Jim Gardner makes appearance in ABC's new sitcom 'Abbott Elementary'
"He's fantastic. It was so sweet. I almost passed out I was so star-struck," said Quinta Brunson.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Action News' very own Jim Gardner made a heartwarming cameo in the pilot episode of ABC's "Abbott Elementary."
The brand new comedy is set locally in a Philadelphia public school.
It's the brainchild of Quinta Brunson, a West Philadelphia native who created the show and stars in it too.
RELATED: 'Abbott Elementary' debuts on 6abc with nods to West Philadelphia
Brunson said she is a huge fan of Jim's and was giddy he agreed to be in the episode.
"He's fantastic. It was so sweet. I almost passed out I was so star-struck," she said.
In the episode, a group of teachers discuss how they can't get through their day without watching Action News.
One teacher even seems to have a crush on Jim.
"I'm a proud, married, Christian woman, and I love my husband, but there is something about that Jim Gardner, that non-region diction," she said.
Brunson says she's a product of the Philadelphia public school system, where her mother taught for four decades.
While the show is comical, it also teaches some tough lessons about the state of education.
"Abbott Elementary" returns with an all-new episode on Jan. 4 at 9 p.m. on 6abc.
