A lot of laughs for a Little Mosque

Okay, I admit it - I was a late comer to this party. With the writer's strike still in full swing and the choices on TV all but gone I, almost accidentally, happened upon one of the best comedy shows I've EVER watched. Think I'm exaggerating? Then check out Little Mosque on the Prairie for yourself.

So there I was, innocently sitting at the dining room table working on some JK Tours stuff and someone had left the TV on. Now, this TV only has 12 channels and only picks up the CBC. Consequently, it was on CBC. And all of a sudden this catchy Arabian-esque music catches my attention. Curious, I watch the opening credits to a show I'd heard about but had never watched. It really is a "small town Canada with a little twist."

By the end of the episode (which was the season 2 premiere) I had laughed so hard and felt so good that I decided to make a point to tune in next week. By the time episode 3 came on the air I had watched all of season 1 on YouTube and become a huge fan.

It's definitely got a Canadian sense of humour - worthy of the Mercer Report, 22 Minutes or Air Farce - but for once it doesn't look like a cheap, low budget Canadian show. It looks like a real... sitcom. And to tell you the truth, I've been missing sitcoms. When I was kid that's all I watched. I grew up on The Cosby Show, Who's the Boss, Family Ties, Growing Pains. A little later it was Home Improvement, Blossom and Full House. But lately everything is an hour long drama it seems (except for the folks at NBC who have managed to keep the sitcom partially alive). So this was a welcome sight. And it's a show everybody can watch - regardless of age, race or creed. And it's just plain funny.

I love Derek McGrath as Reverend Magee - the Anglican minister of the church the Muslims use for their mosque. Often he gets the funniest lines and comes in at just the right time. I love how he and Amaar share together about their congregations - it really shows you how similar we all are at the core.

So I urge you to tune in during the writer's strike and enjoy a good, funny, half hour of exceptional Canadian talent. And stay tuned here, I don't think you've heard the last on this show from me.