‘Chad: An American Boy’ is a comedy.
AB Wire
Taking inspiration from President Barack Obama’s recent comment during a visit to a mosque in Maryland that “our TV shows should have Muslim characters that are unrelated to national security”, Fox TV has given the nod to a pilot ‘Chad: An American Boy’, a comedy centered around a 14-year-old Middle Eastern boy living in the US, who is suddenly given the responsibility of being the man of the house, without the adult perks.
Interestingly, the lead role of the 14-year-old boy, Chad, will be played by Iranian American actress Nasim Pedrad, who is 34 years old. Pedrad, who co-wrote the script for ‘Chad’ is a Saturday Night Live alumna Nasim Pedrad. The pilot will be directed by Jason Winer. Pedrad, Rosell and Winer executive produce with 3 Arts’ Michael Rotenberg and Dave Becky.
“I’m thrilled to be able to portray a Middle Eastern family not working for or against Jack Bauer on network TV,” said Pedrad. “Also, a big thank you to Fox for understanding that my true essence is that of an awkward and misguided 14-year-old boy.”
Deadline.com reported Pedrad is known for playing a slew of little-kid characters on Saturday Night Live and FunnyOrDie, including Indian boy Ravish on SNL. But as Chad, she is expected to give a much more grounded and realistic performance, not the caricature characters in sketches usually are. To help get the tone right, the project has brought in Winer, who directed the pilot for Modern Family, a single-camera family comedy with a lot of heart.
Chad stems from the deal Pedrad signed with Fox and 20th TV last spring to create and topline her own comedy series. Nasim has been in demand — while she was awaiting word from Fox on the fate of her project, the actress was approached to star in other pilots this season.
Variety reported ‘Chad’ marks a huge step in diversity for Fox — and broadcast television.
“In pitching the project, Pedrad, who is drawing upon her upbringing and heritage for the pilot, stressed her desire to portray a realistic Iranian American family living in the U.S., representing not only the Iranian American community, but also offering an authentic portrayal of the larger immigrant experience. Sources close to the show say the series aims to be relatable to all teenagers who experience struggles with fitting in,” noted Variety.
ABC has made strides in diversifying their slate with two comedies revolving around non-white families: “Black-ish” and “Fresh Off the Boat,” which like “Chad,” also deals with a young boy feeling like a misfit amidst American culture.
Insiders say religion is not a big element in the potential series’ storyline, but Pedrad’s pilot greenlight comes after President Barack Obama’s recent comments during a mosque visit earlier this month when he called for more television shows with Muslim characters that are unrelated to national security, saying, “It’s not that hard to do … There was a time when there were no black people on television. You can tell good stories while still representing a reality of our communities.”