KnifeMissile

A new sitcom just premiered on the CBC called Little Mosque on the Prairie. Here's an excerpt from the premiere episode. I kind of liked it. It's a little silly but there were some good jokes in it and I will watch a couple of episodes if for no other reason than to see where they go with this.

I might have put this thread in Tilted Entertainment but I don't necessarily want to talk about the entertainment value of the show. I want to focus on the political viability of such a show. I can't help but feel that this show could never happen in the US and I wonder what people think about that. Am I mistaken? Could a show like be sold to some daring network like Fox or HBO? Does it even make sense that a show like this might be politically sensitive in the US? If so, how? ...and why would Canada be free to produce this series?

I think this shows that Canada has nothing against Islam, in particular, which I think is a good thing and I wish the same thing were true in the US.
Thank you...

highthief

I don't think, under the current climate, a US network would be likely to produce a similar show, but I don't think there'd be a problem with them airing it.

I think its interesting in how it shows that it is less religion and more the overall society that dictates whether something like this is acceptable.

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eribrav

Actually I think you are both wrong. I could easily see it appearing here in the States. Think "Queer Eye". What could be more pariah than gay men? Yet the series is a huge success.
I think most Americans hate terrorists. I don't think most Americans hate Islam or Muslims. I also think they know enough to seperate the two.

highthief

Muslims flying planes into buildings, maybe?

I think politically there'd be some resistance to it - no one in the US, regardless of what side of the issue they are on, wants to see crowds in Pakistan burning their satellite dishes and chanting "Death to USA" because FOX produced the show.

If they want to burn Wayne Gretzky and Michael J Fox in effigy to get back at Canada, well, go ahead, but they probably won't.

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aberkok

I watched it, and while the acting was a little stiff, and some of the jokes were dumb, I'd like to see it do well. I think it's a good and necessary ice-breaker, poking fun at all the anti-Muslim paranoia that's all around us these days. As citizens of the world, we all need to learn the basics about Islam and if it takes a light-hearted comedy to do it, then so be it.

As for the point raised in the O.P., what lines are left that American T.V. hasn't crossed?

EDIT - I did enjoy the show and I'm going to continue checking it out. Even though I feel it's not great T.V., I still watch C.S.I. and feel the same way about that.

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Rekna

When I read this post I was thinking, I need to set this to record and see if it is any good. Then I noticed it was CBC and not CBS darn so much for being able to watch it.

I don't think this would be a problem as long as it was done in a respectful humours way. If they made the muslims terrorists then it would cause a problem. But if they made them ordinary people trying to live as muslims in society it wouldn't be a problem. In fact, I bet a lot of muslims (at least in the US) would watch such a show. Much like Latinos like to watch shows about Latino families and African Americans like to watch shows about African Americans. But again it all comes down to the show being tactful and not spiteful.

KnifeMissile

As an American, you can't (currently) watch it on network TV. However, if you have a computer, you can downlaod off of... well, obviously I can't say exactly where but you can pretty much get it from any BitTorrent site.

Well, as ordinary as "ordinary people" get on sitcoms. Naturally, situation comedies exaggerate their characters to the point of caricature in order to emphasize the comedy. They certainly aren't terrorists although they are commonly mistaken as such (at least, in the premiere episode...).

Rekna

And I think that would go over fine. In fact many muslims would be glad that a show is bringing out the fact that they are discriminated against.

Charlatan

It might get made in America but it wouldn't be on Network TV.

Queer Eye is a good example to draw but look how long it took for something like that to get made. I think we are way more likely to see a muslim neighbour in a sitcom than we are a full blown sitcom or drama revolving around muslims coming out of the US entertainment industry. This is how it is done in Hollywood. Small steps.

That said, I don't see this happening in the current political climate. It will happen, just not yet. Give it ten years or so.

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mixedmedia

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see a show like this pop up on HBO or Showtime or maybe even Fox. They've surprised me with how far they are willing to push the envelope before.

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Sticky

Looks like the first episode has been posted on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...+Prairie+-+101

I am watching it right now.

P.S. you will get some good ol'Canadian commercials thrown in too.

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guyy

Would you say that to Maher Arar?

KnifeMissile

That's a good point. At least we wanted him deported back to his home country. What were the Americans thinking when they sent him to Syria?!

skier

I watched the first episode... I didn't really like it, they just used the same joke (omg muslims=terrorists) over and over.

I guess my opinion doesn't have much to do with the politics of the show

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