Little Mosque On The Prairie
Little Mosque on the Prairie Producers Ink First International Distribution Deal With French Broadcasting Giant Canal+
- Show to begin airing July 2007 in France, French-speaking regions in Switzerland and French-speaking African countries
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - May 8, 2007) - WestWind Pictures, the Toronto-based television production company responsible for the break-out hit Canadian television situation comedy Little Mosque On The Prairie has signed its first international distribution deal for the show with French broadcasting giant Canal+, announced Mary Darling, the show's executive producer and president of WestWind Pictures.
Canal+ will begin airing Little Mosque On The Prairie's first season (8 episodes) in July 2007. Canal+ also has an option within the deal for acquiring future seasons of the show. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The show, which will air in France as well as in French-speaking regions in Switzerland and French-speaking countries in Africa, will air in voice-over format. Additionally, Canal+ will make Little Mosque On The Prairie available to viewers (who do not have the pay channel) via un-encrypting the show when it airs.
"Little Mosque On The Prairie's international success is a testament to the quality of Canadian talent and how it is embraced around the world," said Kirstine Layfield, executive director, network programming, CBC Television.
Little Mosque On The Prairie averaged one million viewers per episode in its first season and is currently in production on season two.
Canal+ is responsible for bringing such hit American television shows as 24, Desperate Housewives, Will & Grace, Weeds and The Simpsons into the international French-speaking markets.
About WestWind Pictures
WestWind Pictures is a film and television production company that develops products for a global marketplace, focusing on themes that resonate throughout the world. Productions include Little Mosque on the Prairie, Designer Guys, Time & Place, English Teachers, Trash to Treasure, This Small Space and The Perfect Divorce. With over 15 years of experience, WestWind has developed a reputation for delivering high-quality products in a variety of genres for diverse audiences. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.westwindpictures.com.
CBC Television's hit show ''Little Mosque on the Prairie'' is set to debut in France, Switzerland, and French-speaking African countries.

The show, which is owned by WestWind Pictures, is a comedy about a Muslim family living in Canada's Prairies, in a largely Muslim populated fictional town called Mercy, Saskatchewan. It deals with day-to-day life between the North American culture and Muslim culture and has been featured around the world with reviews from ''The New York Times'' to ''The Daily Telegraph.''

French television company Canal+ Group will distribute the show's first season in July to non-subscribers of Canal+, a channel which viewers must subscribe to watch. French voice-actors will dub the show in all three regions' local French dialect.

"Little Mosque On The Prairie's international success is a testament to the quality of Canadian talent and how it is embraced around the world," said Kirstine Layfield, executive director of network programming with CBC Television.

Mary Darling of Westwind Pictures said the show creates a good understanding between both cultures.

"When people came in the booth and sat down to talk to us, the first sentence wasn't: 'Hey, hilarious show, love the jokes, what a laugh.' Instead, it was viewed as a show that's needed beyond comic relief. People are looking at it to break down barriers, build bridges, create understanding, and find a voice for people who are unheard or unrepresented," Darling said.

The series premiere gained 2.1 million viewers; it gained an average of 1.2 million viewers for the first season. The second season is already in filming and is set to air this fall.