I've been dealing with something from the real world for the last 24. I'll be back when I can. In the meantime, may I suggest a glass McManis Viognier and maybe the veal marsala?
No?
Okay. In the meantime you should check out Peter Casey (Exec Producer, Frasier) on how that series came to be in a stellar three part post on Ken Levine's blog. I was lucky enough to hear this story more or less from Casey's mouth when he came and visited us when I was a resident at the Canadian Film Centre. You know, before all my dreams died.
Then there's this, an article on the latest CBC Hail Mary in a Sitcom Can. I have thoughts on Little Mosque on the Prairie, but those are for a different time. For now, just read the article, and as always, you can tell me what you think.
Now I need sleep and a shower. Maybe, who knows, all at once.
11 comments:
Nothing too bad, I hope. Falling asleep in the shower could be unwise. I heard something once about slipping in the shower, and hungry dogs … it sounded nasty.
I don’t know what to think about Little Mosque – it all depends on execution. It’s sure caused a lot of hits to TV, Eh lately, and the NY Times? So at least it’s got an attention-grabbing premise. It seems like a weirdly dated fish-out-of-water premise to me, but then I hear about things like this and think, well, maybe it’s not so dated. Just not really my world.
This line from the article made me worry: “In an earnest manner not atypical of Canadians, one goal of the show is to explain Muslim behavior, or at least make Muslims seem less peculiar, much as humor about Jews, Italians or gays helped those groups assimilate.”
Earnest manner. Ugh. Too typical of us. Plus, I have enough Muslim friends, coworkers, and people I meet in the street to help me realize Muslims are no more or less peculiar than I am. If the show’s not funny, it’s doomed, and I didn't really get a lot of funny from the articles I've read - the writers seem to be more concerned with being inoffensive.
Hey DMc, hope all's OK. Don't you have it when your real life interferes with the cyber one? Fear not, Will's holding down the fort while you're dealing.
The NY Times story piqued my interest. Hoping their interest is for the good not the vilifying.
If well executed, the show could be great. I think we're spoiled, Diane. Those of up who live in Toronto or Montreal or Vancouver because we do have neighbours and friends from literally every place and religion. So we know they aren't all terrorists or scary or odd or what have you.
Not so sure that openness is out there in most of the US and in the smaller towns across our fair land, either.
I hope it's a hit if it's good work, because it could do a lot of good.
Just not really my world.
No kidding. But then again we are talking about Texas in the post 9/11 world.
I got quite a giggle at some of the content of 'Little Mosque'; especially the Idol joke...
Time will tell.
Yeah, though I don't mean to suggest there's no racism or ignorance of other religions around here, of course - it's the fish out of water part of it that doesn't grab me, and I feel like I've had my fill of quirky small towns on TV, Canadian or American. But that's my own prejudice. Mostly it's the potential earnestness that frightens me. But I'll be watching and hoping.
Let's give it a shot before it gets shit all over. It could work. It's as good a premise as any. All in the execution.
Good luck to them.
hope things are okay denis.
what do we all think of bill brioux's article that Diane so kindly posted?
Mark, you mean the cap on US programming? Not a bad idea, but combined with other things could be a positive thing. Though theoretically there is already a cap already, they've just gotten really creative about it. It would force them to be more strategic, that's for sure. And spare us the total crap, which you could watch on the US network that's putting it on. I wish I was smarter, and had the solution.
YTV is an interesting example to look at. If you look at their conditions of license (COL), they have one of the most specific and onerous burdens of any Canadian network. It was done intentionally so they didn't just throw up a bunch of US shows that are paid informercials for toys. They actually have a cap for primetime on how many hours can come from what country. And yet, they flourish. And largely because they've had to be smart at and least go out and do Canadian treaty co-productions to give them affordable quality CanCon on shows like Martin Mystery and Captain Flamingo. The kids are above the politics. They just like the shows. Lesson to be learned from the kiddies? Maybe so.
Jutra, I'd say it's fair game to shit on the promotion, not the show. "Look, there's Muslims next door and they're people too!" doesn't do it for me, which doesn't mean I won't be watching, but I wish that wasn't the emphasis in interviews and promos, and that earnestness wasn't what people who've seen the screener are talking about. At least the interest in the premise is getting attention, though, which hopefully guarantees an audience who will check it out. Then they can judge the show on its own merits and not the PR.
I thought Bill Brioux's suggestion sounded reasonable, but is there any hope of the CRTC doing anything that would force broadcasters to pump up Canadian content? There's not all that much coverage on the hearings so far, except stuff that suggests there's not much support for more Cancon. I hope I'm wrong.
I've seen the 'Little Mosque' pilot - it's not too bad, but heavy on the exposition - expected, but yeah.
It's not too bad - curious to hear what you have to say about it. I think hopes are high in these here parts.
I've seen the 'Little Mosque' pilot - it's not too bad, but heavy on the exposition - expected, but yeah.
It's not too bad - curious to hear what you have to say about it. I think hopes are high in these here parts.
I've seen the 'Little Mosque' pilot - it's not too bad, but heavy on the exposition - expected, but yeah.
It's not too bad - curious to hear what you have to say about it. I think hopes are high in these here parts.
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