Pilot

Season 1, Episode 1, Aired
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Episode Summary

Justin Tolchuck, a 16 year old teenager, is struggling to have a satisfactory social life in high school in Wisconsin. Franny, Justin's mother, is concerned about his lack of friends and in order to fix this she signs up with the school's international exchange student program believing that an outsider would make her son cooler with his influence. However, the exchange student turns out to be a Muslim named Raja Musharaff, who belongs to a small village in Pakistan. But despite differences between Raja and Justin, they become good friends.moreless
8.3
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Fan Episode Reviews (8)

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  • Full of potential! A very nice show.

    8.0
    "Great"
    By Cenina, Mar 31, 2008 Report Abuse
    A new comedy show which makes you laugh and think at the same time. The story itself is not so great: a boy from Pakistan comes to USA for an exchange students program, and he's taken in by an american family. What amuse you is how the boy interacts with a total different culture and viceversa, how this american family's lifestile is completely messed up because of him. Besides the differeces between the two cultures and the initial misunderstandings, there is open mind and wish to know each other from both sides, so that the foreign student becomes part of the american family. A very nice show that points out many problems related to a multiethnic society, and it's all matched with hilarious and funny scenes.moreless

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  • Good intro!

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By VGFreak8, Oct 25, 2007 Report Abuse
    Justin is a typical geek, but for his junior year in high school, his mom gets a foreign exchange student to up his "cool" level. It turns out that the exchange student that was supposedly from France is from Pakistan. His name is Raja. Instead of making him cooler, it makes it worse. Justin has a sister named Claire and she has obviously "grown up." Guys are staring, even Raja. When Franny wants to send him back, Justin realizes that Raja is a person too and he wants him to stay.

    This was a great episode! I think this show has potential! I loved seeing Lindsey Shawn from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide! This episode gets a 9.5!moreless

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    1 0

  • Cring inducing

    3.0
    "Bad"
    By EliasC, Oct 13, 2007 Report Abuse
    CW is a network I rarely watch. Perhaps it is because they rarely have decent shows (althought I am a fan of Smallville). Or perhaps it is because I am an oldster, well beyond the networks target audience if 12. But often it is because the values reflected on many of this networks shows are juvenile, the acting is atrocious, and the writing is sub-par. Such is the case for 'Aliens in America'. What begins in the pilot as an amusing time-waster morphs into a cring inducing racist situation comedy that is not funny. In the hands of better script management, this could be an interesting satire but the writers have yet to demonstrate that they know the difference between making fun of American culture and making fun of people who are different from you and I. The scene towards the end of the pilot between the mom and Raja is simply terrible. Raja's compliance to the obvious racist attitude of Franny Tolchuck is as unrealistic as having Raja appear in native garb instead of standard teen shirt and jeans.

    This show needs a lot of improvement if it hoes to avoid the trash heap.moreless

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    0 3

  • My initial thought was uuullghth I hate this every body hates chris racist type comedy ....but as I kept watching

    7.0
    "Good"
    By HTEflseGODS, Oct 08, 2007 Report Abuse
    I felt that it was a redeemable show that might have some very positive messages, as well as the mom chilled out about the not liking the middle easterner, or the dad using him as a maid, or the painfull opening showing how lame the american son was at school. BUT after the first twenty minutes it was a pretty cool show. I just hope they at least chill out w/ the ahkward b.s. they put Ahradjah through at his new home, & yes I KNOW he wont be able to avoid that at school and the rest of the town. This show has potential ....GOOD luck ALIENS!moreless

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    3 0

  • Glad it was free on i-Tunes

    5.9
    "Mediocre"
    By TVNerd95, Oct 08, 2007 Report Abuse
    I downloaded the pilot from i-Tunes because it was free and watched it. I am glad I did that rather than wasting the space on my DVR. I like the actors who are in the series but I was not interested in any of the characters as I was watching this show. There was nothing exciting going on and I have a feeling the sterotyping is going to get "old" really quick throughout the season. I understand this is the year of the geek but I just didn't feel for this geek or his friend. I didn't find myself laughing at anything that I thought the writers wanted me to laught it.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • We learn that Raja's parents have passed away about a year before. Edit

  • Notes

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    • Original International Air Dates: Turkey: September 9, 2009 on CNBC-e Latin America: September 12, 2009 on Warnel Channel Czech Republic: January 17, 2010 on Prima COOL Edit
    • This episode was on the Emmy Awards 'For Your Consideration' DVD for this season, but only to promote Amy Pietz as Outstanding Lead Actress. Edit
    • Music featured in this episode "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" by PJ Olsson and Salman Ahmad "All Good People" by Yes "Beatbox Cha Cha" by Ursula 1000 "Buttons" by Pussycat Dolls "Close To Me" by The Cure "How Far We've Come" by Matchbox 20 "Navajo Joe" by Ennio Morricone "Pop Goes The World" by Men Without Hats "Something In The Air" by Thunderclap Newman "Time Won't Let Me Go" by The Bravery "Where Did You Come From" by Jake Zavracky "You! Me! Dancing" by Sticking Fingers Into Sockets Edit

  • Quotes

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    • Claire: Mom, I really need to talk to you. Franny: Claire, not now, okay. Claire: I want to go on the pill. Franny: What?! Claire: It's my body, it's my life. Franny: Okay, I can't deal with this right now, so please just go to the market and pick up the chicken for dinner and we'll talk about it later, okay. Claire: Fine. By the way, I'm bringing Jeffrey tonight. Franny: Wait! Who's Jeffrey? Claire: He's part of this, I'll explain later. Edit
    • Ms. Mirante: Raja, you are so different from us. How does that feel? Raja: I am not sure I understand. Ms. Mirante: Think about it (to class) How does everyone else feel about Raja and his differences? (a girl raises her hand) Yes, Stephanie! Stephanie: Well, I guess I feel angry because his people blew up the buildings in New York. Ms. Mirante: Ah, that's good! Raja: But that is not true. Ms. Mirante: Okay, Raja, in America, you have to wait until you're called on and I'd appreciate a raised hand. Okay, now who else is angry at Raja? (everyone raises their hands). Edit
    • Justin: (Voiceover) I think any teenager's lowest point comes when his mother decides she has to import a friend for him. My father, however, couldn't have been happier. The host family gets a check every month for 500 bucks. Gary: Hey Franny! How many of these kids can we get? Justin: Dad! Gary: What? That way you'd have a whole gang to pal around with. Franny: One per household, hon. Edit

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