Aliens in America
Mondays at 8:30 p.m.
Aliens In America, Mondays at 8:30pm on Pittsburgh's CW.
Justin Tolchuck (Dan Byrd, "The Hills Have Eyes") is a sensitive, lanky
16-year old just trying to make it through the social nightmare of high
school in Medora, Wisconsin, with the help of his well-meaning mom
Franny (Amy Pietz, "Caroline in the City"), aspiring-entrepreneur dad
Gary (Scott Patterson, "Gilmore Girls") and his beautiful and popular
younger sister Claire (Lindsey Shaw, "Ned's Declassified School
Survival Guide").
Although he's bright and funny, Justin is also shy, socially awkward
and pretty
much resigned to the fact that he'll never be one of the cool kids.
Franny, however, is the kind of take-charge mom who micro-manages her
family, and she's come up with a plan to help Justin: she signs up for
the school's international exchange student program. Picturing an
athletic, brilliant Nordic teen, Franny is sure this new friendship
will bestow instant coolness on her outsider son. However, when the
Tolchuck's exchange student arrives, he turns out to be Raja Musharaff
(Adhir Kalyan, "Fair City"), a 16-year-old Muslim from a small village
in Pakistan. Raja is thoughtful, responsible and wise beyond his years.
To the Tolchucks and everyone else in Medora, he's also just about as
foreign as a foreigner can be.
While the rest of the family is slightly freaked out by the Muslim in
their midst, Gary is comforted by the fact that the host family
receives a monthly check to help with expenses. This fits right in with
Gary's money-making schemes, and when he sees how hard-working and
respectful Raja is, he's totally on board. As for Claire, she's too
busy with her friends and her new boyfriend to pay much attention to
their houseguest, but Raja is smitten from the moment he first sees
her.
After the initial shock wears off, Justin is quickly won over by Raja's
humor, gestures of friendship and by their common status as outsiders.
Despite the cultural chasm between them, Justin and Raja develop an
unlikely bond that just might allow them to navigate the minefield that
is contemporary high school. It's going to be a very interesting year
for Raja, Justin, his family and the entire population of Medora.
"Aliens In America" is from CBS Paramount Network Television Inc. and
Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Tim Doyle ("Jake in
Progress"),
Moses Port ("Just Shoot Me," "Mad About You") and David Guarascio
("Just Shoot
Me," "Mad About You"), and co-executive producers Richard Day
("Arrested
Development," "The Larry Sanders Show") and Michael Glouberman
("Malcolm in the
Middle," "3rd Rock From the Sun").
Meet The Cast Of "Aliens In America"
Dan Byrd, plays Justin Tolchuck.
Originally from Marietta, Georgia, Byrd began acting at the age of 8 ,
and went on to develop his craft with performances in numerous
theatrical productions in Atlanta.
Byrd has starred along side
Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray in the teen take on a classic talke
in the hit film "A Cinderella Story."
Adhir Kalyan, plays Raja.
Kalyan was born and raised in Durban, South Africa, where his mother,
Sanday Kalyan, is a member of Parliament in the South African National
Assembly. He began his career in the South African theater, performing
in productions of "Macbeth," "Oliver," "A Christmas Carol" and "The
Ground Beneath Her Feet."
Kalyan has an impressive commmand of
languages and accents. He speaks both Afrikaans and French, and has
a wide range of accents, including British, South African, Middle
Eastern, Indian, Pakistani, Scottish, French and Australian, as well as
several American Accents.