Except for sports, I’m not a channel surfer. I give scripted shows the courtesy of watching them from the beginning. But as my TV stayed on TBS after an NCAA tournament game, I noticed a scene from “Chad” (Tuesdays) wherein the teen title character’s smittenness with a girl is illustrated by the “Punky Brewster” theme song.
Also, I noted that the actor displays intriguing wisdom beyond his years for a teen. I thought this sitcom might be on my wavelength, but TBS didn’t make it available again for a while and I forgot about it.
Transforming performance
Then I saw in an EW article that Chad is played by 39-year-old actress Nasim Pedrad – also the show’s creator — and my mind was blown. Even viewing the first couple episodes through that lens, I see Chad as a teen boy. Pedrad and the makeup, hair and wardrobe teams hit it out of the park.
“Chad” Season 1 (2021)
Tuesdays, TBS
Creators: Nasim Pedrad, Rob Rosell
Stars: Nasim Pedrad, Jake Ryan, Saba Homayoon
But if “Chad” were a movie, that’s all I’d come away impressed by, and I’d give it no further thought; that’s why I’m not inspired to tune in weekly.
The writing is not as special as the character-creation achievement. In that “Punky Brewster” scene, it turns out, the song is diegetic; supposed Goth girl Marjorie (Madeleine Arthur) plays it on her stereo while attempting to seduce Chad. This earns weirdness points, admittedly. But Chad’s fumbling broken-hearted longing isn’t there like I thought it was.
Too cringey
“Chad’s” ratio isn’t to my taste. It’s not exactly heartless, as each episode has a scene of mom Naz (Saba Homayoon) comforting her son who is so helpless in social situations that the girl from “Awkward” would cringe. But the ratio is nine parts cringe humor for every one part heart.
Granted, cringe humor is what you want when aiming to accurately portray high school through the lens of someone who desperately wants to fit in. “Chad” is certainly easier to watch than, say, CBS’ “United States of Al,” the other current sitcom about a Middle Easterner fumbling to blend into mainstream America.
Admittedly, I haven’t actually watched “Al,” but the trailer – like “Chad’s,” pushed during the NCAA tourney — features Al revealing that that goat’s-head polo game from “Rambo III” is the national sport of Afghanistan and that he doesn’t know Michael Jordan has retired. Cue laugh track, and cue a “Nope” from me.
Universal plight
“Chad” easily clears that low bar for entry onto modern TV. And the fact that I’ve gone so long into the review without mentioning Chad and his family are Persian and Muslim points to its success at showing that humans – their desire to fit in or at least be liked — are much the same across the globe.
Chad’s specific outsider traits might be different, but his situation is universal. That’s part of why a grown woman playing a teen boy isn’t absurd. It’s just one step beyond “Eighth Grade,” wherein writer-director Bo Burnham channels his personal issues through a pimply teen girl; the only adjustment needed was to actually cast a teen girl (the outstanding Elsie Fisher).
To further illustrate the widespread nature of outsiderness, “Chad” could stand to do more with its supporting cast, including Chad’s cart-riding almost-friend, Denise (Alexa Loo), who has chronic fatigue syndrome; his conservative but well-meaning uncle, Hamid (Paul Chahidi); and his younger sister, Niki (Ella Mika), whom Chad constantly, viciously insults.
When Chad cries in the aftermath of that Marjorie encounter, Niki brings him a glass of water. He lightly insults her as thanks, and “Chad” almost comes from the heart rather than the quest for weirdness. And I guess that’s what I want right now. It’s subjective, but “Chad” – and Chad – needs to be a little nicer before everything else falls into place.