TV Barn and TeeVee.net nutshell guide to the Fall 2007 premieres

Aliens in America

Official "Aliens in America" web site

The parents of a geeky kid in suburban Wisconsin try to bolster his social life by signing up to host an exchange student. But rather than the blond, strapping Scandanavian lad they expect from the brochure, they instead welcome Raja (Adhir Kaylan, a Muslim boy from Pakistan. But Raja bonds with Justin (Dan Byrd), and along the way everyone’s preconceptions about religion and skin color are tested.

Aaron's take:	Remarkably well-done sitcom is both edgy and familiar, if just a tad too quirky (Justin's parents raise alpacas in their backyard). But because the show is ultimately about diversity and acceptance, the writers can stray into mine fields like 9/11 and Muslim prayer rites and come out unscathed. It also helps that Justin quickly bonds with his new roomie, realizing that for all his exotic ways, Raja is as much a dweeb as he is.
When It’s On	Mondays at 8:30/7:30 Central, CW
When It Starts	Monday, October 1
What It’s Up Against	Dancing With the Stars (ABC), Big Bang Theory (CBS), Prison Break (Fox), Chuck (NBC)
Starring...	Scott Patterson
Cliche-o-Meter	Geeks Fish out of Water
Fandom Factor	Lukewarm

Full Review

Life's tough for Justin Tolchuck (Dan Byrd). Yeah, he finally got his braces off and his mother insists that if she were a teenager she'd love him, but he's the omega geek of the high school in Medora, Wisconsin, and his younger sister Claire has blown right past him to the heights of popularity. Mom's so desperate for a way to make Justin more popular that she lets the school guidance counselor talk her into taking in an international exchange student. There's a strapping Scandanavian on the cover of the brochure, but when the Tolchucks show up at Chippewa Falls Airport to pick up their blonde boy wonder, they discover that their actual exchange student is Raja (Adhir Kaylan), a Pakistani.

They call them situation comedies for a reason. But "Aliens in America" verges on Norman Lear levels of situation, with plenty of opportunity for social commentary along the way. The good news is, it's not preachy. In fact, it's more effective to lampoon the ignorance many Americans have about the rest of the world while making some pretty funny jokes. (Raja's social studies teacher introduces him as someone who "practices Muslimism" and introduces him to the class by asking how many of his classmates are angry at him because his people "blew up those buildings in New York." After one day at school, Raja is also no longer a fan of that infamous exchange-student brochure: "Very misleading.") Mrs. Tolchuck tries to jettison Raja immediately, more concerned that he's going to convert her son to, uh, Muslimism, than the fact that her daughter has just declared her interest in acquiring birth-control pills. Of course, good feelings win out in the end, when Raja and Justin bond over their shared high school horror stories and become fast friends.

Fortunately, "Aliens in America" isn't a heavy-handed message coated in a little sitcom sugar. It's a legitimately funny single-camera show, with a quirky family (Justin's dad farms Alpacas in their suburban backyard) and a lot of laughs. The show's sense of humor, -- populated with "Scrubs"-style nonsequiturs, oddball characters, and a geeky but likeable pair of lead actor -- will have to carry the day. Being on the CW makes the chances of "Aliens in America" becoming a smash hit about as remote as the chances Justin has of going to the prom with the prettiest girl in the school. But paired with fellow underdog sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris," this show has a chance for mild success. And on The CW, that might just be enough.--JASON SNELL