This show is based on the Richard Russo novel called "Straight Man". "Straight Man" itself refers to the humorless member of a comedy duo who is in stark opposition to their clownish partner, like Lou Costello and Bud Abbott, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, where Abbott and Martin play the aforementioned role. In the case of the title, it serves as a metaphor, where Hank is the Straight Man, in a world filled with clowns.
When Better Call Saul ended, Bob Odenkirk says although he is not ready to leave Saul behind, he is happy to play "a humorously disgruntled professor dealing with the world of academia and the security and instability of that world", in Straight Man.
Hank said that once your receive tenure, you are stuck at the college till you retire. That being said, if a professor wanted to transfer to another university, he would have to start over again to attain tenure ( This means that they will need to go through a probationary period and be evaluated on their teaching, research, and service before being granted tenure at the new institution) , but he could negotiate the terms of tenure eligibility as part of his employment contract.
In academic circles, it is said that college professors have egos as large as Hollywood celebrities. Academics do not engage in conflicts over common issues of territory, money or power. It is usually based on reputation, or their standing in the academic community. That in turn is based on their own original research, publication in academic journals, creation of new college level textbooks, or novels, awards, grants or fund-raising and etc. "Publish or Perish", is a overarching theme in higher education, because publication raises awareness and standing of the institution which hosts the professor.
The differences between the book and the series:
- In the book, the events take course over a week, and in the series it is over a semester.
- Hank's wife, played by Mireille Enos, had a reduced or even non-existent role in the book.