Easily the funniest of the new broadcast network comedies, The CW's "Aliens in America" (8:30 tonight, WPCW) offers its laughs with a gentle plea for tolerance and more than a little humor at the expense of uninformed, close-minded Americans.

Justin Tolchuck (Dan Byrd, "Clubhouse") is not popular in his Wisconsin high school. He feels like an alien, hence the show's title. Justin is teased and taunted and desperately in need of friends. His overinvolved mother (Amy Pietz, "Caroline in the City") becomes convinced that the way to help Justin's self-esteem is to import a friend -- a blond, Nordic kid who fits the popular-crowd mold, like in the exchange-student brochures. Instead, the Tolchuks wind up with Raja Musharaff (Adhir Kalyan), a Pakistani Muslim and the other kind of alien in the show's title. Mom is horrified and wants to return him.

"If I ordered a toaster and got a coffee-maker, I'd return that," she says when husband Gary (Scott Patterson, "Gilmore Girls") disapproves.

Teachers and other students mistreat Raja, with one teacher referring to his "Muslimism." A student declares, "I guess I feel angry because his people blew up those buildings in New York."

In the first two episodes, Raja initially makes Justin's school life worse, but Justin also comes to value his friendship with Raja, even when Raja hangs out with Small Paul, an 11-year-old who's actually further down the popularity ladder than Justin.

The "Aliens" cast is uniformly terrific. Byrd and Kalyan have an easy, brotherly chemistry that fits their characters. Pietz rocks an awesome Wisconsin accent and gets the best lines in the show, including this gem: "What about the terrorist question?" she asks in regard to Raja. "They pose as students. Bill O'Reilly said so."

Patterson was a last-minute replacement for another actor, given the role because he had a contract with The CW. That's not an ideal way to cast a series, and Patterson is a less likely father to Justin than the original actor, but his performance is fine.

Written by David Guarascio and Altoona native Moses Port, "Aliens" is more than another series about a geek. It's a timely look at cultural differences and a timeless depiction of young friendship. It's that rare TV comedy with both humor and heart.

'Aliens in America'

When: 8:30 tonight, WPCW.

Starring: Dan Byrd, Amy Pietz.