From Deseret News archives:
We're all sort of like 'Aliens'
Oh, sure, it's just the latest in a very long line of TV shows about fish-out-of-water experiences. But in this case, one of the characters is Muslim. And it's a comedy that deals with prejudice, ignorance and stupidity.
Yes, it's set, in large part, in an American high school.
Justin Tolchuck (Dan Byrd) is a nice, normal teenager — he's socially awkward and insecure. His mother, Franny (Amy Pietz of "Caroline in the City"), wants him to be The Most Popular Kid in School.
"She resigned as president of the PTA because she wanted to normalize me," says Justin, who acts as narrator for "Aliens In America."
But Justin is clearly never going to be the kid his mother wants him to be. And it doesn't help that his younger sister, Claire (Lindsey Shaw of "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide") is gorgeous and popular.
After a rough start to the latest school year, Franny is talked into accepting an exchange student into her home as a built-in friend for Justin. Justin's dad, Gary (Scott Patterson of "Gilmore Girls"), always looking to make a buck, is interested in the monthly check that will accompany the exchange student.
But instead of the Nordic boy they were expecting, the Tolchucks are shocked by the arrival of Raja Musharaf (Adhir Kalyan), who is not only (gasp!) Pakistani but also (gasp!) a Muslim!
To say the family is freaked out by this would be an understatement.
"What about the terrorist question?" Franny says. "They pose as students, Gary. Bill O'Reilly said so."
And that reaction is mild compared to the one she has when she discovers Justin joining in as Raja prays toward Mecca.
When Raja shows up at the small-town Wisconsin high school, things aren't any better.
"For one year, we will be in the presence of a real, live Pakistani — who practices Muslimism," a teacher tells the class.
When she asks students how they feel about Raja, one girl says she feels "angry, because his people blew up the buildings in New York." When Raja objects to the false statement, the teacher tells him that, "In America, you have to wait until you're called on. And I'd appreciate a raised hand."
As portrayed in "Aliens in America," the high-school experience is sort of heightened reality — but then, so is actual high school.
Executive producer David Guarascio said the writers approach the show "just wanting to be honest about the high-school experience and still be funny." And the writers draw on their own experiences. "Some of the things that seemed quite terrible 20 years ago, you can sort of laugh at now."
"Aliens in America" isn't really about a Muslim teen in America, it's about teenagers who don't feel like they fit in. "I guess we thought that everybody kind of feels like an outsider," said executive producer Moses Port. "And I don't know too many people who have felt like an insider, or those people are faking it pretty well. So that was kind of one of the genesis for the show — that everybody there feels slightly isolated or on the outside, looking in."
"Aliens" is very "Malcolm In the Middle"-ish— complete with a teenage narrator. And there's a bit of "Scrubs" thrown in as well, with some very funny cutaway scenes.
And it's got a lot of heart to go with the humor — a winning combination.
E-mail: pierce@desnews.com
