From Indie Videos to Hollywood Hits: Alvarez & Koenig on “English Teacher”

This week on the show, Sam sits down with Brian Jordan Alvarez and Stephanie Koenig, the creative forces behind the new hit show English Teacher. Created by Alvarez, the show features both him and Koenig as high school teachers in Texas, with each of them also taking on writing roles. But this isn’t your typical sitcom. With razor-sharp writing, English Teacher dives into big topics—guns, drag queens, and queer identity—all with a subversive, hilarious twist. The pair also share their journey from creating indie comedy videos online to finally breaking through in Hollywood. 

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The Sam Sanders show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

It’s about the things we obsess over in our free time: TV and movies, music and celebrities, internet and memes, and the people who make it. No topic is too big or small. And nothing’s off limits. The Sam Sanders Show from KCRW – your weekly destination for all things fun.

Sam Sanders is an award-winning podcast and radio host. He’s been named best podcast host by both The Ambies and the iHeart Podcast Awards. He was one of the founding hosts of The NPR Politics Podcast and the host who launched both It’s Been A Minute from NPR and Into It from Vulture. He currently co-hosts Vibe Check.