Chad (TV series)

Did You Know?

• The original concept was titled Chad: An American Boy and centered on a 14-year-old boy tasked with being the man of the house.
• The original pilot was written by Nasim Pedrad and Rob Rosell.
• Chad (Pedrad) is a 14-year-old Persian-American boy on a mission to become popular as he navigates his first year of high school.

Production

On February 10, 2016, a comedy starring Nasim Pedrad received a pilot order at Fox. The series was not picked up there and was shopped elsewhere. TBS gave Chad a series order on May 15, 2019, and renewed it for a second season on May 19, 2021. Hours before the second season was scheduled to premiere on July 11, 2022, TBS canceled the series. The Roku Channel acquired the series in October 2022 and premiered the second season on January 19, 2024. The Roku Channel canceled the series after the second season on May 7, 2024. In 2021, production relocated from British Columbia to California for tax incentives.

Reception

In 2021, Chad was the highest-rated new scripted cable series. Its first episode drew 1.9 million total viewers over two broadcasts, with 765,000 in the key 18-49 age group. Critics gave the first season an 81% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 16 reviews, averaging 7.80/10. The site’s summary notes that while the show’s harsh humor can be uncomfortable, Nasim Pedrad’s dedicated performance gives the teenage comedy emotional weight. On Metacritic, the season earned a 65 out of 100 from 12 critics, described as “generally favorable.”