CBS Cancels United States of Al After Two Seasons

United States of Al has been canceled at CBS after just two seasons. The comedy centered on the relationship between Riley (Parker Young), a Marine combat veteran readjusting to civilian life in Ohio, and “Al” Awalmir (Adhir Kalyan), a Afghani interpreter who served with Riley's unit and has just moved to America. In the series, Al moves in with Riley, who has just separated from his wife, and the two work together to adjust to their new lives.

Created by The Big Bang Theory's Chuck Lorre, United States of Al suffered from lackluster reviews throughout its run and drew criticism for casting a South Asian actor to play Al. Despite the casting, though, three of the seven writers on the series were Afghan or Afghan American.

Last fall, United States of Al again made headlines when its sophomore season was reworked after the fall of Afghanistan, with the writers incorporating the crisis into the sitcom to tell a more emotional story.

United States of Al airs its series finale next Thursday, May 19 at 8:30 PM ET on CBS.

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Deena ElGenaidi's writing has been featured in Nylon, MTV News, Insider, The AV Club, and more. You can follow her on Twitter @deenaelg.