With a nearly perfect rating, it’s no surprise that FX andHulu’sunder-the-radar hitEnglish Teacherhas been renewed for Season 2. The offbeat comedy series debuted last September with just eight episodes, but earned such glowing reviews that production on future installments is now expected to begin later this month.
Deadlinereports that FX has officially confirmed thatEnglish Teacherhas been renewed for Season 2. The news followsTV Line’s recentreport that the studio was on the verge of securingEnglishTeacher’s future, with production already slated to resume later this month.
Series creator and executive producer Brian Jordan Alvarezalso stars asEnglish Teacher’s eponymous educator, Evan Marquez, an openly gay high school teacher in Austin, Texas, who must contend with the conservative atmosphere of his workplace along with the everyday challenges of lazy students, frustrated colleagues, and furious parents. The show also features Stephanie Koenig as Evan’s co-worker and friend Gwen Sanders, Enrico Colantoni as worn-down principal Grant Moretti, and Sean Patton as the often inappropriate yet surprisingly endearing gym teacher, Markie.
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FX’s latest original knockout English Teacher is an entertaining comedy taking viewers by storm, but is it just a copy of Abbott Elementary?
Despite attracting a somewhat niche fan base,English Teacher’s debut season was incredibly well-received by critics. The show earned four Independent Spirit Award nominations, including a nomination for Best New Scripted Series, and alsocurrently sits at an impressive 98%on Rotten Tomatoes.
Controversy Almsot PutEnglish Teacher’s Second Season in Jeopardy
EnglishTeacher’s successful debut was marred by one major controversy. A former friend and collaborator of Alvarez, actor Jon Ebeling,accused Alvarez of sexual assaultwhen the two worked together on the 2016 web seriesThe Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo. According to Ebeling, Alvarez pressured him into at least one sexual encounter, which was then used as the basis for the second and third episodes ofCaleb Gallo. Another non-consensual encounter also allegedly occurred on-set during the filming of those episodes.
In response to the allegations, Alvarez has argued that the encounters were all consensual, and described Ebeling as a habitual manipulator. Alvarez’sEnglish Teacherco-star Koenig supported these claims. However, other peers of Alvarez from his time at USC have offered a different view of the actor and writer — one that includes a history of abusing prescription drugs and alcohol, and additional accusations of assault. Alvarez also denied these accusations, saying that he had no recollection of them.
Although Ebeling filed an official report with the Los Angeles Police Department and the Screen Actors Guild, no investigation or trial has taken place. As a result,English Teacherdoesn’t seem to be in any danger of cancellation — although that could change if Alvarez is faced with further accusations, or if an investigation unearths substantial evidence to support Ebeling’s claims.
However,the popularity and immensely positive reviews ofEnglish Teachermay allow the show to continue regardless. Surprisingly, little publicity has surrounded Ebeling’s accusations, meaning thatEnglish Teacher’s reputation remains mostly untainted, and FX would be hard-pressed to cancel such a successful show unless absolutely necessary.
