Indeed, Little Mosque on the Prairie will conclude its run on CBC, with its upcoming sixth and final season. According to a press release issued by the CBC, the sixth season will mark the show’s final year and will consist of 11 episodes,which are set to begin airing in winter 2012.
When Little Mosque made its debut in January 2007,the series earned a record-breaking rating for CBC, with over 2 million viewers.The program’s ratings decreased greatly over the seasons and the show was unable to garner the same audience, despite having made notable cast changes, such as replacing the character of Reverend Magee[Derek McGrath] for Reverend William Thorne[Brandon Firla].By the end of the previous, fifth season, the show dropped to less than a quarter of its original audience.
The show’s previous season saw Mercy Mosque’s Imam, Ammar Rashid [Zaib Shaikh] marrying Rayyan Hamoudi and the couple embarking on their honeymoon, as they consider the possibility of relocating from Mercy to Montreal.
When Little Mosque returns for its final season, viewers will note that Ammar and Rayyan have returned from their honeymoon early, only to find Sarah [ Sheila McCarthy] finalizing her divorce with her husband , Yasser[ Carlo Rota].Viewers will also discover that Baber[Manoj Sood] and Thorne[Brandon Firla] have been becoming best of friends and that Mayor Poopwicx is in a relationship with a man who may actually be the “one”.
Ammar and Rayyan will also learn to live as a married couple on their own, without the support of chaperones. Viewers will have the chance to explore a wide range of scenarios in the town of Mercy,such as fasting, town audits, sacred chickens, a haunted mosque and more , leading into the epic series finale .
According to the press release, guest stars in the sixth and final season include Peter Keleghan (18 to Life), Mary Walsh (This Hour Has 22 Minutes) and Jennifer Robertson (Winging‘It)
To view the original press release issued by CBC, click here.
Stay tuned for further information on Little Mosque on the Prairie’s sixth and final season as well as the circumstances regarding the show’s end in our exclusive interview with CBC’s Head of Media Relations, Jeff Kaey.
What is your reaction to on Little Mosque drawing to a close after six seasons? What are your thoughts on the upcoming storylines and which one are you the most excited for? How do you hope the show will conclude?Participate in our poll below and elaborate in the comments section!
I didn’t know Sarah and Yasser were getting a divorce! Did the begin last season or did it happen while Rayyan was on her honeymoon?
I would say that a lot of the dropoff occurred due to change of writers as well as Thorne replacing McGee (remarkable though Brandon Firla is in himself). The use of the ensemble and the observant eye of the show was lost.
I can’t believe that the show would have Sarah and Yasser get a divorce. I’m assuming that it’s because Carlo Rota has commitments, but I do wish they’d just have him other places rather than a divorce.
Thank you for your comment, Lola. The events pertaining to Yasser and Sarah’s divorce began while Rayyan was on her honeymoon and viewers will see this continue into the sixth season.Abbas Karimjee, Blog Manager
I hate the divorce!
It’s antithetical to the characters’ portrayals and disrespectful to the viewers’ who’ve stayed with these characters all these years.
Thank you for your comment, Menoma! Its great that you have such passion for Little Mosque on the Prairie and have appreciated the character dynamics of the show.
I agree, with your comments on how a divorce between Yasser and Sarah would be antithetical since the two have demonstrated the strength of their marriage both in terms of their lengthy past and strong sense of unity[ i.e how Sarah refused to become involved with another man, when Yasser was away in Lebanon as a result of their great history while a sense of unity can be seen in the couple's speech at Rayyan's wedding] . It will be disappointing to see their relationship end on such a inconsistent note.
Though I agree with your comments , the situation may be an educational experience as it would provide an outlook on the process involved in a Islamic divorce transpiring within North America. What are your thoughts on this?
Please feel free to keep sharing your thoughts on the sixth and final season of Little Mosque on the Prairie!
Abbas, there is a point i’d like to make in response to your throught about divorce in North America. There is greater than 40-50% divorce rate within the first 5 years, regardless of culture or spirituality. There are good reasons for divorce, but a 1 in 2 chance of ending a serious commitment in a relatively short time is a disturbing statistic. In the traditional muslim world, whether it’s from not exercising the “right” of divorce or an inherent cultural or spiritual mainstays of frowning upon divorce, the rate is probably close to less than 5%.
I’m not saying divorce shouldn’t happen. Again, I think there are good reasons for it. At the same time, I wonder what message the antithetical scenario between yassir and sarah sends to a western population that is not familiar with the positive and negative spiritual and cultural ramifications of divorce as seen by muslims. I agree on the comments regarding plot design that hasn’t suggested much about this direction towards divorce. Yasir and sarah have lived together for at least 2 decades as rayyan was growing up. If the divorce is to actually happen, I’d be extremely disappointed in the show, if there aren’t good reasons put forth for it; especially since this show will impact western viewers impressions.
