Margaret Wente comments making the Little Mosque on the Prairie more realistically Canadian:
So what would make this show more true to living in Canada? Regrettably, the cute imam would have to go. The redneck radio host would be shut down by the CRTC, and the townsfolk, instead of reacting to the mosque with fear and loathing, would invite everyone in it to join an interfaith group. Instead of calling the terror hotline, the village idiot would chuck a rock through the mosque’s window. A Muslim from Egypt would be tossed into jail indefinitely on secret evidence. The convert to Islam (here played by Sheila McCarthy who only wears her head scarf in the mosque) would be dressed in black from head to foot. And the Muslim versions of Archie Bunker and Meathead would have a hilariously incorrect debate over the existence of that pesky state of Israel.
And the redneck radio host would be fined by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.
2 million viewers….impressive.
lets see how it holds over 3 shows. If so they have a hit.
As i said I found it a little preachy…interesting concept….but Wente has it correct…at the end of the day the fis out of says less about the the new environment they are in as opposed to themselves….lets see if it has the courage to do that.
2 million viewers says either one of two things:
– Like a wreck on the highway, Canadians will slow down to gawk, or
– it was a really boring night on the tube.
BTW: Just how do they know 2 million watched? Phone up a dozen homes in Mississauga and then extrapolate?
The show was a major disappoinment and the acting was terrible.
The Muslim extremists in Canada will be outraged.
The show was a major disappoinment and the acting was terrible.
The Muslim extremists in Canada will be outraged.
You can say that again.
texas….Just how do they know 2 million watched? Phone up a dozen homes in Mississauga and then extrapolate?
LOL
neilsen and other rating services…its a survey, i am sure it is off 5% one way or another.
the ads will tell you who is watching it.
what ads? were talking about the cbc.
Watched the whole thing last night, it’s strengths or weaknesses notwithstanding, the show is simply NOT FUNNY!
I believe the show was billed as a comedy. It is not.
Me and my wife watched it, never cracked a smile from start to finish, because, it isn’t funny.
Michael Richards’ character, “Kramer”, on “Seinfeld”, could get more laughs from simply going through a door, than LMOTP could garner in 30 minutes.
On the now ancient “Honeymooners”, Art Carney could work more comedy into the command from Jackie Gleason, “Norton, take a letter”,than this show will ever achieve. Acting: mediocre. Writing: amateurish. Overall impression: dull and lifeless.
Old time vaudeville comics used to say “you have to make the audience love you”. I neither loved nor hated the characters on “Little Mosque”, I just didn’t care about them, at all.
Mr.harper, if you ever get a majority government, for the taxpayers sake, sell this white elephant disguised as our “National Broadcaster”.
I checked it out and tried my best to be positive…. Sux
Margaret Wente is an intelligent commentator, and she’s got it right.
This show’s a clunker, because nothing about it rings true. The CBC lives in an alternative universe to the rest of us, on another planet–they can, as they all get paid very handsomely, on our dime, whether or not their programming is exciting, topical, successful, informative or just plain drivel.
If the first show of LMOTP hadn’t got 2,000,000 viewers there would have been something terribly wrong. The CBC’s been hyping it (and, in some cases, “pimping it,” as some people have alleged Rick Mercer did on his show) for weeks. It’s been IN YOUR FACE for ages.
I don’t know. I’m beginning to think that the folks at the CBC are some kind of mutants. They don’t think, act, feel, or talk like the rest of us. There’s something UNREAL about everything they do–and when they come up against reality, like Susan Bonner did this afternoon, in her reporting on the PM and Wajid Khan’s press conference, they just can’t hide their distaste: “I’m special. I don’t like this. Get me outta here.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been rubbing their noses in a lot of reality lately. No wonder Julie Van Dusen’t like it: AT ALL…
Another must read is Barbara Kay in the Nat. Post. It’s free online.
I didn’t think the show was particular funny, I got easily distracted from it which is not a good sign. Not edgy enough, I thought. I’m afraid to say any more, but I wont watch it again.
Rositta, why are you “afraid to say anymore”?
For viewing numbers, the day is coming soon where the Nielson method will be chucked to the side and replaced by stats from the digital cable providers.
Your digital cable provider knows what you watch, when, and for how long.
The Neilson numbers are as accurate as those of The Lancet.
If the numbers who watched this represent main stream Canadians it gives us all a great deal of credit. It reflects an open society but I hope not naive. I am not aware that ratings services discriminate, so, I assume that the numbers represent us all. If so it reflects generally an accepting community of which I would prefer to include myself. I did not watch the show so I cannot comment on the content.
As for myself I whole heartedly assent to our toleration of those Muslims who openly reconcile to our accepting ways. Given that I also wholeheartedly reject those Muslims that wish to subvert us and who wish to CONTROL our ways.
