KC Hill
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Craig Hill
Oracle of DelphiLittle Mosque on the Prairie
January 6th 2007 06:41
Camels parade through Toronto to Promote 'Little Mosque on the Prairie'
A Sit Com about Muslims? Leave it to the CBC to groundbreak the usually taboo topic of Islamic humor. The series features a young Muslim man from Toronto who moves to Mercy, a fictional small town on the Canadian prairie.
He finds himself to be a big city 'fish out of water' in the tiny town. Meanwhile, interactions between the town's Muslim and non-Muslim townsfolk make for countless unabashedly comedic situations.
The show's creator, Zarqa Nawaz, wrote a show about what she knew best: living life as a Muslim in small town Canada.
"I grew up in a mosque, I got married in a mosque, I spend a lot of time in a mosque - mosque is a really important part of my life," says Nawaz, a married mother of four children.
Nawaz's primary goal for "Little Mosque on the Prairie," is that people laugh when they watch it because, after all, "laughter is the best medicine."
Nawaz and the show's producers hope to humorously highlight the common ground present in all cultures and religions. Zarqa stresses that this is not a program about Islam but is instead about people's relationships, love, family and balancing religious beliefs and generation gaps while living in a prairie community.
Executive producer Mary Darling said, "It's just a funny comedy about two communities doing very ordinary things together and I think that, ultimately, that's what will build bridges between the Muslim community and the rest of the population with this show," she said. "It's really just about people. It shows time and time again that we're really all just one."
Originally not scheduled to be broadcast until next Fall, the debut has been pushed up to January 9th due to all the buzz the show's premise has been receiving of late. The producers have had to kick production into overdrive to be able to deliver completed episodes in time.
For more info and to watch clips go to littlemosque.ca
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Comment by Always Eighteen
Always Eighteen
Comment by pegasus
Poker Addict
Looks like it will be a really funny show.
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
This is ridiculous, why do people automatically assume if you're a muslim you come from a desert and have this specific culture.
Islam isn't a culture, it's a religion, theres nothing in it that says you have to change your name to an 'Islamic' (more like arab oriented) name or you have to dress up one way and not the other.
I think the biggest problem with Muslims is that they integrate too well into whatever country they're in which makes it look like the few that don't are the entire community of said religion who can't integrate. Bleh.
Anyway, it's a bloody comedy so it may as well be funny I guess, I lol'd at the 'flying while muslim'.
Comment by pegasus
Poker Addict
I think they are trying to say he is a fish out of water because he is from a very big city (Toronto has 5 miilion people) and is now living in a very small town (with only a few hundred people) so this is a shock to him. In one tv ad I saw, The small town Muslims are teasing him by saying
'does Ramadan begin when the bell at the Toronto Stock Exchange rings?'
well, I don't think they were assuming if you're Muslim you must be from a desert place...they were trying to shake up people's stereotypes and draw attention to the new show so people will watch it to find out what it is all about.
Its a comedy about Muslims living in a small Prairie town created by a Muslim woman who lived in a small Prairie town. She is writing about what she knows.
The beauty of Canada is we do not expect new Canadians to change who they are or to become part of a 'melting pot'. Our philosophy is that our society is a 'cultural mosaic'. We hope every person expresses their culture as much as they wish. Its all up to them. We accept and celebrate you as you are.
It is the CBC who is making this program and they are the quality, solid and sensitive Canadian network so it will be made with sensitivity, thoughtfulness and grace.
And, it will be very funny too from the many promos I've seen on tv.
Ahmed, some of your comments on my blogs have been a bit pushy and rude. Any further rude comments made by you will be deleted.
Pegasus
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
LOL, Now this is a much more interesting export than poutine, indeed... hilarious!
Comment by pegasus
Poker Addict
"you look like a Protestant!"
she says, "do you mean 'prostitute'?"
dad replies, "no, I meant Protestant"
Too funny
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Comment by Francis
Passionate Apathy
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
This is a GREAT Step Forward for reconciliation and change, and I can already see that the Catholics will love it, so it'll make Australian TV for sure.
It'll be interesting to see how it develops ... Even though I don't watch TV (well I can't after about half an hour becuase my head starts to feel empty..)... but I would watch a few episodes of this as research, becuase it is groundbreaking material ... and as such, eventually I believe it's how the masses will think, which in this case looks like bringing harmony to ease racial tensions.
That's using TV for good.