I am very disturbed by the divorce. There have been no hints that this would happen between these two. It seems like a cheap trick of the writers/network to create action in the final season. This trend has been going on for some time (though I thought it improved last season a lot). Getting rid of McGee and bringing in Thorne was one of those similar cheap tricks, and some of the story lines associated with this change – remember the boxing episode? I liked the show best when McGee was in it, and storylines weren’t forced.
Thank you for your comment, Annie. I agree that there has been no hint that Yasser and Sarah were to divorce.
Although we are not permitted to disclose the full details regarding the circumstances which resulted in the outcome of this storyline, I can inform you that Carlo Rota has been involved in another acting project in Budapest.
As for Reverend Thornem what on your thoughts on Derek McGrath’s perspective to have both Thorne and Magee at Mercy Anglican?
Thanks!
I am really disappointed at the decision to have Yasser and Sarah divorce. Better to keep having him on trips, or even have died. This is completely out of character. I’m really sad because I had really been looking forward to the new season, and now my anticipation has diminished because of this planned divorce.
Abbas, you had asked a question about whether or not the divorce could lend insight into Islamic divorce. While maybe the divorce of Sarah and Yasser could do that, it’s important to remember that this is a fictional show, not a documentary. While it is great that it provides insight into Islamic culture, something very important and valuable, it still has responsibilities to the viewers, such as keeping characters consistent. And anyway, if the producers were passionate about displaying this aspect of Islamic life, it could have been done by having Faisal and his wife divorce, as this would have been much more expected for their characters than Sarah and Yasser.
Overall, I think that this was a bad way to handle the situation. In the past when Rota had other things that interfered with Little Mosque, they simply had Yasser on an extended business trip. This would have been a MUCH MUCH MUCH better way to go in this situation than have the couple divorce.
I agree! How will Rayyan and Amaar enjoy their marriage when Rayyan will be devastated by the divorce of her parents! At the wedding, Sara and Yasir were the happiest people in the world together and how can they continue on with a DIVORCE?!!! it will definetly interesting to see how they continue on in the first episode!
Thank you for your comments, Emmay.
I do agree that this ending the relationship through a divorce is inconsistent with what we have seen, as I mentioned before.It would have been more better for Yasser and Sarah to maintain their relationship on some level[ i.e long distance marriage]Although I would prefer this,I mentioned the educational aspect of the divorce as a way of analyzing the pros and cons of the storyline.
On another note, Yasser returning to Lebanon does not make sense given that his mother had recovered before he returned to Mercy.What are your thoughts on this?
Please feel free to keep dropping by and sharing your thoughts!
Abbas
Thank you for your comment,Anisah. I agree that it does not make sense that Yasser and Sarah would divorce given how united they seemed at the end of season 5. Also, a divorce does not seem suitable for a sitcom.
It will also be interesting to see the impact which Sarah and Yasser’s divorce will impact Rayaan and her perspective on both her family as well as her relationship with Ammar.
Stay tuned for our interview with Little Mosque’s Sheila McCarthy[Sarah] for more on her character’s storyline this season!
Thanks,
Abbas
This started out as such a great show. I’ve bought all 4 seasons on DVD, as I cannot get it here and shared it with friends. We love the characters (ok, we don’t like Billy Thorne so much). I guess if it is going to go downhill so bad, it’s a good thing it is ending. I can understand having to deal with Carlo’s absence, but a divorce????? Kill him or something — better dead than divorced. As someone else pointed out, Faisal’s divorce would be more believable if you want to show Muslim divorce. Or pick someone else in the congregation — there are other people that have not been seen except as scenery and we could believe their divorce more easily than Yasser & Sara’s. Those two have been lovebirds from the beginning and having their marriage broken up for a cheap plot gimmick trivializes their love, their marriage and their characters.
I don’t know if I’m going to watch season 6. Based on what I have read here, there’s not much to interest me. Babar & Thorne as friends? hardly believable, based on Thorne’s history. The mayer in love? who cares? Divorce between Yasser & Sara? I don’t want to see it. That leaves exactly one plotline that *might* be interesting — Rayyan & Amaar. What about the other characters? What about Fatima? Fred? Layla? I liked Layla’s character & enjoyed the episodes she was in, but she seems to be disappearing.
I have only two shows I watch regularly. Soon, it appears I will have only one. It’s hard to find family entertainment — too many shows trivialize marriage and relationships. It’s no wonder the divorce rate is so high — people keep watching shows that tell them commitment is valueless! Sorry to see my favorite show slipping toward that level.
Thank you for your comment, Carol. Its great that you have such passion for Little Mosque and have enjoyed watching the program throughout the years.
I particularly understand your frustrations about Yasser and Sarah divorcing. The final season should build upon what viewers seen throughout the five seasons ands taking the storyline of Yasser and Sarah, a couple who have had a truly intimate ands passionate marriage, in such a uncharacteristic direction may not do justice to the characters as well as to the passionate fans of the show.
As for the sixth season,in my opinion storyline such and Mayor Popwicx’ finding true love see’s quite interesting, given that the mayor has only be seen in promiscuous relationships and will have the chance to find a more true happiness. It allows for exciting character development. Once you watch the fifth season, you may find a friendship between Baber and Thorne would be more feasible given how Thorne develops in the fifth season, allowing the two to have some great interaction.
Thanks for dropping by and please feel free to share your thoughts.
The Yasser/Sarah divorce is just plain wrong.
I am a U.S. viewer who watches the show on YouTube, as do my friends.
I’m also a U.S. viewer, but I live near the Canadian border so I get CBC. I’m also another viewer who is disappointed by the divorce between Yasser and Sarah, this is terrible, and I agree, out of character. This is even worse news than the series ending
Thank you for your comments, Angela!I agree with your sentiments on the divorce being out of character. It does not do justice to the back story of the characters or to the viewers who have followed the couple throughout the course of the show
What are your thoughts on some of the other storylines developing in the final season?Which one are you the most excited for? Ammar and Rayyan living together as a married couple seems to be quite interesting. This storyline could further explore issues which were touched upon last season, such as public displays of affection, the two starting a family, e.t.c
Thanks for dropping by !
Abbas
I live in the US also, and not near the Canadian border. I found a mention of release posted online several months ago as winter 2012. Any update on it’s release? or where along the production process the season is? Thanks!
Hello Solemon.
Thanks for your query.
Yes, season 6 is scheduled to debut sometime in January. An exact date should be released by CBC shortly and will be posted on the blog shortly thereafter.
Based on our contact with the studio, filming ended in July .
Please let me know if you have further questions!
All the best,
Abbas
Yasser & sarah divorce – he should come back and fix things so she forgives whatever transgression (be it long absence or whatever).
Thorne should marry, or at least be engaged, to the librarian.
Baber should turn out to be Popowicx’s ‘the one’.
And the couple – she should be pregnant.
===
Then they could have periodic specials (every year or two), and/or the odd miniseries; sort of like the old days of Wayne and Shuster specials.
I heard that the release date is January 9, 2012….we shall see what happens then!!
This is sad, I was hoping for at least 12 seasons. This show is awesome, and there’s nothing else on TV like it.
A divorce? I hope there is not a situation where Yasser wants or has a 2nd wife. I have loved this couple’s marriage for so long- Yasser seems to be so devoted and in love with Sarah, and she in return is so loyal to him; the complete each other. What on earth could have happened? I can’t wait for the show to start so I can find out, but I am so sad this is the last season
Hello Aimee,
Thanks for your comment.
A divorce seems unfortunate, given the couple’s strong past.
Since Carlo Rota [ Yasser] is not going to be appearing this season and from Yasser’s past comments on how he will return to Lebonon, I would believe that these will be used as reasons for the divorce.I look forward to finding out.
Abbas
I hate Thorne. They should bring Magee back! And the divorce!! How will Baber take to this, the devout Muslim that he is?! Why so little episodes?
Thanks for your comment!
While it could be interesting for Magee to be back as he was a pleasant part of the show, it is unfortunate that he has announced that this will not happen.What are your thought’s on Thorne’s develop over the past season.
While Baber is devout, he himself was divorced to Layla’s mom. We had the opportunity to further explore this in the season 2 new year holiday special. Given this, it is unlikely that he would make an issue of it!
Thanks for dropping by~!Please feel free to continue to do so.
Abbas
I hate divorce! The characters, Sarah and Yasir are supposed to love each other! It just wrong to portray a loving couple as divorcing. If anything, there should be another romance! Fatima and Fred Tupper? (convertated of course) Rev Thorne and the lovely / fun librarian?
Rev McGee and a lovely Inuit lady? Just no divorces!!!!!!
Rayyan and Amaar should have a baby
I’ve been watching the show since season two and love it. I can’t believe that Sara and Yasir are getting divorced. They have been the picture of what every marriage should be…two people who love each other but don’t expect perfection. I agree to someone’s comment about it being better that Yasir died…that would be more believable! I hope they bring them back together again before the end of the show. I think they were a great example of a happy marriage.
Hello Helen,
Thank you for your comment. Its great that you have been enjoying the show for many years.
Its hard to believe that Yassser and Sarah have actually divorced , given their strong romantic history-[ i.e how Yasser knew that Sarah was the one and even ended his previous relationship just after seeing her or how he was trying to disapprove of his mother's efforts to have him marry a second wife in season 1 . As a result, it seems quite uncharacterisic of Yasser to terminate marriage to be with his mother.
