CBC comedy Little Mosque on the Prairie will soon be airing in Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Dubai, Finland and Turkey.
Producers of the comedy about a Muslim community in the fictional prairie town of Mercy have been pursuing international deals since the show first began to create buzz in Canada eight months ago.
Yasir, played by Carlo Rota, and his wife Sarah, played by Sheila McCarthy, listening intently at a mosque meeting.
(CBC)
"If it can keep on keeping on and create dialogue, then it's serving the purpose of why we wanted to do the show beyond just doing a funny show about Muslims because we felt it hadn't been done yet," said Mary Darling of Westwind Pictures.
Westwind Pictures has interest in distribution rights to the show from countries around the world, said Darling, executive producer of Little Mosque.
"It's been busy, but it's been great. We're so excited by all the interest it's received internationally."
Israeli pay satellite channel Stars 3 will begin airing the first season of the show Oct. 23 in English with Hebrew subtitles.
"It's so gratifying to know we'll be airing in Israel, and my biggest hope is that people watch the show and just feel that they are transported into a place of laughter and positive vibe," Darling said.
Finland's YLE Teema will begin airing Little Mosque next year, and Turkey's Kanal 7 has picked up the first season and five additional shows.
A deal with French network Canal Plus was announced earlier but no U.S. network has yet picked up the lighthearted series.
Its second season begins Oct. 3 on CBC-TV.
Dubai's pay channel Pyramedia will begin airing Little Mosque early next year.
Travelling musical planned
Darling said it will be fascinating to see how Muslims from different traditions greet the show.
"I hope the comedy travels well and people understand that we're not making fun of the faith. We're making fun of the characters — it's something we're very watchful of because we know how sensitive it can be," she said.
Westwind also is planning a travelling musical and comedy show called Little Mosque Presents Islamapalooza.
Cast members including Sheila McCarthy and Neil Crone will participate in the show, which will travel to Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and possibly Ottawa.
Share Tools
- Spider-Man trailer: fresh take or more of the same?by Arts Online Feb. 7, 2012 5:15 PM Spider-Man? Yes. Amazing? Maybe. The first full-length trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man -- the reboot of the comic-turned-movie trilogy -- has been released. But considering the previous movie franchise ended a mere five years ago and that we've been bombarded with stories about the troubled Broadway musical adaptation since then, this reboot does beg the question: Do we really need to revisit Spider-Man?
Top News Headlines
- Whitney Houston's funeral to be held Saturday
- Pop star Whitney Houston's funeral service will be held Saturday in the New Jersey church where she first showcased her singing talents as a child. more »
- MacKay says submarine fleet has "spotty" history
- The ongoing maintenance for Canada's troubled submarine fleet is "on track" despite the damage suffered by HMCS Corner Brook from a crash last year, Defence Minister Peter MacKay says,adding that the history of the fleet is "spotty." more »
- What to get your special someone on Valentine's Day
- For those looking for a last-minute Valentine's Day gift, here are some ideas — from the traditional to the outlandish. more »
- Sperm donor anonymity case moves to B.C. Appeal Court
- The B.C. government hopes to retain the anonymity of sperm donors as it launches a high-court appeal of a ruling last year won by a woman who wanted to know the identity of her father. more »
Latest Arts & Entertainment News Headlines
- Famed romance began with exchange of letters
- The 573 love letters exchanged between Elizabeth Barrett and her future husband, fellow poet Robert Browning, are now viewable online. more »
- Amend copyright bill to end radio 'subsidy,' groups urge
- Musicians and record labels want the federal government to amend its copyright reform act to end a break for commercial radio stations that reduces royalty payments to artists. more »
- Tree-planting memoir wins $40K lit prize
- Charlotte Gill's vivid memoir of her 17 years as a tree-planter, which weaves her experiences into an examination of logging and its environment impact, has won the B.C. National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction. more »
- Golden Collar Awards name The Artist's Uggie top dog
- Even dog actors can get awards in Tinseltown, and six pooches collected prizes at the inaugural Golden Collar Awards. more »
Q Blog
Colm Feore guest hosts Q Feb. 14, 2012 12:53 PM The acclaimed Canadian actor sits in for Jian this Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 6th & 7th, as the guest host on Q! Click through for more details.
CBC Books
Exploring black Canadian literature Feb. 14, 2012 10:42 AM Throughout February, literary journalist Donna Bailey Nurse will be blogging about black Canadian writers and their important works. In her first post, she explains how she came to love reading and mentions some of the writers who have inspired her most.
- Online surveillance critics accused of supporting child porn
- HMCS Corner Brook collision damage extensive
- Whitney Houston's funeral to be held Saturday
- Mooning Queen proves costly for Australian man
- Mandatory gun sentence struck down by Ontario judge
- Stanley Cup rioter seen in brick attack on cop
- Whitney Houston estate value set to soar
- Man pleads guilty to murder of stepdaughter, 17
- Teen's Facebook post prompts dad to shoot computer