I was pleased to see the young ones pulling the older ones to western standards and not the other way around. I really don't want to have to don a burkha at my age. *lol* Does that make me racist?
The security shorts?
(((Hillarious)))
Who knows, it may even lighten up a few muslims too?
thanks for the heads up
Lilla...
Comment by pegasus
Poker Addict
Canadian shows usually do not air outside of the country. There have been a few exceptions like 'Degrassi' and 'You Can't Do That On Television' (kid's show). Do you guys get 'Trailer Park Boys' down there? That is the funniest show ever.
Since 'Little Mosque' is getting so much international buzz, maybe it will make it onto some American cable station? I hope so. If not, I'm sure episodes will be available for download on P2P file sharing networks. Or for purchase from CBC.
Thanks for your comment,
Peg
Comment by pegasus
Poker Addict
It is using TV for good, isn't it? I love your comment about getting a headache / head feeling empty after watching tv for half an hour.
A tongue-in-cheek comedy like this one will have us laughing together, laughing at ourselves, hey, just laughing because its damn funny. This will help break down barriers.
Cheers Lilla.
Pegasus
Comment by AnthonyB
I've also found Ahmed's comments to be pushy and rude. I thought he was in complete objection to my views, but I think he's just a psuedo-intellectual with high-minded ideals. In short, he seems - to me at least - to be very irritable and disagreeable. Lots of ables there. Ironic, considering the content... or is it? I don't know..
I do love a good comedy, especially the ones that poke fun. I thought Fat Pizza was horrible, but everyone else loved it. You always have such interesting news. Where do you get it from? Great work, Peggy ! I love it all !!!
Comment by pegasus
Poker Addict
Good to have your input, as always.
Thanks for the support. You are quality, my friend, pure quality.
talk to you soon,
Peg
Comment by Anonymous
(that is if I can squeeze it into my studies), because I think it will be one
interesting TV programme. If only some US network would just pick it up
and maybe even simulcast the new episodes (a network like, for example,
PBS, of which the only Canadian programme I've seen on it to date is The
Red Green Show, and only in reruns. This would probably drive PBS's
ratings up for sure, so that the Big Three would get a run for their money.
Oh, and pegasus, we do occasionally get Canadian shows in the US. Right now
the only show being aired right now is Da Vinci's Inquest, and even then only
in syndication.
Comment by Bhumika
Political Minds
Comment by pegasus
Poker Addict
No way, you guys watch some Great White North shows? Awesome.
The Red Green Show is so funny and its been on for ages. Probably b/c it is so funny, hey? go figure. Man, there's nothing that guy can't do with his beloved duct tape.
The funniest Canadian programme ever is 'The Trailer Park Boys'. Does it play in the US? I doubt it as it is a cable show up here so it is pretty much all f-words, reckless gun play, idiots reveling in their idiocy, marijuana, drinking, all the shenanigans going on at a Nova Scotia trailer park. When I first watched a bit of an episode, I thought it was so stupid (doesn't it sound stupid?) but later decided to give it a chance by actually watching a couple episodes in full. Man, I was addicted.
As you can guess, this show is a satire.
If you're interested check out their website:
trailerparkboys.com
As for 'Little Mosque', I too was thinking PBS would be the perfect network to air it. Let's keep our fingers crossed. If I hear anything up here, I'll post it.
Appreciate your comments, Anon.
Peg
Comment by pegasus
Poker Addict
Hopefully it will get picked in U.S. as it's message is so important (and hey it will be a funny half hour of TV too).
Thanks,
Pegasus
Comment by Francis
Passionate Apathy
I'm hoping Comedy Central will pick it up here- to that end I'm writing to CC's parent company Viacom (always start at the top). Viacom's address is:
Viacom
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 258-6000
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by pegasus
Poker Addict
Good on ya! (do you guys have that expression?)
Hopefully, writing in will get the show picked up. Hey, writing in campaigns worked to bring back Family Guy and other shows so maybe it'll work in this situation too.
hey Anon,
I haven't heard any anti-Little Mosque comments.
What part of the country are you? (just out of curiosity). That's sad and pathetic that some people have to be such arses.
Thanks,
Peg
Comment by Anonymous (from before)
Comment by pegasus
Poker Addict
Appreciate your input.
Pegasus
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by pegasus
Poker Addict
Myself, I found the show funny. Guess funny is in the eye (or ear) of the beholder.
CBC has ordered a total of 8 episodes. We'll see if the show survives beyond the first eight or not.