“Aliens in America” debuted on the CW in 2007, when comedies were in a weird place. That was the fall when “Cavemen” also debuted on ABC, when “Two and a Half Men” was still dominating the CBS comedy lineup, when “Entourage” was still being nominated for Emmys, when “Desperate Housewives” was competing as a comedy. Not long, and yet very long ago. So a sitcom about a Muslim Pakistani exchange student who finds himself living with a white, nominally Christian family in Wisconsin — airing on a network that was only a year old — did not make the impression it perhaps could have.

“Aliens” aired just 18 episodes. Absolutely skip the first three, where the show is at its most expository and labored, and just know this: Justin (Dan Byrd), our narrator, is a high school dorkus whose social life is so crummy that his mother, Franny (Amy Pietz), agrees to house a foreign exchange student, Raja (Adhir Kalyan), in the hopes that Justin will make a friend and gain some social footing. It sort of works. Justin remains at the very bottom of the social ladder, but he and Raja are instantly and sweetly best friends.

The show is often called a “fish out of water story,” but that’s not quite right. There’s no water, or maybe no fish: No one here is totally comfortable, and none of the characters find their environment completely suitable. Franny is frustrated by her family’s indifference to her (sometimes smothering) efforts. Her husband, Gary (Scott Patterson), loses his job and, with it, his identity. Their daughter, Claire (Lindsey Shaw), thrives on the cutthroat popularity game, but she also craves more meaningful validation. Justin refers to himself as an alien, having no idea how to fit in better.