FX Orders Brian Jordan Alvarez’s Comedy “English Teacher” to Series

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Brian Jordan Alvarez is headed to the classroom…

FX has handed a series order to English Teacher, a comedy created by and starring the 36-year-old half-Colombian American actor, comedian and filmmaker.

Paul Simms serves as an executive producer on the project, which was originally ordered to pilot in June 2022.

English Teacher, also executive produced by Jonathan Krisel, follows a high school teacher in Austin who’s trying to balance the competing demands of the students and their parents in a world where the rules seem to change every day.

Alvarez is joined in the cast by Stephanie Koenig, Enrico Colantoni and Sean Patton.

“Brian is an incredibly talented writer, actor and creator who has fully delivered on his vision for English Teacher,” said Nick Grad, President, FX Entertainment. “Together with a creative team featuring Paul Simms and Jonathan Krisel, along with this brilliant cast, they have created a hilarious, original comedy that is fresh, engaging and fun.”

English Teacher is joining FX’s live-action comedy lineup, which is led by another workplace series, the popular and acclaimed The Bear. Its arrival also comes amid increased interest in the world of school teachers sparked by the success of ABC’s Abbott Elementary

Executive producing English Teacher are Alvarez, Simms, Krisel and Dave King. The series is produced by FX Productions.

Alvarez’s previous credits include appearances on Will and Grace, Jane the Virgin and his 2016 web series The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo.

Fat Joe to Appear on the Upcoming “MDA Kevin Hart Kids Telethon”

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Fat Joe’s got hart… And, he’s ready to share it with the world.

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American rapper, whose real name Joseph Antonio Cartagena, will take part in the MDA Kevin Hart Kids Telethon, the upcoming two-hour special hosted by Hart that reimagines the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s annual variety show fundraiser.

Fat Joe joins a lineup of talent additions that includes Don Cheadle, Common, Cindy Crawford, Whitney Cummings, Stephen Curry, Zachary Levi and Kelly Rowland.

The special, which will benefit the MDA and Help From the Hart Charity, streams live on Saturday from 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET on Hart’s LOL Network and its digital platforms YouTube and Pluto TV, as well as on TikTok, Triller and Twitch.

SiriusXM will air an encore of the show on its Laugh Out Loud Radio channel on October 26 at 4:00 pm ET and again the next day at 10:00 am ET.

The telethon will feature entertainment, comedy, musical performances and MDA’s Let’s Play For a Cure gaming elements, a gaming stream hosted by Zedd running simultaneously. A Telethon Showcase to celebrate the members of the neuromuscular community and hosted by Nancy O’Dell and Jann Carl will follow the two-hour main show. It will stream on the MDA’s Facebook page.

As a warmup, an MDA-hosted online auction on CharityBuzz featuring items from Serena Williams, Curry and others launches Friday at mda.org/telethon.

The latest talent additions to the lineup join previously announced guests including Garcelle Beauvais, Aloe Blacc, Jack Black, Usain Bolt, Bryan Cranston, Adam Devine, Josh Gad, Liz Gillies, Aldis Hodge, Edwin Hodge, Michael B. Jordan, DJ Khaled, Daniel Levy, Loni Love, Leslie Mann, Jillian Mercado, Robin Thicke, Gabrielle Union Wade and John David Washington.

Jonathan Krisel is directing.

IFC Renews Armisen’s “Portlandia” for an Eighth and Final Season in 2018

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Fred Armisen’s time in Portlandia is limited…

IFC has announced that Portlandia, the comedy starring the 50-year-old half-Venezuelan actor and Carrie Brownstein has been renewed for an eighth and final season in 2018. Season seven returned this month.

“There’s still a lot to say with the show, but it seems scary to say it’s over,” creator/executive producer/writer/director Jonathan Krisel told reporters at the Television Critics Association‘s winter press tour over the weekend, though he seemed to suggest that it might not be a final goodbye. “These things never are finite,” he added. “We’ll work together again. There’s other outlets. We’ll just stop doing it in this form.”

For his part, Armisen compared the end of the series to leaving NBC‘s Saturday Night Live.

“It was a goodbye of sorts, but I’m back there all the time anyway,” he told press. “It just really seemed like a way to having a beginning, a middle and an ending, but I think nothing really ends anyway.”

