Chuck Lorre Comedy About U.S. Veteran and Afghan Interpreter in Development at CBS

By Will Thorne

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Chuck Lorre is setting up yet another project at CBS.

The network has issued a pilot production commitment to “The United States of Al,” a multi-camera comedy which hails from “The Big Bang Theory” creator and his fellow “Big Bang” executive producers David Goetsch and Maria Ferrari.

The prospective series is described as a comedy about the friendship between Riley, a Marine combat veteran struggling to readjust to civilian life in Ohio, and  (Al), the Afghan interpreter who served with his unit and has just arrived to start a new life in America.

The series hails from Warner Bros Television and Lorre’s Productions, Inc. Religious studies scholar Reza Aslan and Mahyad Tousi are also EPs on the series.

If it goes to series, “The United States of Al” would be Lorre’s second show in quick succession to center around an immigrant to the United States. His show “Bob Hearts Abishola,” which has an immigrant Nigerian nurse (played by Folake Olowofoyeku) and her family at the heart of it, premiered three weeks ago. Lorre’s list of business with extends to a whole heap of other shows including “Big Bang Theory” spinoff “Young Sheldon,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Mom,” and “Mike & Molly.”

The prolific producer is also an EP on Netflix’s “The Kominsky Method,” starring Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin.

Deadline first reported the development news.