View Full Version : CBC's sitcom about Muslims gets international buzz.
It's called Little Mosque on the prairie. It's set in a fictional Saskatchewan town called Mercy. It's goten attention from most major news outlets. But I couldn't find the BBC story. :shame:
CBC article
In a show that will be the first of its kind on North American TV, CBC plans to begin a new comedy series about a small community of Muslims living in rural Saskatchewan.
Yasir (Carlo Rota, left) and Baber (Manoj Sood, right) discuss the beginning of Ramadan, the month of fasting.
Little Mosque on the Prairie doesn't come to air until Jan. 9, but already it has attracted attention from the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, CNN and satirical talk-show host Stephen Colbert.
The show's creator, Zarqa Nawaz, says she hopes the cheeky send-up of stereotypes and the clash of cultures will show Muslims in a new light.
"That Muslims can be funny and are just like everyone else," she said in an interview with CBC Television.
Continue Article
Little Mosque on the Prairie creator and producer Zarqa Nawaz.
(Sophie Giraud/CBC)
A Regina-based mother of four, Nawaz says she hopes her children will see the new face of Canada in the show.
"I'd like them to be able to watch TV and see people who also look like them. So they can also connect that way," she said.
Shot in Toronto in 2006, the show focuses on a Muslim community in the fictional Prairie town of Mercy, following family conflicts and the community's interaction with their neighbours.
"It's based on my own observations growing up as Muslim in North America," she said.
Toronto-born actor Zaib Shaikh plays a young lawyer turned religious leader in the series.
The show isn't meant to be political, he said, and doesn't deal with political themes.
"It's a show that's meant to be funny, that shows an aspect of Canadian culture that just happens to be Muslim."
In one episode, a father fights with his adolescent daughter over what she can wear to school. In another, a battle of sexes erupts when a spiritual leader wants to put a divider between men and women in the mosque.
The show is a half-hour sitcom with humour arising out of the situations, Nawaz said, adding that her main goal is to get people laughing.
"Muslims have reacted very favourably to the show, because they want to see themselves on screen as real people," she said.
Nawaz was born in England, grew up in Toronto and moved to Saskatchewan 10 years ago. Her BBQ Muslims was a hit at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1996.
Actor Carlo Rota, who has a part in this show, as well as the hit U.S. series 24, says he thinks Little Mosque on the Prairie could only be made in Canada.
"I get heavy guys, bad guys, guys that garrotte, guys that strafe with machine guns," he says of his usual roles for TV.
American TV is too timid to make a show with such a fresh perspective, he said.
The show premieres next Tuesday and then will air on Monday nights and be repeated on Wednesday nights.
CNN article below. It was also featured on Paula Zhan now and the Colbert report.
TORONTO, Ontario (Hollywood Reporter) -- "Little Mosque on the Prairie," a Canadian sitcom that debuts Tuesday, January 9, depicts immigrant Muslims bumping up against white locals in rural Saskatchewan.
Zarqa Nawaz, creator and writer of the groundbreaking show, insists she's an equal-opportunity satirist taking dead-aim at both Muslim and Canadian stereotypes in a post-September 11 world.
"I expect both groups will be wondering if the other finds the show funny," says Nawaz.
There are predictable jokes about Muslim beliefs clashing with Canadian traditions. In one scene, a father wearing a kufi, or a knitted cap worn by devout Muslims, protests that his Canadian-born daughter wearing a revealing tank top looks "like a Protestant."
"Don't you mean prostitute?" the daughter asks.
"No, I meant a Protestant," the father replies.
In another scene, a young man of Middle Eastern origins with a Canadian accent is heard in an airport check-in line telling his mother via cell phone that his father shouldn't think his choosing to stop being a Toronto lawyer to become an imam in Saskatchewan amounts to career "suicide."
"This is Allah's plan for me," the young man says in passing, before an arresting cop appears suddenly and tells the surprised lawyer that he won't be making that appointment in Paradise.
Nawaz, a British-born Muslim and mother of four who settled on the Prairies with her family a decade ago, downplays the idea that the homegrown comedy may spark widespread controversy.
She insists her comedy springs from a relatively uneventful life in multicultural North America, unlike Europe, for example, where relations between Muslims and the wider Christian community are often a powder keg.
"North America should be the first place where a comedy like this would come about, where Muslims can be comfortable in their own skin and questions of Canadian identity can produce a sitcom," she says.
To ensure it doesn't cause unforeseen offense with "Little Mosque on the Prairie," the government-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) has hired an independent Muslim-Canadian consultant to comb through the sitcom's creative elements and suggest possible alterations.
Kirstine Layfield, CBC executive director of network programming, says recent preview screenings with select Muslim audiences elicited encouraging results -- laughter.
"Just doing the series is a risk in itself, but one the public broadcaster should take on if we're to help communicate authenticity of living in Canada," Layfield adds.
Mary Darling, one of three executive producers shopping the Canadian comedy stateside, says a U.S. airing may help break down barriers between faith communities.
"It won't do any harm, and maybe it can do some good," she says.
Show's official website, http://www.littlemosque.ca/
Watch the clips and laugh a bit.
PanzerJaeger
01-07-2007, 05:11
:thumbsdown:
Amazing. Only in the West...
It seems the more buildings are knocked down, and the more heads are cut off, the more we try to westernize this minority.
This show wouldnt have had a shot before Sept 11 - thats pretty sick. :shame:
AntiochusIII
01-07-2007, 05:20
It seems the more buildings are knocked down, and the more heads are cut off, the more we try to humanize this particular ethnicity.They weren't human?
I don't see anything wrong. :book:
PanzerJaeger
01-07-2007, 05:49
I find it disturbing that the reaction of many in the West to the heightened terrorist attacks from the muslim world is to put them in the best possible light - to make them like us, when really they are not.
As I said, such a show wouldnt have had a shot before the World Trace Center was knocked down. Thats a sad reflection on our weak PC society. :no:
That doesnt mean I am saying they arent human, or that they are all bad. I would never say such a thing. ~;)
AntiochusIII
01-07-2007, 05:58
I find it disturbing that the reaction of many in the West to the heightened terrorist attacks from the muslim world is to put them in the best possible light - to make them like us, when really they are not.
As I said, such a show wouldnt have had a shot before the World Trace Center was knocked down. Thats a sad reflection on our weak PC society. :no: You just about did generalize, I don't know, more than a billion people who follow this religion into one big, evil mass of "enemies."
How many are involved in 9/11? A hundred, at an absolute, overexaggerated, very-unlikely most?
Oh, and the *evilz* Muslims that are being shown in the sitcom are Canadians.
:smash:
PanzerJaeger
01-07-2007, 06:09
As I said, such a show wouldnt have had a shot before the World Trace Center was knocked down. Thats a sad reflection on our weak PC society.
Do you agree? Disagree? If you agree, what are your thoughts?
This issue I have with this story is not over muslims, its over the fact that some of the more liberal-minded amongst us feel the need to make them lovable TV characters almost certainly due to the fact that they are doing the majority of the terrorism these days.
This show would not have been picked up in 1990 when the muslim world was just another far off place. Now that the multiculturists percieve some anti-muslim feelings in the West, such a show is welcomed with open arms.
Just another show trying to spark controversy and get ratings.
There is no such thing as bad publicity. And conceptually a bunch of crazy muslim people butting heads with crazy white people in the boondocks of Saskatchewan sounds funny. I haven't goten a feel one way or the other whether the show is just stiring it up for ratings or not. I'll have to watch it first.
Kanamori
01-07-2007, 07:08
Okay, first off, the only reason I clicked was because I'm drunk. Sorry, Lars, no offense to you. (If nothing , this has only shown me again why I hate getting drunk.) (Do notice the Tribesman extra-space, it was because I'm drunk.)
Amazing. Only in the West...
It seems the more buildings are knocked down, and the more heads are cut off, the more we try to humanize this particular ethnicity.
This show wouldnt have had a shot before Sept 11 - thats pretty sick.
