Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary has grown to be one of the most popular sitcoms out right now, and it’s been getting a lot of praise for its very classic format which a lot of old school audiences really enjoy.
Enter FX’s English Teacher, a new series that just premiered this year from creator Brian Jordan Alvarez. The show has been getting some great reviews, but a lot of audiences have been saying that it’s kind of a knock-off of Abbott Elementary—but is it though?
Abbott Elementary vs English Teacher: It’s in the Premise
For context, both series take place in schools and focus on the kooky faculty staff, but the central protagonist for each show brings something different to the table.
For one, Abbott has Janine Teagues, a young black millennial woman with a passion for teaching; and each episode has Janine wrangling the many problems that are plaguing her small-time public school of Abbott Elementary. Throughout the show we see her and the faculty go against budget cuts, profit-driven private schools, and misbehaving students.
On the other hand, English Teacher has Evan Marquez, another millennial teacher who has ideals about how the school system should be more progressive. While Evan may not be as socially awkward as Janine, he does act as sort of the ‘straight character’ in a show full of odd teachers who don’t seem to be on Evan’s level when it comes to being socially aware. Nevertheless, each one still has something to teach Evan who comes to realize that being progressive is not a straight arrow forward.
Though both protagonists are different, what both series have in common is that Janine and Evan are very passionate about their jobs and want what’s best for the students.
Lighthearted Sitcom vs. Sharp Commentary
One of the biggest differences between both shows though, is their approach to serious issues when it comes to the topic of public school and education overall.
Abbott Elementary is a very classic sitcom that tries to appeal to as broad of an audience as possible. Though the series is inclusive and progressive overall, the show does try its best to address the conservative crowd and even has stand-in characters for them like Barbara Howard.
Though Mrs. Howard is still conservative and religious, she’s not really demonized for it, and the show also doesn’t get too harsh when making fun of her beliefs; it’s a stark difference from how Community treats Shirley Bennet, whose Christian identity is a caricature at some point.
English Teacher, on the other hand, tackles these “difficult questions” head-on and is not shy about offending any conservative audiences. From the first few episodes, Evan has to deal with conservative parents who have bad reactions to him showing affection to his ex-boyfriend; kids wanting to do a drag performance without knowing the context of drag; and the dark reality of school shootings and the people who are pro-gun.
Though Abbott is something that is very light and can be easily enjoyed by the family, English Teacher is definitely aimed at a more adult audience as seeks to ask some more profound questions about modern education.
Either way, it’s kind of fruitless to fight on which show is better since both clearly have their merits and even complement each other when it comes to entertainment based on educators.
You can catch Abbott Elementary on ABC and English Teacher on Hulu and FX. The shows are also available on different streaming services depending on your location.