Little Mosque on the Prairie

I like to bash the CBC because they're such a willing and easy target, quite incompetant most of the time, so imagine my surprise when their latest show, a sitcom even, has gotten advance buzz that even American stations would kill for. The show is of course titled Little Mosque on the Prairie and is about apparently a Muslim family in a predominantly non muslim prairie town.

Now, I'd known about this show for a while now (I forget where I first read about it, but it was some industry blurb somewhere) and I thought hey, clever title, *I* might watch it (I'll usually give CBC a fair chance to dissapoint me) and submitted the headline "Coming soon to the CBC: Little Mosque on the Prairie, not Coming soon to the CBC: Ratings".. it didn't get greenlighted as a fark headline, perhaps deservedly so, perhaps the moderator was an idiotic dick who only knows to greenlight cliches. But I Digress, I'm not posting today to decry the lowering standards on Fark.com, but to heap mild praise on CBC for managing to do something right despite themselves.

Yes, despite themselves. The CBC surely Okayed this series for goody goody minority feel good understanding liberal intentions, and lucked out that people are interested in knowing more about characters as depicted in the show, and lucking out that the people who proposed it might actually have some storytelling skills and comedic timing. So congratulations on that CBC.

I also read in some reports that they hired muslim consultants to review the comedy, which the series creator denied. If it were true, it'd be a little disconcerting that they ran it by muslims in order to not offend them yet didn't do the same for other groups that might be offended by their portrayal, but she says they didn't, so I'll believe her.

It's also a bit amusing to think of the show as Corner Gas with muslims. It's a common joke that the CBC could never have pulled off a show like Corner Gas. I suppose for the Corner Gas people immitation must be the sincerest form of flattery. But then again it's a bit unfair to say just because a show takes place in small town saskatchewan it means its just trying to rip off Corner Gas.

Hopefully, this shows' success leads to bigger and better things for Canadian television. A Little less whining to the CRTC about how Canadians don't want to watch Canadian TV while they make profits repackaging american shows, and a little bit more supporting your own damn countries entertainment industry would be nice. (this is directed at those other stations that aren't the CBC.. CBC has its' own problems, like not having any plans for HDTV over the air in Winnipeg until freakin 2011)

Heh, I just found out Derek McGrath is in it. Dr Jeffcoate from my secret identity! (andy-andy from cheers too, and various other roles) Derek McGrath kicks ass. Except in Doc. What a dumb show. Nobody kicks ass in that one. I wonder if Derek McGrath ever battled Chuck Norris in Walker Texas Ranger. Ah well, I hope this show is a success just for Derek McGrath, and then he can bitchslap Jerry O'Connel for whatever lame movie he's subjecting us to next. Freakin don't disrespect Dr Jeffcoate you little punk!