Added Brownstein of the upcoming end of the road for the show: “The creation of art, sometimes it’s nice to put parameters around it; it helps with keeping it pointed.”

Portlandia‘s last renewal — a two-season pickup — came in February 2015.

The series hails from Lorne Michaels‘ Broadway Video banner.

Nuñez Earns His First-Ever Primetime Emmy Nomination

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Nuñez is having an Emmy-otional week…

The Television Academy has announced the nominees for the 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards, with the 57-year-old Cuban actor and comedian earning his first career nomination.

Nuñez, best known for his SAG Award-winning role on NBC‘s The Office, picked up the nod in the Outstanding Actor In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series category for his performance in the History Channel‘s The Crossroads of History.

Anthony Mendez has picked up his second consecutive nomination in the Outstanding Narrator category for narrating the CW‘s Jane the Virgin. Mendez faces stiff competition from the likes of Hollywood A-Listers Adrien Brody and Laurence Fishburne.

Fred Armisen has earned his fourth nomination in the Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for co-writing IFC’s Portlandia. The 49-year-old half-Venezuelan actor and former Saturday Night Live star co-created the sketch-comedy series, which that parodies life in Portland, Oregon, with Carrie Brownstein and Jonathan Krisel.

Goya Award-nominee Victor Reyes has picked up the first two Emmy nominations of his career. The 54-year-old Spanish composer earned nods in the Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special (Original Dramatic Score) and Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music categories for his musical work on AMC’s series The Night Manager.

He’ll face off against Rodrigo Amarante in the Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music category. The Brazilian singer-songwriter picked up his first Emmy nod for his musical work on Netflix’s series Narcos.

The 68th annual Primetime Emmy Awards will broadcast live at 5 p.m. PT Sunday, Sept. 18 on ABC.

FX Gives 10-Episode Order for Comedy “Baskets,” Created by Louis C.K. and Zach Galifianakis

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Louis C.K. will have double the work at FX…

The network has given a 10-episode order to Baskets, a comedy pilot co-created by the 46-year-old Mexican American actor, comedian, writer, director and producer, Zach Galifianakis, Jonathan Krisel.

In a world constrained by corporate interests and the homogenization of society, one man in Bakersfield, California (Galifianakis) dares to follow his dream of becoming a professional clown. But after an unsuccessful enrollment at a prestigious clowning school in Paris, the only job he can find is with the local rodeo. Baskets follows Chip Baskets’ pursuit of his dream, against all odds, to be a respected clown.

“Zach Galifianakis, Louis C.K. and Jonathan Krisel have created an absolutely brilliant show,” said FX’s Eric Schrier. “To say Zach’s portrayal of the lead character Chip Baskets is hilarious/unique/riveting/fascinating would be an understatement. We can’t wait for the world to meet him.”

Galifianakis penned the pilot episode along with Louis C.K., who picked up a second writing Emmy on Monday for writing his own FX series Louie, and Krisel, who directed the pilot and serves as showrunner.

Production will begin next year for a 2016 launch.

Louis C.K. Wins His First Writers Guild Award

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Louis C.K. has picked up his first Writers Guild Award…

The 45-year-old half-Mexican American actor, stand-up comedian and Emmy-winning writer was named the winner in the comedy series category at Sunday’s 65th Annual Writers Guild Awards ceremony.

Louis C.K., who will be starring in Woody Allen’s latest film Blue Jasmine this summer, won the award for penning his critically acclaimed FX series Louie, alongside Pamela Adlon and Vernon Chatman.

Fred Armisen won the WGA Award in the Comedy/Variety Series category. The 46-year-old half-Venezuelan actor and former Saturday Night Live star took home the prize for penning his IFC series Portlandia, along with fellow writers Carrie Brownstein, Karey Dornetto, Jonathan Krisel and Bill Oakley.

PBS’ Marcela Gaviria won the WGA Award in the Documentary – Current Events category. The Colombia-born journalist and filmmaker earned the award for penning Frontline’s “Money, Power and Wall Street: Episode One” documentary with Martin Smith.

The Writers Guild Awards, presented by the Writers Guild of America, honor outstanding achievement in writing in film, television, radio, new media, and other awards categories.

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