Hulu’s new comedy series,English Teacher,is the perfect replacement for Glenn Howerton’sA.P. Bio.English Teacherfollows Evan Marquez (Brian Jordan Alvarez) who navigates teaching high school English while balancing various personal and professional issues. Some of theseissues are created or exacerbated by Evan’s colleagues, including his best friend, Gwen Sanders (Stephanie Koenig), the conflict-averse Principal Grant Moretti (Enrico Colantoni), and the eccentric gym teacher, Markie Hillridge (Sean Patton). With theseries' 97% Rotten Tomatoes score, it has been well-received.
WhileEnglish Teacheris just beginning its comedic story that unfolds in a high school setting,A.P. Biohas already aired four seasons. The first two seasons aired on NBC, leading to the series' first cancelation, before being revived for two additional seasons that streamed on Peacock. While there are key differences betweenEnglish TeacherandA.P. Bio,Hulu’s new comedy series is reminiscent ofA.P. Bioin several ways, giving even more reason to tune intoEnglish Teacherseason 1.
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Hulu’s English Teacher Is A Great New Replacement For Glenn Howerton’s A.P. Bio
Similar Setup Leads To Different Comedic Outcomes
BothEnglish TeacherandA.P. Bioare comedic series that feature protagonists teaching high school classes in their hometowns.English Teacher’s Evan is frequently in conflict with Principal Moretti, whose aversion to conflict makes him frustrated with Evan’s need to take a firm stance and make a statement on issues ranging from drag queens to gun control.A.P. Bio’s Jack Griffin (Howerton) has his own conflicts with Principal Ralph Durbin (Patton Oswalt) due to Jack’s various antics and how they affect the school.
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Both series are well-received, althoughcritics are more impressed byEnglish Teacher, with the Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus declaring it to be"a biting and buoyant schoolhouse sitcom.“A fundamental difference betweenEnglish TeacherandA.P. Biois that, despite some frustrations, Evan is deeply passionate about teaching high school students. Jack initially is not teaching high school by choice and is only there due to having no other options. He is more mischievous and Evan is in a position where he has to respond to mischief, which leads to distinct, but equally humorous outcomes.
Why AP Bio Was Canceled Twice Across 4 Seasons
Low Ratings Led To The First Cancelation
A.P. Biowas initially created as a mid-season replacement series for NBC. Its first season was not as well-received as subsequent seasons, leading to mixed reviews, and a lackluster 66% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite these factors, NBC still broughtA.P. Bioback for another season on their network, but it was canceled due to poor ratings.A.P. Bioseason 2’s ratings were the second-lowest out of all NBC comedies airing that year, leading to the series' first cancelation.
The only NBC comedy that had lower ratings that year wasAbby’s, which was canceled after one season.
It did not remain canceled for long, as the decision was made to reviveA.P. Bioand bring it to NBC’s nascent streaming platform, Peacock, which had not launched yet at the time. While its ratings were disappointing,A.P. Biohad stronger online viewership, which gave NBC reason to continue it via streaming. This extended the show’s run, althoughA.P. Biowas canceled after season 4. It developed a dedicated fanbase, but its viewership was not extensive enough to warrant a season 5 renewal.
How English Teacher Can Avoid AP Bio’s Disappointing Fate
It Is Already Off To A Stronger Start
While no series is safe from cancelation, especially in the current state of the entertainment industry,English Teacheris already off to a better start thanA.P. Biowith its critical and audience reception.English Teacheris already far better-received thanA.P. Biowas during its first seasonand has found its stride with relatable and relevant comedy grounded by strong performances from Alvarez, Koenig, Colantoni, Patton, and the rest of the cast, all of which makes a strong case forEnglish Teacherseason 2.
Most importantly,English Teacherbecame a streaming hitafter only two episodes, asit was the eighth most watched show across all streaming platforms. No matter how high the Rotten Tomatoes scores are, the series will only be renewed if the viewership is deemed high enough. This includes how it performs on Hulu and the ratings it receives when airing on FX.English Teacherwill hopefully continue to perform well as the rest of season 1’s episodes are released on a weekly schedule and continue to follow the challenges that Evan, Gwen, Principal Moretti, and Markie continue to face.
English Teacher
Cast
Evan, a gay high school English teacher, and his coworkers as they try to balance the complicated demands of their students.
