NBC gave the comedy a series order in May and positioned it for a spring midseason launch.
- 2017
NBC gives the project a put pilot commitment
[1]NBC committed to develop Josh Malmuth's then-untitled comedy pilot.
Products and positioning
A character-driven network sitcom built around an unconventional open-air neighborhood bar, an ensemble of recurring patrons, and a San Diego setting.
Sitcom television series · 2019
Abby's
A single-season NBC sitcom created by Josh Malmuth. The story follows Abby, a former Marine sergeant who operates an unlicensed bar in her San Diego backyard. The ensemble comedy uses the bar as its principal setting and explores the relationships among Abby, her customers, friends, landlord, and employees.
Brand decisions
2019
NBC cancels the series after one seasonOtherBackground
Abby's received mixed critical reviews and completed a single-season broadcast run.
Action taken
NBC canceled the sitcom in May 2019 rather than commissioning a second season.
Aftermath
The series ended after one season, with its final episode broadcast on June 13, 2019.
Recent events
- 2019
Abby's premieres on NBC[1]
Product launch
The sitcom premiered on March 28, 2019.
- 2019
NBC cancels Abby's after one season[1]
Other
NBC canceled the series in May 2019 after a single season; the final episode aired on June 13, 2019.
- 2018
NBC orders the Abby's pilot[1]
Product launch
NBC formally ordered a pilot for the developing comedy in January 2018.
- 2018
NBC orders Abby's to series[1]
Product launch
The network commissioned Abby's as a series in May 2018 and planned it as a spring midseason replacement.
- 2017
NBC orders an untitled Josh Malmuth pilot[1]
Other
NBC gave a put pilot commitment to the project that later became Abby's.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/abbys · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled