Little Sitcom, Big Aspirations
I made sure to watch the much-hyped Little Mosque on the Prairie tonight. My initial predictions turned out to be true – it was an average single-camera sitcom that used mainly the jokes you would think of – white folks being terrified that Muslims are terrorists, ad nauseum – for what may turn out to be the stereotypical first episode of the rising Islamic comedy genre. It made me laugh a number of times, and has potential if they can think of original, funny plots involving characters that happen to be Muslim instead of constantly making jokes about Muslim stereotypes.
The show is about as realistic as one would expect any sitcom to be. Situations are lighter than usual and it’s not fully realistic. The show doesn’t seem to take itself to seriously – as much as some would like it to. Its fairly positive outlook is refreshing from the gloom-and-doom non-Muslims are typically used to when regarding Islam. If I wanted a fully accurate depiction of the ups and downs of being a Muslim in “multicultural” Canada, I’d look for a drama on the subject. Little Mosque has the potential to be an excellent small-town Canadian comedy in the vein of Corner Gas or Made in Canada. Hopefully the cast will start to settle into their roles a bit more and develop a bit of chemistry. In particular, Amaar, the community’s new Imam (played by Zaib Shaikh) acts out his disbelief at the lack of big-city amenities such as cappuccino (so five years ago) in a way that made everyone in the room cringe just a little.
By virtue of the fact that the show involves the hot-button topic of interfaith relations (though it handles it in a light manner), the concept has caught the attention of the media in both the United States and Europe. Most articles on the subject quote Kirstein Layfield, a CBC executive’s claim that broadcasting the series is a risk – though this could be a genius promotional move on her part. I’m sure there are some that are betting (or hoping) that the series will receive a Danish Cartoon-like backlash. Despite all the serious press, the show’s production company - with the name of Fundamentalist Films is anything but. They have created a show that’s fairly inoffensive to all but the most easily-insulted of all extremes.
Assuming this approach works out, there could be a market for new Canadian comedies on the CBC – a void that has been for the most part lacking since the departure of the gem that was Rick Mercer’s Made in Canada. Little Mosque style seems halfway between the cookie-cutter style of the American sitcom and the colonial influences and small-town feel of modern British television – appropriate for a Canadian show. While the media-created political implications of the show is sure to help Little Mosque’s ratings, “first and foremost it’s entertainment” says show creator Zarqa Nawaz. It’s sure to offend extreme people on all sides, but in the end it can just be a piece of good Canadian television – and why should we fight against that?