There is a limit to what we can stomach.
I watched the pilot and that was enough for me. Life’s too short.
On another topic, I found this website that was recommended in a book …www.memritv.org
There are some interesting clips that show just what the Muslim “hidden agenda” is. One of them is to change Greenwich Median Time to Mecca Time.
Check it out.
From the Saskatoon Star Phoenix:
‘… However, at least one small-town Saskatchewan resident was unimpressed.
“The opening scene kind of turned me off, with the bumbling stumbling doofus overhearing something going on in the mosque and running, kicking over something and calling the terrorist hotline as if it was on speed dial on his cellphone,” said Kate McMillan, author of the popular smalldeadanimals blog.
McMillan said she grew up near a small town that had families from Pakistan and China among its residents. “Nobody was running around making fools of themselves when they ran into them on the street.”‘
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/lifestyle/story.html?id=68ecd31c-7007-4a26-b3f3-d7a2f8d82bc2
Unless Neilson has a counter on every TV in the home their numbers are screwed. I used to be on a ratings list, and I lied a lot. We had 2 tvs at that time, I would fill in the data, yes or no, how many in the household etc. and watch the other tv. I am sure I am not the only one who did that. If there was a show I never watched, but once in a while had a good topic, I still said no. I checked out the angus reid poll today to see if the one re Will Dion be the next PM. Still 68% say no. He said today in Edmonton that he would be the best friend western canada ever had if elected PM. Same day another caucus member left. Wonder if there will be a by-election. Justin is expected to run, but Dion said that is not the star candidate he wanted. Will he appoint a woman to run. Can’t wait for his trip to Calgary. Imagine, 2 days of suffering from global warming in Alberta.
I was disappointed that the show didn’t cast Jack Layton as a traffic cone.
“I was disappointed that the show didn’t cast Jack Layton as a traffic cone.”
Too much of a reach…
Personally..I’m waiting for the episode where the Mosque attendees have a eureka moment,and all rush out to burn their Lib.membership cards,and “convert” to Conservatives! Now that’s a reality show I would watch.
The truest words as she wrote: Anglican Minister, “Come to my sermon. “I’m lucky if I can fill the first two rows.”
Other productions under consideration for the older boomers.
Camel Train
Have Bomb Will Travel
Monday Night Fatwas
Gilligan’s Intifada
Mohamed Knows Best
Like I said in the previously-deleted thread, the show is written and produced from a Torontonian’s view of rural Western Canada. I know she’s spent time in Western Canada, so why didn’t she write what she knows?
The reason why Corner Gas works is because Brent Butt writes what he knows, and finds comedy in simple things. This sucked, except for the stunning daughter. She overacts, but is gorgeous.
My roommate and I were an Arbitron radio “family” for two weeks in 2002. She wouldn’t fill in anything. Even though I hardly ever listened to the radio, I filled in 4 hours every night for the local classical station (which is mostly what I *would* listen to), as I thought it would be nice to give them a “bump” in the ratings. So much for accuracy.
I believe most Neilson families now have set-top boxes or something like that, at least in the States, which is how they’re able to get “overnights”. But don’t quote me.
Margaret Wente? Margaret Wente is a stupid lefty twat. Hey Margaret, you’re the last person that should be commenting on what is true to living in Canada since you have promoted every second rate Liberal policy that has us arriving at this point in our history where somehow our national broadcaster (pardon me – personcaster – broad is so incorrect) feels compelled to create a vacuous sitcom designed to somehow diffuse any tensions that Canadians may feel towards the ROP (religion of Peace). This will sell well in Toronto only because it offends the sensibilities of any thinking Canadian (read non GTA Liberals).
CBC= Liquidation
Now there’s an idea: Jack making an appearance on LMOTP as a Conehead. Heh, heh, heh…..
🙂
I think you have to be sorry for all concerned. They try, they really, really try. From the CBC suits who are trying to bring about a more perect world through a comedy series.
The producers, who think you can rip off Corner Gas and Northern Exposure to create something new. Throw in the ‘muslim are people too’ line, pitch it to the CBC and you know there’s money rolling in.
The actors and crew, who try – they really do. And it shows.
Sad really
George of the Hour, just announced 900,000 watched the show wed, and said that means 1 out of 10 cdns have seen the first episode. That also means that 9 out of 10 cdns didn’t. And there are no figures for how many watched the whole program.
Regardless, the cbc will pitch it is more popular than corner gas. Still suffering from global warming, at -30. Glad the earth has warmed up 4 degrees, I would hate to be at -34. Of course, that is without the wind chill. Are the envirowackos still saying this is the warmest winter on record.
