Brian Jordan Alvarez

The first new shows: 1 out of 2 works fine

The first two new shows of the TV season are coming, bearing responsibility.
After a slow spring and a slack summer, viewers need something good. Now the fall season begins with:
— “English Teacher” (shown here), at 10 p.m. Mondays on FX, starting Sept. 2. It’s quite good; once it sheds its early monotone, it leans toward terrific.
— “Universal Basic Guys,” at 8 p.m. for three Sundays (starting Sept. 8) on Fox, before sliding to 8:30 when “The Simpsons” returns on Sept. 29. The opener is mainly for people who are amused when a mistreated chimp rips off the protagonist’s face. Read more…

Quirky series leads (slowly) to cable success

Imagine you’re a young writer/actor, long on ideas and short on opportunity.
You could take the approach of Brian Jordan Alvarez. He made a quirky, low-budget digital series; praise and a big-time cable series followed promptly.
Well, semi-promptly. Alvarez’s “English Teacher” (shown here) debuts at 10 p.m. ET Monday (Sept. 2) on FX … eight years after his “The Gay and Wonderful Life of Caleb Gallo” was named the year’s best web series.
“I had sort of tried to make my way through the studio system,” said Alvarez, 37. “And I had failed in a variety of ways. I really couldn’t figure out how to get through it.” Read more…