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Muslim Exchange Student Tries To Fit In On CW Sitcom Dealing With Tolerance

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 1, 2007

There's an 'oh, wow!' moment during the first episode of 'Aliens in America' when the lingering fear and anger over the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks come to the surface, and we see how it affects Muslims in the United States.

In the scene, a smart, good-natured, 16-year-old exchange student from Pakistan realizes that fitting in at a Wisconsin high school won't be easy when a student confesses she is angry with him because 'his people' blew up the twin towers.

The teacher asks whether others in the class are angry, and hands go up throughout the classroom.

'Aliens in America,' an engaging comedy debuting at 8:30 tonight on The CW, is a good fit with the returning 'Everybody Hates Chris,' the coming-of-age comedy based on comedian Chris Rock's life experiences. Rock will be a guest star for the first time on the season debut at 8 tonight.

'Aliens' co-creator David Guarascio said that bringing up 9/11 in a teen sitcom is risky, 'but the best way to be funny is to not be afraid to be edgy and to take some chances and not be afraid to miss.'

'When you hit it, maybe you can sort of be funny and poignant at the same time,' he said during an interview session with TV columnists in July.

Guarascio and co-producer Moses Port said 'Aliens in America' isn't trying to make a political statement.

'It's about tolerance, about being a fish out of water and about being an outsider, something that all teens share,' Guarascio said.

He added that 'everybody kind of feels like an outsider' at one time or another.

'Aliens' continues this season's trend of series about nerds. So far, we've seen geeky guys as heroes on 'Chuck,' 'Big Bang Theory' and 'Reaper.'

Guarascio, who was raised Catholic, and Port, who is Jewish, also are using their friendship as a model for 'Aliens,' on which a Muslim exchange student will become good friends with a Christian kid.

Exchange student Raja Musharaff (Adhir Kalyan) will bond with the shy, nerdy, 16-year-old Justin Tolchuck (Dan Byrd).

Raja ends up in tiny Medora, Wis., because Justin's overly protective mother, Franny (Amy Pietz), felt that taking in a foreign exchange student might help Justin become as popular as his sister Claire (Lindsey Shaw).

She was hoping for an outgoing, macho Nordic type, who might bring Justin out of his shell. She wasn't expecting a Muslim from Pakistan.

Raja is polite, idealistic and hardworking, so he will eventually break down the stereotypes. He will help Justin, and Justin will help him, Port said.

Scott Patterson, of 'Gilmore Girls,' plays Justin's father. Patterson said The CW promised him another series, and this one seemed right because it is 'funny and smart and edgy and topical and relevant.'

Kalyan is actually 24 and from South Africa. He studied acting in London before landing this gig. He said everyone should be able to relate to 'Aliens' on some level.

'Irrespective of who you are or where you're from, your race or religion, we all at some point in our lives feel as though we don't quite fit in,' he said.

VIDBITS: Will anyone miss 'Nashville,' the Fox reality series that has disappeared from the schedule after only two episodes? It has been replaced at 9 p.m. Fridays by reruns of 'K-ville.'

Also in ratings trouble after one week of the official 2007-08 TV season are 'Journeyman' and 'Life' on NBC and 'Big Shots' on ABC.

Showing promise is NBC's 'Bionic Woman,' which came in second nationally to ABC's 'Private Practice.' In the Tampa Bay area ratings, 'Bionic Woman' was No. 1 on Wednesday this past week.

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