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January 06, 2007
Just three more days...
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.
Snort. Sputter. Wheeze. If it wasn't self-evident to everyone, CBC television is currently running incontrovertible proof of Mr Rota's error every single weekday at midnight in the form of Arrested Development, a briliant American sitcom that's 500 times less timid than any comedy CBC has produced this century. Other than that, though, I'm sure the program fits squarely into the network's mandate -- it's got the flag and everything!
Look, I'll give Little Mosque a chance. I'll resist the temptation to judge it based on the god-awful trailers that are out there, for instance. Maybe they chose to highlight the worst parts of the show for some reason. So what follows isn't a promise or a guarantee or anything -- just a prediction, one I'll be happy to say was in error if that should occur.
Ready? Here goes. Like most of the original fictional programming CBC TV puts out there, the show is going to suck.
SUCK.
(UPDATE: It appears the Canadian flag accompanying the Arrested Development description will only appear to one in every five visitors. Others will be treated to a car on a prairie road; flowers; or sailboats. Now you know.)
Posted by Chris Selley at January 6, 2007 07:39 PM
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Comments
Considering the advertising for the show ("Coming Sunni" and "Halalarious" being my personal favourites), I think this show is going to make "The One" look like...well, the second biggest flop in the Stursberg/Rabinovitch era.
Posted by: Max at January 7, 2007 01:03 AM
I'd be willing to bet $50 that it sucks, but who would bet against me?
Posted by: Jason B. Green at January 7, 2007 12:20 PM
A quick stop at imdb.com reveals viewers frothing at the mouth to see this gem:
-and think it's going to be quite funny. But I am not muslim. Any thoughts on the series?
-this looks like a great series, i'm not muslim but i have friends who are.
-I think the show is funny and fresh and is a welcome change from the dry and boring CBC programming.
-I'm Muslim and I'm looking forward to this show. The jokes in the commercials were pretty funny
-I can't wait for this show. Finally, one show that Muslims can watch without the garbage of these other sick shows. Oh and at least people will get a view that not all Muslims are terrorists
-I've watched some clips and it is absolutely hilarious. I am looking so forward to this show as i am muslim and cant wait to see a protrayal of muslims outside of the News/Documentaries.
-I hope this comes to American television... A lot of people need to see it...
-I've seen some clips on the website it it looks sooooooooo funny.
Some people are easily impressed, I guess.
Posted by: Jason B. Green at January 7, 2007 12:27 PM
Now, granted it's possible that the first episode(s) suck and it will turn out a lot better - like Star Trek or Cheers or many, many other shows. But man, does it suck so far.
Posted by: Jason B. Green at January 7, 2007 12:31 PM
I've only seen a couple episodes of Arrested Development but I didn't see anything that would classify as a fresh perspective in any of them. Maybe you could provide me with an example of this freshness.
Posted by: Robert McClelland at January 7, 2007 01:29 PM
Never said it had a fresh perspective, though I'm not saying it didn't. I said it wasn't timid, and it wasn't.
Posted by: Chris Selley at January 7, 2007 03:04 PM
Well the person you quote never said American TV is too timid, they said American TV is too timid to make a show with a fresh perspective. So you'll need a better example, if one exists, to make your point.
Posted by: Robert McClelland at January 7, 2007 10:36 PM
Riiight. Robert, would it help you if I somehow Photoshopped a cat into this post?
Posted by: Chris Selley at January 7, 2007 11:44 PM
Having watched the three "Little Mosque" clips on the CBC website, I'm with Chris. It's going to be unwatchable.
Posted by: Sean at January 8, 2007 06:54 AM
So you'll need a better example, if one exists, to make your point.
Only one example? How about three?
The Wire
Deadwood
Battlestar Galactica
Posted by: mgl at January 8, 2007 11:03 AM
Unwatchable? But I'm having a Watch And Ridicule Gathering specifically for it!
BTW, LMOTP has the same acronym as Last Man On Totem Pole, which is not just a coincidence.
Posted by: Anonymous at January 8, 2007 07:14 PM
"Robert, would it help you if I somehow Photoshopped a cat into this post?"
Er... Little Mosque on the Pussy?
Posted by: Sean at January 8, 2007 07:28 PM
Chris:
The first couple seasons of Ken Finkelman's THE NEWSROOM were as sharp, well-acted and crafted as the best in US network or cable history. That's not just my opinion, that's a proven scientific fact.
Robert:
As usual, you are wrong. This is also a proven fact -- take it up with science.
Posted by: Adam in Whitby at January 8, 2007 10:42 PM
Not sure if you're trying to argue with me or what, A in W. The Newsroom was indeed good, but I don't think I said otherwise.
In other news, the Globe and Post reviews are disturbingly positive...
Posted by: Chris Selley at January 9, 2007 12:57 PM
In other news, the Globe and Post reviews are disturbingly positive...
The Post review sounds a lot like Bob Tarantino's description of the Eye review: sure, almost all the non-Muslim characters reflect the most halfwitted Torontonian stereotypes about redneck Prairie yokels, but apart from that, the show's great!
Posted by: mgl at January 9, 2007 06:45 PM