‘United States of Al’ Trailer Introduces Chuck Lorre’s Newest CBS Comedy (VIDEO)
Awalmir, aka Al (Adhir Kalyan), served as the interpreter of Riley’s (Parker Young) unit in Afghanistan, and he’ll continue to help his friend back in America — just with problems a little less global and a lot more personal.
In the first trailer for United States of Al (premiering April 1), CBS’s latest comedy from executive producer Chuck Lorre (The Big Bang Theory, Mom, B Positive), Al arrives in America ready to start a new life. He’s greeted at the airport by Riley, who’s struggling to readjust to being a civilian upon returning home to Ohio.
“I want to see everything,” Al says, and that includes “Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, and what’s the name of that place that sells peanut butter and brings it to you on a forklift?” (The answer: Costco.)
Al meets Riley’s family: his father, Art (Dean Norris), sister Lizzie (Elizabeth Alderfer), ex-wife Vanessa (Kelli Goss), and daughter Hazel (Farrah Mackenzie). And he pretty much endears himself to them immediately. (Who wouldn’t like the good-natured interpreter?) Al is also Hazel’s godfather, “which some might say is even more important than an actual father,” he suggests. (Riley, of course, disagrees.)
When Al finds out Riley’s having marital problems, he wishes his friend had told him so he could’ve fixed it — yes, from Afghanistan. “It’s not the moon,” he argues. “We have Wi-Fi.”
Now that he’s in the U.S., he does try to help (look at that picnic in the living room!), but Vanessa explains that Riley didn’t try hard enough to make it work. “He was probably exhausted from war,” Al offers, coming to his friend’s defense. “There was a lot of walking.”
United States of Al comes to CBS as Lorre’s Mom (airing Thursdays at 9/8c) is ending, with its series finale set for May 6.
United States of Al, Series Premiere, Thursday, April 1, 9:30/8:30c, CBS
