Talk about a blindside hit. On Monday, July 11, just hours before Chad season 2 was set to premiere, TBS announced that it had canceled the comedy starring former Saturday Night Live cast member Nasim Pedrad and that it would not be airing any of the show’s season 2 episodes. So, instead of joining the slate of summer TV programming, Chad now joins the ranks of canceled TV shows in 2022.
TVLine reported the news, but believe it or not, it’s not all bad. In a statement from a TBS spokesperson, the cable network said that it is "proactively exploring various options to find the right home for it [Chad]." However, no further information was shared about where Chad may head next or just when that may happen.
Pedrad stars as the titular Chad, a 14-year-old Persian boy who desperately wants to become popular as he enters high school. Meanwhile, Chad has to deal with his mom’s dating life and figuring out his cultural identity. In addition to Pedrad, the series starred Saba Homayoon, Paul Chahidi, Ella Mika, Alexa Loo and Thomas Barbusca.
The show is a passion project for Pedrad, who is also one of the co-creators. Originally Chad had shot a pilot for Fox in 2016, but it was not picked up for series. It then moved to TBS in 2019, the pilot was reshot and TBS gave the green light for its first season. However, the show still didn’t premiere until 2021. Despite all of this, the show received a positive critical response — 81% on Rotten Tomatoes — and was the top new scripted cable comedy series in 2021.
In her own statement, Pedrad said:
"I’ve spent the last year making a season of television I’m really proud of. From the writers' room to production through the edit, a team of very talented and dedicated people came together to tell a story we believe in. A hard comedy that portrays Middle Eastern characters from a place of empathy and humanity. I feel so lucky that Chad has an incredibly loyal fanbase. I know they’re going to love this season and I’m excited for the show to find a new home."
The move by TBS appears to be in line with WarnerMedia’s decision to get out of scripted programming on TBS and TNT. TBS’ The Last OG was canceled earlier this year, while other shows in various stages ahead of their premiere were also axed, including Kill the Orange Bear a few weeks before it was expected to start production and The Big D just a couple of weeks before its own TV premiere.
The last of TBS’ scripted shows left standing are American Dad and Miracle Workers. We'll watch for news on them very carefully. On TNT, its two remaining scripted series are wrapping things up. Snowpiercer's final season 4 is yet to go into production while Animal Kingdom season 6 (currently on-air) will also be its last.
Until Chad finds a new home, you can still watch season 1 episodes through the TBS website or possibly on TV if TBS airs any reruns. Let's hope for a speedy pick-up.