As the old joke, (originally about Germans), goes: “The topic of Muslim humor is no laughing matter”.
Say, wasn’t the CBC HQ on Front Street one of the Little Cell in Mississauga’s targets?
Appeasement?
How can a state-owned broadcaster make an edgy comedy whilst draped in the cloak of political correctness? Impossible. Count on this show never being controversial, unless the jabs are at white rednecks.
you gotta love shows that claim they are going to break down the stereotypes yet only propogate others (the redneck, the right wing radio host).
It’s the CBC. At the end of the day, all that really matters is whether or not the producer’s friends liked the show and you just know they did.
“If the Little Mosque were real…”
It’d still cheese you guys off.
And the Anglican priest would probably have said, “Come to my sermon. I’m lucky if I can fill the first two [PEWS].” It’s unlikely he’s have said “rows”. But, hey, he’s sort of a Christian so it doesn’t really matter if CBC gets it right, does it?
Re Margaret Wente: yes, she’s right in the thick of the PC Globe and Mail, but I’ve found her to be quite reliably non-PC–as in this article–more often than not. In fact, she once wrote an article chiding her feminist friends for their disdain for Stephen Harper, whom she defended: Scary? NOT! As I cancelled my Globe and Mail subscription last year, after three decades, I don’t read Wente much any more. However, if this anti LMOTP article is what she’s writing these days, I don’t think she deserves ward’s unpleasant comments.
CBC reporting a 19-year-old with superior technical abilities has been arrested for running a bomb factory in ontario. Ethicity, political affiliation and religion unknown per industry journalism standards.
I don’t know if anyone heard John Gormley’s interview with the writer of the series (about 11 am weds). She was something to listen to. Her idea of a “small town ” is Regina.(Such a friendly place. To bad it’s the crime capital of Canada). According to her she knows “everybody” . She must have some social life . Myself , from the newly minted “town ” of St. Brieux ,population 550 ,just can’t imagine having 200,000 close friends.
Her gushing was hard to take and every time she said the word “right wing” (At least 3x in 3 sentences) she sounded like she had a bad taste in her mouth. It was not too hard to figure out her political affiliations although just the fact that she works for CBC is evidence enough. Finally Gormley told this little Muslim princess that he took offense to her use of the term “right winger”. She seemed to think that us right wingers wouldn’t find her show funny because we don’t have a sense of humour. Right wingers don’t find her show funny because it isn’t. Listen the interview yourself in the CKOM archives . You just have to go to the CKOM website and become a Newstalk insider.
As far as the show goes I agree that trying to pass it off as a comedy is a stretch. It’s the same old tired politically correct pap for the bewildered left leaning herd. I found cracks like the one about deporting that Iman to Syria particularly disturbing. How many millions is that Zacheradelli/Liberal fiasco going to cost the taxpayers? It seems there are a couple of other men that were treating in a similar fashion just waiting to get at the taxpayer funded trough. Yes “jokes ” like that really make me laugh.
I just find the entire premise totally implausible. I would like to know how many Muslims in Canada live in communities of less than even 1000. I’m sure those numbers are miniscule.
Believe the neilsens or other ratings or not. Just look to see who advertises OR not. It will tell you who is watching and how many.
If you see lots of CBC self adverts then you know they have space to fill and nobody is requesting to be part of that.
I would love for the CBC to have a hit since it would mean less of a drain on the tax dollars, of course they’ll use it to justify a bigger budget.
George S and Rick M plugging it, of course they will, it is called cross promotion, it isnt their personal endorsement they are doing what they should do as part of CBC, cross promote shows.
As I said, I find it preachy and not terribly funny….so the Star claims 2 million (which is where it came from) and George S claims 900,000.
2 million would have been extroidinary, beating the regular ratings on HNIC, unlikely.
I love the concept, has great possibilities, but the pilot is preachy, interested in showing the muslim community as honorable and as innocent victim and the environment as hostile, not a formula for success unless you are doing a drama, maybe. If they dont move to some tried and true comedic formulas it will fail, a la All in the Family/Jeffersons (which is its closest relative). This isnt the Cosby show, where the “message” was that a black family can be successful. That show wasnt black, it was standard family sit com, like Family Ties. LMOP is not family ties.
Or it could have been told from the young girls perspective the most interesting character in the show, a la Malcolm in the middle or the wonder years) Preachy = death of the show.
Honestly, the market will drive this and if it isnt successful nobody will advertise on it and CBC will drop it. Of course there will be much hand wringing over its demise about how it is discrimantory.
I believe it will find its place, and if that place is in the cancellation pile so be it. I truely believe it will get rewrites though, as I said the irony will be the rewrites coming from non muslims, it wont die that quickly.
