New Series "English Teacher" on FX scores a high grade in premiere.
FX’s English Teacher is a comedy series created by Brian Jordan Alvarez, in which he stars as “Evan Marquez,” a high school teacher in Austin, Texas who often finds himself at the intersection of the personal, professional and political aspects of working at a high school. The series premiered with 2 episodes on September 2, 2024 at 10 p.m. Episodes will air weekly on Mondays on FX and stream the next day on Hulu.
The series kicked off a double episode premiere with flying colors and high marks. This series is witty, dicey, sharp, and hearty. Mr. Marquez wants to be a principled person but often runs into trouble because of it. By Evan’s side at Morrison-Hensley High is his friend group of other teachers. Chief among them is his best friend “Gwen Sanders” (Stephanie Koenig), the eager and optimistic history teacher who tends to see the best in people, even when she probably shouldn’t. Then there’s PE teacher “Markie Hillridge” (Sean Patton). Though he can seem gruff and abrasive, beneath the surface, he possesses a knowledge of human nature that often proves valuable to Evan. When they aren’t disagreeing, Markie and Evan share a genuine bond… but they’re usually disagreeing.
“Principal Grant Moretti” (Enrico Colantoni) wants nothing more than peace and the path of least resistance—a path Evan is rarely willing to take. While Grant keeps his own opinions close to the vest, he respects Evan’s passion, even if it makes his own job more difficult. Guidance Counselor “Rick” (Carmen Christopher) barely wants to be at this school—he sees himself as an entrepreneur—but still loves hanging out with the other teachers. Evan’s boyfriend “Malcolm” (Jordan Firstman) is a former teacher at Morrison. Wild and free-thinking, Malcolm often draws Evan back into a pseudo-relationship.
When Grant informs Evan that he is being placed under investigation for a long-dormant incident where he and Malcolm kissed in front of students, Evan suddenly feels that he’s under a microscope and is being targeted for his sexuality. Evan is left with one rule to abide by: no relationships with faculty… only to meet “Harry” (Langston Kerman), a charming new teacher who seems to be interested in him. The initial episodes set the series up well as audiences connect to and become engaged with the funny and interesting characters.
So far, English Teacher looks fun, silly, promising, and filled with modern generation punchlines and innuendos. This multigenerational sitcom touches on important and modern political topics as well as general pop culture and generational technology influences with an overall comedic tone.
Follow Evan as he navigates his work relationships, his personal relationships, his students, and their parents all while trying to be an effective and positive teacher in the southern school system.
Join the faculty at Morrison-Hensley High as they try to teach, learn, and tip toe the line between keeping their personal life personal while being a influential instructor, part-time social worker, and authoritative figure in a school filled with ever observant, hormonal, often misanthropic, and angst filled teenagers.