What?
Try maybe, because of people that think all Muslims are asses. Probably, this show wouldn't have been shot if 9-11 wouldn't have happened, but their showing muslims in positive, "like us", sort of way has more to do with demonizing idiots who grasp "muslim... hurting us" before they grasp "violent... hurting us." Any person's ideology itself is no harm to anyone, it's if they act on it violently. The violent actions of some ideology are the problem; a particular ideology is only a problem when it denies humanity and sees physical or widespread threat to its values in its opposition and thus attempts to justify violent action against its opposition. Funny enough, the muslims that flew planes into the twin towers thought all americans were inhuman because they lacked they're ideals, which could only be denied by inhuman scum out to get them, and particularly because americans were the 'reactionary' opposite of their values. Maybe, just maybe, it's seeing people as inhuman that is really the problem.
EDIT: Removed personal attack.
Tribesman
01-07-2007, 10:00
It seems the more buildings are knocked down, and the more heads are cut off, the more we try to humanize this particular ethnicity.
This show wouldnt have had a shot before Sept 11 - thats pretty sick.
I agree , that post is right , it's pretty sick .
Warped and twisted are also good words to use to describe it .
The post that is , not the sitcom .
Kanamori..................................................
Kanamori , let me be the first to say your post is very sensible even though you're inebriated .:yes:
edit for quote
Do try and keep it civil, please.
Ser Clegane
01-07-2007, 12:45
the more we try to humanize this particular ethnicity.
:no:
Ironside
01-07-2007, 13:59
:thumbsdown:
Amazing. Only in the West...
It seems the more buildings are knocked down, and the more heads are cut off, the more we try to humanize this particular ethnicity.
This show wouldnt have had a shot before Sept 11 - thats pretty sick. :shame:
I'm curious how you plan to keep those muslim infidels that want your head as a trophy and are living in the US and Canada from fullfilling this mission in thier lives?
Yelling murderer/terrorist at them everytime you see them? That'll work wonders... :yes:
Or not. :wall:
On a more serious note, you might be right, but then comes the question on how to reduce the tensions between North Americans and muslims who live in North America and whose only cause of suspicion is that they belong to a billion people group were a few members belongs to radical homocidal movements? And a (good) sitcom is much, much smarter than saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas because you don't want to hurt someones feelings, PC squad style.
People feeling themself as outcasts have a high tendency to dissent and making them outcast does, oddly enough, have a profound inpact on those feelings.
Now, if it would be a massive jihad were most of the muslim population world-wide had risen to arms to kill the infidels and war is erupting on the streets of NY, then this sitcom would probably have been a bit too much PC, but keep things in perspective.¨
It seems the more buildings are knocked down, and the more heads are cut off, the more we try to humanize this particular ethnicity.
The Canadians? :inquisitive:
As I would hardly consider Bosnians, Nigerians, Lebanese, Iraelis (16% of the population), Emirians, Iranians, Bengalis, Indonese etc as one ethnicity
PanzerJaeger
01-08-2007, 04:40
On a more serious note, you might be right, but then comes the question on how to reduce the tensions between North Americans and muslims who live in North America and whose only cause of suspicion is that they belong to a billion people group were a few members belongs to radical homocidal movements? And a (good) sitcom is much, much smarter than saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas because you don't want to hurt someones feelings, PC squad style.
People feeling themself as outcasts have a high tendency to dissent and making them outcast does, oddly enough, have a profound inpact on those feelings.
Now, if it would be a massive jihad were most of the muslim population world-wide had risen to arms to kill the infidels and war is erupting on the streets of NY, then this sitcom would probably have been a bit too much PC, but keep things in perspective.¨
Good point. Thanks for actually addressing mine aswell. ~:)
I agree to a certain extent, although I still dont think its right to deliberately pick up a pro-muslim show in the current environment when it wouldnt have been shown otherwise.
PJ to be rather blunt, and obvious, you don't know the CBC. It salivates at the chance to combine quality TV and multiculturalism. So a muslim woman coming to them with an idea about Muslims and white people grating on each other in a funny way was bound to be green lit.
