Chuck Lorre has been behind some of the most popular half-hour comedies of the twenty-first century, such as The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men and Mike & Molly. The nine-time Emmy nominee is poised to add a new show to his ever-growing catalog with United States of Al, which has just been ordered to series by CBS, Variety reports.
United States of Al is allegedly a buddy comedy about the contemporary immigrant experience that follows a Marine vet played by Parker Young (Enlisted, Twenties), who returns to Ohio with his interpreter Awalmir, played by Adhir Kalyan (Rules of Engagement, Aliens in America), as reported by Variety.
Once United States of Al nails down its CBS airdate, Lorre will officially have five separate programs running on network television at the same time. The pilot for one of Lorre’s more recent creations, B Positive, aired on November 5, where it was sandwiched between the season four premiere of The Big Bang Theory spin-off Young Sheldon and the season eight premiere of Lorre’s multi-cam family sitcom Mom, as reported by The Wrap. Season two of his immigration-themed romantic comedy Bob Hearts Abishola kicks off on November 16, according to Deadline. An upcoming third and final season of Lorre’s single-cam outing for Netflix, The Kominsky Method, brings him to an overall total of six comedies that occupy a single time frame.
Lorre developed United States of Al with frequent collaborators David Goetsch (3rd Rock from the Sun) and Maria Ferrari (How I Met Your Mother), according to Deadline. The executive producer team is rounded out by director Mark Cendrowski (Fuller House, Hannah Montana), James Joyce Award-winning author and professor Reza Aslan (Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth), and multimedia consultant Mahyad Tousi (Of Kings and Prophets), Variety reports.
Aslan and Tousi work closely with one another, having founded the production company BoomGen Studios in 2006 to develop “creative content from and about the Middle East,” according to Aslan’s personal website. Tousi shared news of the series order for United States of Al on his official Twitter account.
November is getting better by the day; our show has picked up to series. This is an amazing show, with an amazing team. I couldn’t be more proud.
We’re beyond excited to share the series with the world. Thank you @CBS! https://t.co/IQGTW6YIst— Mahyad Tousi (@MahyadT) November 11, 2020
In a 2012 interview with the Television Academy, Lorre expressed his own gratitude for his continuing legacy as a marquee name in the world of television: “I’ve been really blessed. I’ve had a lot of remarkable experiences. I’ve woken up on a lot of mornings to realize that I’ve succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.”