Hulu’s new comedy series, English Teacher, is the perfect replacement for Glenn Howerton’s A.P. Bio. English Teacher follows Evan Marquez (Brian Jordan Alvarez) who navigates teaching high school English while balancing various personal and professional issues. Some of these issues 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 the series’ 97% Rotten Tomatoes score, it has been well-received.
While English Teacher is just beginning its comedic story that unfolds in a high school setting, A.P. Bio has 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 between English Teacher and A.P. Bio, Hulu’s new comedy series is reminiscent of A.P. Bio in several ways, giving even more reason to tune into English Teacher season 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
Both English Teacher and A.P. Bio are 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.
|
Series |
Tomatometer Score |
Popcornmeter Score |
|---|---|---|
|
A.P. Bio (2018-2021) |
88% |
79% |
|
English Teacher (2024) |
97% |
82% |
Both series are well-received, although critics are more impressed by English Teacher, with the Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus declaring it to be “a biting and buoyant schoolhouse sitcom.” A fundamental difference between English Teacher and A.P. Bio is 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. Bio was 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 brought A.P. Bio back for another season on their network, but it was canceled due to poor ratings. A.P. Bio season 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 was
Abby’s
, which was canceled after one season.
It did not remain canceled for long, as the decision was made to revive A.P. Bio and bring it to NBC’s nascent streaming platform, Peacock, which had not launched yet at the time. While its ratings were disappointing, A.P. Bio had stronger online viewership, which gave NBC reason to continue it via streaming. This extended the show’s run, although A.P. Bio was 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 Teacher is already off to a better start than A.P. Bio with its critical and audience reception. English Teacher is already far better-received than A.P. Bio was during its first season and 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 for English Teacher season 2.
Most importantly, English Teacher became a streaming hit after only two episodes, as it 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 Teacher will 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.