Prince of the Poodles
01-08-2007, 05:38
Sounds like PBS. Does it air britcoms aswell?
In a way it is PBS. It was created as the Canadian version of the BBC. It's the publicly funded broadcaster. But unlike PBS or BBC it uses commercials to help fund itself. But it doesn't show any britcoms in prime time, if ever. In fact the only British shows it puts on are Coronation street and Dr. Who. And Dr. Who it partially bankrolls.
kataphraktoi
01-08-2007, 08:48
How about a tv show in religious minorities in "particular" countries? :juggle2:
:whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip:
How about a tv show in religious minorities in "particular" countries? :juggle2:
:whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip:
I would love to see a sitcom about jews in Iran.
I would love to see a sitcom about jews in Iran. They actually have those, you know.
They actually have those, you know.
Eh never heard of one though. Would be interesting, if it's done right of course.
Kind of lame that they have to ripoff the fame of Little House on the Prairie brand.
Also lame that by the sounds of things many or all of the characters on the show will not be true Koran-believing Muslims. They should make a sitcom about true Koran-believing Muslims. That would be awesome but I doubt any network would have the mettle to do that. Definitely the CBC wouldn't as they are an outlet for zealous leftwing propaganda so they wouldn't want to. And even if they did they would be censored and penalized by the overseeing government board that ensures the truly pios may not speak freely in Canada's broadcast outlets, as that is contrary to the zealous leftwing propaganda agenda that reigns in Canada. :idea2:
Eh never heard of one though. Would be interesting, if it's done right of course.
It isn’t. It’s mainly about how "evil" the Jews are. ~:dizzy:
Byzantine Prince
01-08-2007, 10:36
I find it disturbing that the reaction of many in the West to the heightened terrorist attacks from the muslim world is to put them in the best possible light - to make them like us, when really they are not.
Why do you care so much? The best thing to do is ignore them and their silly values. Being hostile helps them, since they get very angry very easily.
Ironside
01-08-2007, 14:13
They should make a sitcom about true Koran-believing Muslims.
:laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4: a situation comedy. :yes: :yes:
You would truly love that Navaros.... or maybe not. ~;)
yesdachi
01-08-2007, 15:47
Northern Exposure’esq fish out of water sitcom with a Muslim twist. Sounds lame but I have a difficult time stomaching any sitcoms lately. Laughtrack = bad.
There is some merit in trying to ease the tensions between the “good” Muslims who live around us and attempt to integrate, and a TV sitcom is just as good a way as any to do that, sharing a laugh has go to be one of the best ways to start/mend a relationship. However I do see (at lease Americans) easily getting a warm fuzzy from a funny show and applying the feelings they develop for lovable characters in a show with an entire people. Will & Grace popularized gays, The Sopranos popularized mobsters, The West Wing popularized politicians (who we all know are x2 more evil than gays or mobsters :wink:). Popularizing all Muslims to be all warm and cuddly is definitely not a good idea (since a substantial number of them seem to want to separate our heads from our bodies) but easing the tensions and bridging the cultural gap between us and the “good” Muslims is a decent idea. :2cents:
Now if anyone can figure out how to tell the difference between the “good” and “bad” Muslims please forward that information to the current US administration, you’ll sleep better at night knowing that you have helped out.
Ironside
01-08-2007, 19:10
Now if anyone can figure out how to tell the difference between the “good” and “bad” Muslims please forward that information to the current US administration, you’ll sleep better at night knowing that you have helped out.
:jumping: :jumping: I know, I know!!!
The bad Muslims is those guys running after you with an axe covered in blood, while yelling "Allah Akbar".
Otherwise I suspect that they won't differ that much from members in different sects or simular, you know: some new found faith, isolating themself from others, quitting (or not having) a job, etc, etc. Listening much on some very radical Imam would also hint on something to (if you have any of those preaching in the US).
Canadian sitcoms don't have laugh tracks.