Sarah's somewhat unemotional respomse seems suerprising but may be a way for her to cope after having been abbandoned a marriage of 30 years.
In a recent interview with TV Guide, Zaib Shakh mentions how there will be twists and turn this season. "But I can’t divulge any details. There will be twists and turns and surprises and shocks, though.” Zaib Shaikh !http://tvguide.ca/tvnews/articles/120109_little_mosque_mh.htm Perhaps this could suggest that, Yassser will reunite with Sarah before the series concludes.This could be possible even though Carlo Rota is not expected to return this season [ i.e this could be revealed through a phone conversation]
What are your thought’s on this week’s episode ?Please feel free to keep sharing your thoughts.
Abbas Karimjee, Blog Manager
________________________________
The Yasir & Sarah divorce & the community’s lack of concern is what completely turned me off the show.
Rayyan & Sarah don’t even seem that upset to what seemed like the most adorable couple in Mercy. The show is dead to me.
Thanks for your comment, Bubba!
It was heart breaking to see the divorce and somewhat surprising how Sarah handled it so easily , given the fact that she was married for over 30 years.
While this may be upsetting for some viewers, what are your thoughts on some of the other storylines this season[ i.e Mayor Popowicx finding true love or Amaar and Rayyan living together as a married couple?How far along did you progress with this season before you stopped watching?
Thanks for dropping by and please feel free to continue to share your thoughts.
Abbas
Omgg the show is coming to an end…nooo
Hi Nadia- It is sad that the show is coming to an end. It will be greatly missed, but six seasons is a noteworthy accomplishment!
How have you been enjoying this season?
Thanks!
Abbas
I stopped watching the show when they made fun of the black Jesus – I can just imagine if a show had shown such disrespect to brown-skinned people. When I wrote to the producers to ask what was so funny about a black Jesus (as opposed to the blond, blue-eyed one we see in magazines all the time), they did not even have the decency to respond. Racism is racism, pure and simple. Goodbye and good riddance.
I am really incredibly disappointed that Yasir is gone, and that his marriage with Sarah has been terminated. I really hope that he comes back.
Wow. The divorce was absolutely uncalled for.
The story-line went down the drain when Thorne came in. Can’t believe McGee ‘just left’. I got hooked during Season 1 but then kept watching just to see how the episodes became horrific as the episodes progressed. What could have been great and cute turned into a boring, dull and absolutely inconsistent show.
Thanks for your comment, US viewer! Welcome to the blog!
Although, it was disappointing to see Carlo depart from the role of Yasser, I thought it was great to see how Sarah has a chance to discover herself and stand on her own.
It would be great to hear how you find the finale? How have you been finding other elements of the season, such as Amaar and Rayyan’s life together as a married couple or the Mayor’s relationship with Reverend Thorne’s brother, Charles?
Thanks!
Like everyone else has posted, I am also disappointed that Sarah and Yasser will be divorcing. That plot line does not fit the entire life of the program which portrayed their strong relationship. I think the writers could come up with a better storyline. Maybe Sarah could either move or go on an extended visit to Lebanon. That storyline could really be played up dramatically with Rayyan being upset that her mother is leaving. The first few seasons were very good but subsequent seasons became less humorous. It’s time for this series to end but the writers need to do with something that fits the prior seasons.
Divorce ruined all seasons plot line. Plane wrong.
Hi Abbas, Sarah having a chance by getting divorce and discover herself to stand on her own is a totally wrong message.
Thanks for your message, Tko. Glad to hear your views on the divorce.
Although the divorce was sad and I agree its expected impact on the characters of Rayyan and Sarah was somewhat underplayed, I thought it was interesting to see Sarah rediscover why she was apart of the Muslim faith as well quite comedic to see some of the comedic mishaps[i.e dating]while she tried discover herself.
What did you think of the other storylines?
Please feel free to keep sharing your thoughts.
Abbas
I was really sad too about Yassar who was a favorite character and Sarah getting divorced. They had such a great relationship and It was so out of character and really hard to digest as he cared deeply for his wife and his daughter . ….. I just would have preferred that he came back in the last episode … please could you write a reunion episode with them getting back together with the birth of the Grandchild even if it was just one episode …the reunion episode maybe … please …
Thank you for your comment, Renee and welcome to the blog!
It was definitely out of character for Yasser to divorce Sarah, particularly given the two’s strong past and obvious affection for one another and their family.
It would be great to have a reunion episode. Should there ever be one, I will definitely feature coverage for it on the blog and will let you know,
Best wishes.
I am not looking forward to the divorce (watching on Netflix). While Sarah has never been as “good” a Muslim as her daughter, Yasir is also shown slipping at times; they make the perfect couple! They seem to be in love and really do care for thier daughter and each other. The writers could have just sent him out of town, back to Lebanon to see his mother or other family for some time.