A side effect I hadn’t anticipated when launching the TV, Eh site is that, since I’ve injected myself into this Canadian TV world, I feel somewhat obligated to check out shows I might not otherwise have tuned in to. Little Mosque on the Prairie debuts tonight, after a ton of media attention that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling about CBC doing something right to cut through the clutter and get one of their shows noticed.
But that doesn’t mean it sounds like a show I’d watch. I’m a hard sell on sitcoms anyway, and the quirky small town setting, especially combined with the fish out of water premise, has been done to death. Not with the “Muslim twist,” but it’s trite but true: one of my best friends is Muslim, so the fact that it’s being sold as a step towards tolerance — gosh, they’re not so different from us — doesn’t resonate with me as a viewer, though as a human being I’d love for it to achieve that goal.
I will watch the pilot, out of equal parts curiosity and obligation, but I won’t be watching tonight. Tuesdays are already a little crowded; there’s House and all that entails, and then there’s Rick Mercer and Intelligence to watch or record. What is it with networks jamming my Tuesdays with too many options? The Little Mosque pilot will rerun tomorrow in its regular timeslot, Wednesdays at 8, so I’ll either watch it then or record it.
I think it works in the show’s favour that despite the international hype it’s received, I have low expectations. But whether I enjoy it or not, I hope it’s a huge hit. CBC could use one soon, and as I’ve said, sometimes, very occasionally, it’s not all about me.