Prickly idea, done well
Chicago Sun-Times, Oct 1, 2007 by Doug Elfman
'ALIENS IN AMERICA' Rating 3 1/2 out of 4
7:30 to 8 p.m. Mondays on WGN-Channel 9
'Aliens in America" sounds like a bad idea for a comedy. A white family in Wisconsin takes in a Pakistani exchange student by chance. At first, the mom is suspicious. And kids at school are angry, since they think Pakistan blew up "the buildings."
Can this prickly, post-9/11 concept possibly be tactful without feeling like an after-school special?
Yes, and it's very appealing. "Aliens in America" pulls off its absurd, touchy situation by handling everything with a relaxed tone and excellent film work.
Raja (Adhir Kalyan) has an uphill struggle. One day, he comes home from high school upset, because kids teased him with taunts he didn't understand.
"What is fudge Pakistan?" he complains. "All day long, I am called this and it's very confusing to me, because fudge is very delicious, yet they keep on laughing."
The dramatic key here is Raja is eager and strong-willed (though naive), so you don't have to pity him. Therefore you can smile at the creativity of that fudge-packing insult, while rooting against the bullies who inspired it.
Besides, once you get past the Pakistani thing, the real issue is that Raja and the teenage boy in the house, Justin (Dan Byrd), are outsiders -- just like most Americans. Their high school years won't be much harder than those of any kid who isn't cool at school.
More significant, "Aliens" is written, directed and acted superbly (even the bit players are great), and you find yourself smiling a lot. It begins as an absorbing show in a grownup way, yet it's endearing in the childlike vein of "The Wonder Years," thanks to Justin's voice-over narration.
Every once in a while, it's even harshly funny, like "Strangers With Candy" was. How's this for harsh? In the second episode, Justin's younger sister Claire (Lindsey Shaw) informs Justin she stays popular partly by avoiding him.
"Yesterday," Claire says, "someone found out we have the same last name, so I told them we adopted you from a retarded family."
"Wow," Justin says quietly. "The whole family had to be retarded."
That's a funny little conversation, because Shaw and Byrd speak naturally, entrenched in character and determination. And the tenor of the scene is even-keeled, rather than played as frenetic broad comedy (which is being done so poorly elsewhere on TV lately, ABC especially).
So "Aliens in America" is not a bad idea for a comedy. Like most good things, the execution is more important than the conception. Hopefully, Raja and Justin will learn that life lesson as they endure the main universal hell in "Aliens in America": high school.
On Air; Flipping through other channels
TONIGHT
"Everybody Hates Chris" (7 p.m., WGN-Channel 9): Chris Rock makes his first appearance on the comedy that loosely chronicles his childhood. He plays a guidance counselor to himself (young Chris) on the best family show on broadcast TV. Then, the CW premieres "Aliens in America" and starts new seasons of "Girlfriends" and "The Game."
"Rules of Engagement" (8:30 p.m., WBBM-Channel 2): David Spade and Heather Locklear go on a date (on TV at least). They've split in real life but supposedly remain friendly. Russell (Spade) and Audrey's sister (Locklear in a guest role) make go-out plans after some comic situation or another.
"Dr. Steve-O" (10:05 p.m., USA): The doofus who became famous for stapling his testicles to his legs, or whatever, travels America in search of wimpy losers he can make more macho with his "Jackass" ways.
'ALIENS IN AMERICA' Rating 3 1/2 out of 4
7:30 to 8 p.m. Mondays on WGN-Channel 9
'Aliens in America" sounds like a bad idea for a comedy. A white family in Wisconsin takes in a Pakistani exchange student by chance. At first, the mom is suspicious. And kids at school are angry, since they think Pakistan blew up "the buildings."
Can this prickly, post-9/11 concept possibly be tactful without feeling like an after-school special?
Yes, and it's very appealing. "Aliens in America" pulls off its absurd, touchy situation by handling everything with a relaxed tone and excellent film work.
Raja (Adhir Kalyan) has an uphill struggle. One day, he comes home from high school upset, because kids teased him with taunts he didn't understand.
"What is fudge Pakistan?" he complains. "All day long, I am called this and it's very confusing to me, because fudge is very delicious, yet they keep on laughing."
The dramatic key here is Raja is eager and strong-willed (though naive), so you don't have to pity him. Therefore you can smile at the creativity of that fudge-packing insult, while rooting against the bullies who inspired it.
Besides, once you get past the Pakistani thing, the real issue is that Raja and the teenage boy in the house, Justin (Dan Byrd), are outsiders -- just like most Americans. Their high school years won't be much harder than those of any kid who isn't cool at school.
More significant, "Aliens" is written, directed and acted superbly (even the bit players are great), and you find yourself smiling a lot. It begins as an absorbing show in a grownup way, yet it's endearing in the childlike vein of "The Wonder Years," thanks to Justin's voice-over narration.
Every once in a while, it's even harshly funny, like "Strangers With Candy" was. How's this for harsh? In the second episode, Justin's younger sister Claire (Lindsey Shaw) informs Justin she stays popular partly by avoiding him.
"Yesterday," Claire says, "someone found out we have the same last name, so I told them we adopted you from a retarded family."
"Wow," Justin says quietly. "The whole family had to be retarded."
That's a funny little conversation, because Shaw and Byrd speak naturally, entrenched in character and determination. And the tenor of the scene is even-keeled, rather than played as frenetic broad comedy (which is being done so poorly elsewhere on TV lately, ABC especially).
So "Aliens in America" is not a bad idea for a comedy. Like most good things, the execution is more important than the conception. Hopefully, Raja and Justin will learn that life lesson as they endure the main universal hell in "Aliens in America": high school.
On Air; Flipping through other channels
TONIGHT
"Everybody Hates Chris" (7 p.m., WGN-Channel 9): Chris Rock makes his first appearance on the comedy that loosely chronicles his childhood. He plays a guidance counselor to himself (young Chris) on the best family show on broadcast TV. Then, the CW premieres "Aliens in America" and starts new seasons of "Girlfriends" and "The Game."
"Rules of Engagement" (8:30 p.m., WBBM-Channel 2): David Spade and Heather Locklear go on a date (on TV at least). They've split in real life but supposedly remain friendly. Russell (Spade) and Audrey's sister (Locklear in a guest role) make go-out plans after some comic situation or another.
"Dr. Steve-O" (10:05 p.m., USA): The doofus who became famous for stapling his testicles to his legs, or whatever, travels America in search of wimpy losers he can make more macho with his "Jackass" ways.
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