'United States of Al' has good intentions, but not many laughs
CNN
A US veteran and his Afghan interpreter sound like a logical TV odd couple, but the few tender moments work better than the broadly comic ones.
The series falls under the supervision of heavyweight producer Chuck Lorre ("The Big Bang Theory," "Young Sheldon"), officially giving him stewardship of CBS' entire Thursday comedy block. Being prolific in TV, however, usually means your luck eventually runs out, and "Al" has the feel of an idea that sounded better during the pitch than in the execution, with the laughs ending up lost in translation. The pilot opens with Riley (Parker Young) greeting Awalmir, a.k.a. Al (Adhir Kalyan), at the airport, having worked for years to bring him from Afghanistan to the US. Al's wide-eyed vision of America is expressed through a relentlessly upbeat demeanor, one that frequently references cultural differences with his homeland.
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