Aliens in America

As far as this fall's new shows go, the CW's "Aliens in America" scored pretty high with TV bloggers who saw the pilot episode. I myself found a lot to love about the show, most notably the two main boys, Justin (Dan Byrd) and Raja (Adhir Kalyan). The story follows a Pakistani exchange student, Raja, who goes to live with an "all-American" small-town Minnesota family. The mother in the family (Amy Pietz) has a lot of reservations about this arrangement, including the fear that Raja may be a terrorist. But Justin soon finds a friend in Raja, someone who listens to him without judging.

There are some hilarious moments in this pilot episode and some clever writing overall. Yet there are also moments that make me squirm, and not in the funny-awkward "The Office" kind of way.

I actually watched the pilot episode twice, since the part of Justin's father was recast with Scott Patterson (yes, Luke from "Gilmore Girls"!) and I actually liked the show a lot more the second time around. I'll be curious to find out what you thought of it if you catch it tonight at 8:30 PM. For now, you can check out a preview of tonight's episode if you read more

All summer long, I've been giving you my first impressions of the networks' new shows. Now, with fall TV upon us, it's time to tell you which shows are deserving of space on your TiVo and which ... well, aren't. Yesterday, I told you about five shows I'll be skipping this fall, and on Monday, I'll be revealing my top five picks for the season. But today, I'm focusing on the shows that could go either way, just as likely to become megahits as they are to sink like stones.

5. "Bionic Woman" — "Bionic" has seen quite a bit of upheaval since the pilot I saw was filmed. One supporting part (the bionic woman's younger sister) has been recast and reconceived, and — just within the past couple of weeks — one of the executive producers left the show. In the version of the pilot I saw, lead actress Michelle Ryan didn't seem to have the sort of fearless toughness you'd want in an action star, and the whole thing seemed surprisingly low-energy. But now, "Friday Night Lights" producer Jason Katims will be consulting on the show, and NBC has ensured a steady stream of publicity by hiring Isaiah Washington for a guest spot. I'm still not confident about this remake, but I think it has an equal chance of being a breakout hit and a flop.

4. "Carpoolers" — I'm really of two minds about "Carpoolers." On the one hand, the whole idea of inane car banter is why I try not to catch rides with casual acquaintances. On the other hand, this pilot made me laugh surprisingly hard, and I'm finding myself rooting for it. The writing may not be completely there yet, but the comic timing from funny guys like Jerry O'Connell, Jerry Minor, Fred Goss, and potential breakout star TJ Miller gives me hope — as does that Phil Collins video. I'm not sure if I see it getting more than a "Knights of Prosperity"-sized following, but if enough people give it a chance, maybe it will be a small hit.

Three more tossups — plus a brand-new clip of the first few minutes of one of them — so read more

The networks have announced their fall schedules, but which of the series will actually be worth watching? Throughout the summer, as I watch the pilots, I'll be posting my first impressions. A lot can change before a show makes it to air, so these aren't comprehensive reviews, just quick thoughts on how the shows look now. Today's installment: The CW's "Aliens in America."

What's it about? A shy, socially awkward high school kid from small-town Minnesota has his worldview turned upside down when he finds a kindred spirit in Raja, his family's Muslim exchange student from Pakistan.

Who's in it? Dan Byrd, Adhir Kalyan, Amy Pietz, Scott Patterson (most recently of "Gilmore Girls")

The good: Of all the half-hour comedy pilots I watched for the fall season, this was the funniest. Byrd and Kalyan are perfectly cast and absolutely hilarious to watch on screen (and the writing for them is stronger than it is for any of the adult characters). It's bold to take on pretty serious race relations issues through the vehicle of a CW teen comedy, and I appreciate the effort and the intention of the show.

The bad: Some of the scenes that call out Raja's religion or outsider status made me feel downright uncomfortable, and I couldn't tell if the writers were being provocative on purpose or if I was supposed to be laughing. A school scene in which a kid tells Raja she hates him because his people wrecked the World Trade Center was particularly squirmy, as was nearly every word out of the suburban mom character's mouth.

Will I watch? Yes. Despite how uncomfortable I felt with some aspects of the pilot, it was funny enough that I want to see where the show goes.

To watch a preview (note: this was filmed before Patterson was cast) and see a couple more photos, read more

• Jonesing for a Luke-from-"Gilmore Girls" fix? You'll have to tune into the CW's "Aliens in America" this fall to get it. Scott Patterson will play the father on the show, which focuses on the relationship between Christian and Muslim teens in Wisconsin when the Christian boy's family brings the Muslim boy in as an exchange student. Patterson replaces Patrick Breen, who was originally cast in the role.
• The revolving door continues to spin at the Crane Pool & Schmidt offices: Taraji P. Henson, best known for her role in Hustle and Flow, will join "Boston Legal" as a series regular, playing a lawyer from the firm's New York office. Saffron Burrows also will join the cast, playing a lawyer who once had an affair with James Spader's character. Though they were purged from the show last month, former stars Mark Valley and Rene Auberjonois will appear in a few episodes during the season.




• Mae Whitman, best known to me as George Michael's girlfriend, Ann, from "Arrested Development," will be replaced as the deaf younger sister in NBC's "Bionic Woman." According to TV Guide, the part also might be rewritten to give the character her hearing back.
• Wisteria Lane might be getting a new resident: Dana Delaney — who was "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry's first choice to play Bree — is in talks to join the cast as a woman who moves to town with her much-younger husband and daughter. TV Guide's Michael Ausiello speculates that the character could be Bree's long-lost sister, which sounds crazy to me, but crazy's never stopped "Desperate Housewives" before.

Source

Just like NBC, ABC and CBS, the CW is already giving us a sampling of the goodies from its new fall shows. I'm most excited about the clips from "Gossip Girl" (pictured above), but there are also short videos and photos for the network's other new series. All of the clips are in this video player, or you can also read about each show and link directly to its video by clicking on the show name here: "Aliens in America," "Reaper," "Gossip Girl," "Life is Wild," "CW Now," and "Online Nation."

Here are my snap judgments: "Reaper," which is produced by Kevin Smith, looks basically like a buddy comedy, but about zombie hunters; "Life is Wild" reminds me an awful lot of "7th Heaven" but with large jungle animals; "Aliens in America" seems terrible or surprisingly promising, depending on which clip I watched; and I love that the kids in "Gossip Girl" actually look like high schoolers — with the exception of the main character, at least. I have videos from "Gossip Girl" and photos from the rest right here, so check them out!

"Gossip Girl"
In this clip, Serena deals with rejection from her ex-best friends.

Two more "Gossip Girl" clips and a ton of photos, so read more