Aahana Swrup
In the Hulu comedy show ‘Chad Powers,’ a washed-up college football player finds a second chance, albeit using dubious and deceptive ways. Russ Holliday was a beloved quarterback and a rising star in the world of sports. However, one wrong step and a subsequent few more manage to nuke his career out of the water. Thus, eight long years later, the former athlete finds himself aimless and without any options. For the same reason, the idea of proving himself by donning a new name and face, as Chad Powers, offers a tempting solution. Consequently, before he knows it, Russ, disguised as his new alias, shows up at the walk-in tryouts for the University of South Georgia football team. Despite being a fictional story, the series finds notable genesis in reality. Thus, fans will likely grow intrigued by the possible real-life ties behind the on-screen university and their team: The Catfish.
Chad Powers Fictionalizes Its Central College Football University and Its Team
‘Chad Powers’ maintains an evident connection with reality through the contextual worldbuilding around the fictional protagonist and his storyline. Therefore, even though Russ Holliday and his alter ego remain works of fiction, their similarly fabricated narrative remains grounded in realistic elements. Nonetheless, the same doesn’t extend to the University of South Georgia and its football team, The Catfish. In real life, fans will be able to find Georgia Southern University and the University of Georgia, both of which are institutions located in the state of Georgia. The establishments also have their respective football teams: The Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Southern Eagles. However, neither of these places was used as a direct real-life counterpart for the on-screen college, which remains at the center of Russ’ story.
Reportedly, the show’s creators, Michael Waldron and Glen Powell, attempted to attach a real University to their fictional character’s narrative, likely in an effort to add authentic elements to the show. Nonetheless, their attempts were futile for a variety of reasons. Powell divulged the story behind this in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter. Describing any discussions with real-life establishments as “a nightmare,” the actor/co-creator said, “They made it very difficult with some of their asks, even just in terms of using some of their signage and color scheme.” He further added that (the show) “had to take a lot of liberties with it that no school would ever let us. We could not afford any (outside) creative oversight.”
As a result, The University of Southern Georgia and The Catfish were created particularly in service of the storyline in ‘Chad Powers.’ The establishment assumes the role of a university whose football team is in dire need of a miraculous quarterback. Therefore, when the Head Coach, Hudson, witnesses Chad Powers’ athletic abilities, similar to those of a professional and polished football player, he’s eager to move any administrative complication to have him on the team. Still, the road to duplicious redemption isn’t that simple, and Russ finds himself jumping through many hoops in the process. The fact that all of this unfolds under the team banner of the fictional “Catfish” adds a layer of humor to the whole situation, given the QB’s deceitful identity.
Read More: Where is Hulu’s Chad Powers Filmed?
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