Here are some from Corner Gas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV2Hs2rgto8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HONcuC51JZg
Here are the CBC and CNN news reports on it
CBC (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUnnG-m81e8)
CNN (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7XlPKCUh8k)
Vladimir
01-08-2007, 20:31
They actually have those, you know.
I posted something like that in the Backroom Video thread. I'll fish for it...
Here it is:
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1335322&postcount=424
@Ironside: Axes, scimitars, kitchen knives...you know, whatever's handy.
Kralizec
01-08-2007, 21:51
:inquisitive: Heartwarming to see that PJ and Navaros are in agreement- seeing as how both complain that the show is going to depict muslims politically correct :inquisitive:
PanzerJaeger
01-08-2007, 22:40
I am not entirely prepared to agree with that statement. :gah2:
I love the CBC. :yes:
CBC television and radio are the best protectors of democracy in this country.
But they don't appreciate it when one of their on-air personalities makes a soft-core porn movie. :laugh4:
Goofball
01-08-2007, 23:18
As I said, such a show wouldnt have had a shot before the World Trace Center was knocked down. Thats a sad reflection on our weak PC society. :no:
I have to disagree with you there.
This is not a new formula. There have been many shows that derive their comedic value from the clashes between the old culture of the immigrants and their adopted new culture, and I can even think of some that I thought were quite funny and worth seeing: Bend It Like Beckham and My Big Fat Greek Wedding, to name a couple. Heck, even The Beverly Hillbillies would fall into the same genre.
From the previews I have seen of this show, it appears to be a cross between My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Corner Gas. Looks pretty funny.
Crazed Rabbit
01-09-2007, 18:24
The clip they showed on the CBC youtube thing made me laugh.
If it's funny, so what? Unless they start preaching Wahhabism - and it doesn't look like that - what's wrong?
Any clash of civilizations isn't going to be won by constantly hating Muslims - it's going to be won by having integration by Muslims (those in the west) into the west.
Crazed Rabbit
I just watched the first episode of this so as I may properly criticize it for the benefits of this thread.
First few minutes of the show have alleged Muslim women whispering to each other in a Mosque during service about how much they love the show "Desperate Housewives" after the old Imam criticsizes it as part of the service. Clearly Desperate Housewives - a fornication, adultery and promiscuity-based show that is created by a homosexual - is not a show that any Koran-believing Muslim would enjoy.
All the White people on the show are extremely stupid caricatures who constantly blame the Muslims for plotting terrorism even though the Muslims on this show do not actually believe what is in the Koran at all. This is not done in an intelligent way. It is done in an asinine way that reminds you constantly it's just a TV show, as no White person in reality would ever act even remotely like that. Don't get me wrong, I understand that Muslims get falsely accused of terrorism all the time, but this show exaggerates that to the point of absurdity. Ie: While the new "Imam" is being interrogated by two White police officers, he tells a stupid unfunny joke that they don't laugh at and then he motions with his hand over his own head and they say: "What is that, a signal?" even though they are in a closed room that no one else could possibly see into. In this scene the officer standing behind the sitting "Imam" also goes for his gun when the unarmed "Imam" moves a little bit in his chair.
The main star of the show is supposed to be "a progressive (read: liberal who agrees with secular humanism and it not faithful to his Muslim Holy Book) new Imam". He very much resembles a really bad standup comedian, and in no way resembles an Imam. He is also way too young for the role, he looks like he is 18. Very bad actor, too, as are most of the actors and actresses on this show.
The old Imam is painted as comical character who is being shoved out simply because he actually believes what the Koran says.
The show very clearly has an agenda to paint Muslims in a way in which they are completely onboard with and part of secular humanist culture. Whilst that will please "society at large", in my view this is a great dishonor to Muslims and what true Muslims stand for.
Because this show does not truly reflect Muslim beliefs, there is no reason for this show to cause either buzz or controversy. Other than among Koran-believing Muslims who object to how it it inaccurately reflects what being a Muslim entails.