Wente is a “stupid, lefty twat?”
Geez, man. Knock off the shite. You’re starting to sound like the intellectual giants at dailykos or huffingtonpost. Dear God I get a headache reading the posts there. Such mindless venom. Whenever there’s a story on HuffPo about GW or “neo-cons” I do a little countdown as the comment page loads. You know what I mean, “T-minus 5 seconds to lunacy..4…3..2..1″ Then the games begin. Wow. Just….wow is my reaction to the comments. The bitterness. The absolute lunacy of those who post there.
My point? Let’s NOT emulate those who’s idea of intellectual discourse is…”Well, YOU’re a NAZI FUCK!”
Anyway,MW is a reasonable read. I don’t agree with everything she writes but when she nails it, she nails it.
Now. You want someone I could support pretty much every time she writes?
Christie Blatchford. She gets it.
And Mark Steyn. Damned funny man. And full of challenging information.
Oh, and Saleem Mansur.
Anyway. I watched some of LMOTP. Meh.
Nothing to write home about. I admire them for trying and I can see the intent but it didn’t work for me.
sincerely,
een
One of the reasons I hate CBC (and CTV is slowly going this way too) is that the programming is aimed at the metrosexual mall walking smoothboys and the feminists with the hairy armpits that infest Toronto.
Everyone knows that if ya come from the prairies, you are a kadiddle hopping simpleton. If ya come from the maritimes, you are a cod gobbling simpleton. Intelligent life only resides in Toronto and maybe to a lesser extent…Montreal and Ottawa.
The liberal frog prince, Dion came out to visit Fort MacMurray the other day. Nobody wanted to talk with him or pose for the photo ops. Jeez, I wonder why?
Could it have something to do with the fact that we pay your friggin bills and feed you eastern libtards and you treat us like idiots in return?
From the critiques I have read regarding the CBC Little Prairie Mosque, writer Zarqa Nawaz should hire the writers from the Trailer Park Boys and move them into the community.
I guarantee I would give up a half hour of the O’Reilly Factor at 8:30 on Fox for a half hour of Prairie Mosque viewing at CBC..
“George of the Hour, just announced 900,000 watched the show wed, and said that means 1 out of 10 cdns have seen the first episode.”
Friends don’t let friends get their math from drop out, rock star wanna be’s with metal sticking out of their heads.
The population of Canada is 33,000,000, divide by 900,000 , so one in 36.7 Canadians watched this preachy tax dollar sucking POS.
The social engineers at the CBC made the surrealists in Hollywood blush with envy at this unworldy depiction of Muslim life.
It was a Smurfs meet Islam romp that would leave the most zealous artistic exaggerator embarassed.
I felt shame for the CBC streotyping muslims with these maudlin characterizations….it was as big an insult as trailer park boys is to East coast culture or Corner gas is to Prairie culture.
Cancon TV loves white trash stereotypes and cherubic minority stereotyping….always fraudulent exagerated social and cultural classing with Canada’s politicized film arts community.
WL said,”it was as big an insult as ….Corner gas is to Prairie culture.”
I have to disagree with people that think Corner Gas is insulting. Coming from small town Saskatchewan, the coffee shop gossip and attitudes is the closest portrayal of small town Saskatchewan I have seen.
Of course there are exagerations for the sake of comedy, but I personally know someone like each of the characters on Corner Gas.
Brent Butt is a comic genius. Not to come across as a prude, but there are very few comedians these days that can get a laugh by being funny without going for the shock value of profanity.
Trev
Ward,
You are both rude and ignorant. While MW may not be as completely supportive of your views as you would like she does not deserve to be tarred with a left wing liberal brush as you assert or for that matter be subjected to your childish ad hominems. If you bothered to read her work on a regular basis and were intellectually honest with yourself, you might have realized this by now.
I love Corner Gas although I live in a small village in Ontario…it’s warm and witty and the situations ring true for everyone, everywhere.
Light on schtick, big on dialogue. Like Seinfeld was for the first couple of seasons.
I think it’s called ‘writing’.
DT: Have read and do read Wente (always good to see what the other side has to say)and that is why I say what I do. Are you implying Wente is a centrist? If so I’d say your scope is rather limited.
The only reason for a 2 million view turnout was the great promoting the CBC did during the Xmas break. Everyone now watched it, made their opinions on it and will go back to watching Corner Gas.
richfisher, George added the viewers of both nights to get his percentage. 2.1 million +900,000. Still means 9 out of 10 cdns did not watch any of the program. Like your description of george. Can’t watch him, he talks too fast for my ears to listen. Would watch him have an interview with dion, no one could understand either of them. Any figures for his viewership. Didn’t he bomb out in the states.