Justin Tolchuck 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, aspiring-entrepreneur dad Gary and his beautiful and popular younger sister Claire. 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, 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.

The show opens with the Tolchucks getting all spruced up to go on their ritual Sunday voyage to Shop World. Raja tells Franny that their weekly ritual is a lot like going to church; they go together as a family every Sunday and leave behind roughly ten percent of their income. Heh.

Shocked that Raja thinks her family is so spiritually devoid, she decides the family is going back to their church that minute… only to find out it has now become a Chicken Wing restaurant. Determined to find some faith, they head to a mega chuch, complete with a coffee bar, music section and housewares department. Here we get to see Gary’s obsession with a bargain (buying collectible saint plates), Justin finding his faith when he prays for a school bullies demise, and it happens, and Franny feeling relief when she manipulates Claire (who has asked for birth control pills for Christmas) into joining the “chastity club.”

It just gets more and more awesome with each passing minute. Justin thinks that his prayers are being answered, and starts to make them about less altruistic requests… his teacher comes down with Perkin’s disease, getting him out of a quiz, so then his friends decide this prayer business might be worth looking into. This devolves into praying for sex with Liz Sherman, resident hottie, and when she actually says, “hello” to the boys, the competition for her affections begin. Justin and his friend have a fight over the girl, and when he tells Raja of their prayer battle, Raja’s jaw hitting the floor and long lecture on the sanctity of prayer snaps Justin out of it.

Meanwhile, Franny directs the mega-church’s Christmas pagent, casting Claire as the Virgin Mary. So subtle. Claire admits to her peers that she’s only there so her mom will get her pill, and discovers that a hot guy is only in the chastity club for a car; sparks fly! Franny just thinks she’s into the part until she finds them making out in church closet. Then when Claire goes to church without Franny, it sends her into a panic that Claire’s going to do something very naughty in church. As she storms in on the two innocently running lines, she learns that maybe she should give Claire more credit and wonders why she really is doing the church thing at all.

In the end, good ol’ Raja comes through for Franny, explaining that her kids were raised with good values, regardless of whether or not they go to church. Franny realizes what she needed most was faith, and returns to church for herself, not for anyone else. Awwww. Claire even ends up going with her on Christmas because she, “likes the music.”

Great lines:

Raja: “At times we are all partial douches, but never a total one.”

Franny: “Part of playing the Virgin Mary is not jumping every shepherd that comes along!”

Franny: “Trust is earned, Lady Godiva!”

Raja: “Growing up in Pakistan, I never understood how Jesus got so fat. Then I realized it was Santa Claus. I should have known he was too jolly to be a messiah.”

Saturday June 28 at 7.00pm:

When Raja explains to his class how close he feels to Justin, everyone in the high school teases them mercilessly about being a ‘couple’.

About the show

Justin Tolchuk 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, aspiring entrepreneur dad and popular sister.

When Justin’s mother signs up for the school’s international exchange student program, she pictures being assigned an athletic, brilliant Nordic teen who will bestow instant coolness on her outsider son, Justin.

But the Tolchuks’ exchange student turns out to be Raja Musharaff, a 16-year-old Pakistani Muslim.

Despite the cultural chasm between Justin and Raja, they quickly develop an unlikely friendship 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.

by Chandra on May 10th, 2008

Hot on the heels of the utterly depressing news that Aliens in America will be no more following its May 18th freshman-season finale comes spectacular gossip from the opposite end of the Sucks Spectrum.

Multiple sources, such as at TV Guide and E! Online, have revealed within the last day that their inside sources confirm Reaper will get a sophomore run, to be officially announced at The CW’s upfront presentation in New York this Tuesday.

So, now I’m confused. Do I hate the fledgling network for canceling Aliens or do I love it for renewing Reaper? I think I’ll try a bit of both — hate on Sundays and love on Tuesdays … at least until they shake up the schedule again.

Let’s here it for the Devil! And Sock! And everybody else on the show!

Download Aliens in America Episodes

Here come the Tolchuks, Canada! …or maybe not.

Wonder Years star Fred Savage takes the directing reins for this installment of Aliens in America, “One Hundred Thousand Miles.”

All of the Tolchuks prepare to go on a family vacation to Vancouver, with student guest Raja in tow. But, when they get to the airport, something happens that totally and thoroughly derails their plans. This event then leads to a number of consequences, some good and some (temporarily) bad.

Aliens in America airs Sundays on The CW at 8:30pm EST.

Download Aliens in America Episodes

The roller coaster ride of emotions for Reaper fans continues, as the CW supernatural comedy has hit another peak (or is rushing down a steep slope, depending on one’s affinity for coasters).

Just weeks after Reaper seemed on the outs at the CW, a reversal of fortune may be happening. E! Online cites a source claiming that Reaper will “likely” be renewed.

TV.com recently talked to Reaper star Bret Harrison (interview to post later this month) about the chances of the show’s return, and he was “optimistic.”

“If you had asked me a week ago, I would have said no,” an “insider” tells E! about Reaper’s chances. “But there have been a few changes, and now it’s looking like it’ll probably get the green light.”

Also looking at good fortune–and this is no surprise–is the modern-day take of Beverly Hills, 90210. The show has been fast-tracked since it was announced earlier this year.

It isn’t all roses over at the CW, though. The same insiders claim that critics’ darling (and TV.com darling) Aliens in America will not be back last season, as suspected. I think it’s time for a Save Aliens in America campaign.

source: tv.com