I found the show to be completely asinine and totally unfunny. Although I also find "Seinfeld" and other popular sitcoms to be likewise asinine and completely unfunny, so mileage of "funnyness" may vary for those with lower humor standards.
I fell asleep while watching it. (The kids woke me up to tuck them in. That's kind of odd now that I think about it.)
The again, I'm like grampa Simpson, I can fall asleep right in the middle of typing a se...
:sleeping:
Crazed Rabbit
01-10-2007, 03:56
Navaros may have a point about stereotypes on the show. On their site they had summaries for characters and the only conservative, whom they liken to Rush Limbaugh, is a bigot and racist.
Crazed Rabbit
Kanamori
01-10-2007, 03:56
If political correctness is simply an attempt to color the perceptions of reality and you dislike that, watching TV in general shouldn't really interest you. Which is why I'm 'puzzled', really, I cannot say what I think w/o getting into trouble, about how a certain TV show would be picked out.
I just saw them state on StarDaily (a dumb Canadian Entertainment Tonight wannabe show) that usually Canadian actors only make $16 000 per year. I presume that amount is in Canadian dollars. That is a truly pathetic salary. They were also talking about how they don't get residuals for the shows being sold on the Internet, as they should since the producers are making money off them.
I guess that is why the acting is so crappy on Little Mosque on the Prairie.
Navaros may have a point about stereotypes on the show. On their site they had summaries for characters and the only conservative, whom they liken to Rush Limbaugh, is a bigot and racist.
Crazed Rabbit
To be fair you haven't really that many types of characters in sitcoms. Stereotypes are used a lot for ease of writing. And in Canada prarie-conservative is a byword for racist-bigot.
I just saw them state on StarDaily (a dumb Canadian Entertainment Tonight wannabe show) that usually Canadian actors only make $16 000 per year. I presume that amount is in Canadian dollars. That is a truly pathetic salary. They were also talking about how they don't get residuals for the shows being sold on the Internet, as they should since the producers are making money off them.
I guess that is why the acting is so crappy on Little Mosque on the Prairie.
Yeah they don't make all that much doing native productions. Which is why most are workaholics. Some, like Little Mosque cast member Carlo Rota, are regulars on 2 TV series. Others are regulars on 1 TV series and do guest spots on many others. Plus something like 60% of the victims, perps, and suspects on the CSI shows are Canadian actors. But since pretty much every original show made by Sci-fi channel, The CW, Lifetime, and other cable networks are shot in and around Vancover BC getting work isn't hard.
Navaros may have a point about stereotypes on the show. On their site they had summaries for characters and the only conservative, whom they liken to Rush Limbaugh, is a bigot and racist.
Crazed Rabbit
I just watched the first episode to be able to say in fairness that it sucked and that statement is untrue. Yasir, the man who rents the Anglican church to be used as a Mosque is "card-carrying Conservative". It is prairieland, after all.
I agree with Navaros in that show wasn't funny, but it's a sitcom on a major channel. Of course it's not funny. It's obviously an attempt to build bridges between Christian and Muslim communities in the country, which is all well and good for the mainstream culture because in all fairness, they're more similar to each other, Muslim and Christian alike, than they are to fringe subcultures.
All in all, nothing surprising, nothing worth bothering with...same old, same old, only it openly involves Muslims. That's kind of the point of the whole affair, though.
I found the show to be completely asinine and totally unfunny. Although I also find "Seinfeld" and other popular sitcoms to be likewise asinine and completely unfunny, so mileage of "funnyness" may vary for those with lower humor standards.
I was really following you, but them I read that. If you dont think seinfield is funny then there is no hope for you.
Tribesman
01-11-2007, 10:47
I was really following you, but them I read that. If you dont think seinfield is funny then there is no hope for you.
Come on Bandit , give him a chance ....
So Navaros , "Life of Brian" funny or not funny ?
I don't find Seinfeld funny either, but then I am Swiss and not in possession of any kind of sense of humour.
Quid
I never found Seinfeld all that funny either.
There's been quite a lot of tv out of the Indian subcontinent here.
And let's not forget East is East, which was quite funny.
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