Happy Birthday to Us!

21 05 2012


Happy  Birthday to US!  Happy Birthday to US! Today, the blog celebrates  4 years of operation!

It’s hard to believe that it has already been four years since I first  opened this blog.When I first  started this site four years ago I was unsure of what it would become and   would not have believed  that I would be running it four years later. This site means so much to me and I have genuinely enjoyed running it and keeping readers informed about relevant subject matter. It has been a truly rewarding  experience and  provided enriching opportunities, which I never would have thought I would have. I am proud that this blog has been providing prominent coverage for thousands of readers each month on various television series which are of interest. Special thanks are extended to YOU the reader for supporting the blog through your continuous visits, comments and ongoing involvement in other interactive opportunities on the site. Without readers a site has no purpose or future. Your visits truly mean everything!

The last year has been the biggest and most successful year for this site. We welcomed nearly 44 000 visitors which is approximately  4 times the number of visits the site had in its initial year.  We continue to interact with readers through active monitoring of the blog`s Facebook and Twitter page . We pursued   affiliation with both CBC and Westwind pictures that supported the blog by endorsing its coverage of Little Mosque on the Prairie. The blog also further  expanded its diverse network this past year by having partnered with various cross cultural  blogs which have expressed interest in Little Mosque on the Prairie such as Marilyn Gardner`s Communicating  Across Boundaries and Knightley Emma. We were also recognized by the Canada Media  Fund  for  the site`s ongoing coverage of Little Mosque on the Prairie.  The blog connected with Gateworld .net , which is known as the leading online website for Stargate  where many of our interviews with cast members from the franchise were linked from. Thank you to  all of our affiliates for your support of the blog. I have  greatly enjoyed working with each of  your respective  organizations and/ or sites and hope that we  will continue to support one another in this coming year.

We continued our retrospective coverage of  the Stargate franchise after  it drew to an end after 17 years with SGU  through news reporting and interviews with SGU’S Jennifer Spence, Peter Kelamis and   brilliant main cast member , Brian J Smith. We also had the delight of interviewing  Stargate Atlantis, Rachel Luttrel! Thank you to each of  you for  kindly participating in the interviews. I tremendously enjoyed the rewarding experience and I trust each of you benefitted from it as well.

The past year has been a significant year for the blog’s coverage of Little Mosque on the Prairie as the show progressed in its sixth and final year.   In addition on going news coverage and weekly episode features, I   once again interviewed Little Mosque’s  Manoj Sood,   Debra McGrath,   Brandon  Firla  , Arlene Duncan and Aliza Vellani to  extensively discuss  roles within the show’s sixth and final  season. We also interviewed, for the first time, Little Mosque’s Derek McGrath to discuss  the impact  which the departure of his character had on the show as well as the fan favourite , Zaib Shaikh who provided an insightful overview of the show’s sixth and final season as well as  how the program represents  Canada.  Thank to you all of the cast members for your exceptional portrayals and for participating in the interviews. I sincerely hope you enjoyed the experience as much as I did and extend best wishes in the future of your acting careers. It has truly been truly an honour and my pleasure to work with each of you .

Indeed, this is the only online media outlet which has interviewed the entire cast of this ground-breaking series.The blog was  recognized  by other institutions of the media for its extensive coverage of Little Mosque on the various occasions for its extensive coverage of this ground-breaking series including   Aquila Asia, a cosmopolitan magazine which did a  complete overview on the series to introduce it to its south Asian  readership. The blog was also mentioned on a live streaming with the cast of Little Mosque on CBC Live where the entire cast of the show thanked  us for its extensive support as well as responding to additional questions which we had about the show’s end.  I also had a chance to appear on CBC`S The National in order to discuss the show’s impact

From February to April the blog hosted a few live chats with various cast members of Little Mosque on the Prairie  including Aliza Vellani, Manoj Sood and Debra McGrath as a way of providing  viewers with the chance to directly  interact with  the stars themselves. Thank you to these prominent Canadian talent and all of the readers who joined in the discussion!

We also covered various other series on the blog. Back in September we launched coverage of FOX`S  new science fiction series,Terra Nova through weekly episode previews as well as through our  interactive features. Although  this show was not renewed for a second season, I greatly enjoyed discovering the series.

The blog launched its coverage of The Office and Web Therapy back in September and January respectively .As a result we have begun to welcome a new audience to the readership  through ongoing news coverage .Interviews  with various cast members of both series may be scheduled within the upcoming period.

I would also like to take  a moment to extend thanks to Youtube group, supportfire115@http://www.youtube.com/user/supportfire115 for kindly providing the decorations used for this celebratory post. Thank you for helping make this special  day even more memorable through your assistance in this regard.Thanks also goes to the blog’s occassional communications auditor , Nisreen O’Neill.

What plans do we  have for year number 5? With Little Mosque and Stargate having ended, we look forward to occasional  ongoing respective coverage of these significant and  defining series for this blog.  The blog will continue to cover  The Office  as we approve its impending ninth season and provide extensive , ongoing coverage of Showtime’s Web therapy through ongoing news, weekly episode guides as well as  interviews with various cast members of this unique  comedy. The blog will also be launching coverage of  CBC`S, Mr. D as the show approaches its second season.  Expect other science fiction series to be covered as well. The blog may launch a music aspect  by  covering  works of  prominent North American  musicians. Further details will follow  next month once precise  plans have been finalized.

Although our previously announced plans to launch a held hosted site have been terminated at this time, we are  in the process of  assessing  various other templates  within WordPress.com. Readers can therefore look forward to a new  design .

What  would you like to see on the site for our  upcoming year. Share your thoughts in the comments section or by e-mail. Thank  you for being apart of the community and I  look forward to another exciting year with the readership where we continue to work together to make the site the best it can be.





NBC’S The Office Renewed For A Ninth Season

18 05 2012

Indeed,  viewers of The Office  have much to be excited for after  NBC announced that the show  has been renewed for a ninth season, reports TV Guide! There is presently no word on how many episodes the forthcoming  season will have.

The network has currently undertaken the crucial process of renewing contracts with  Jenna Fisher[ Pam], Ed Helms[ Andy Bernard] and  John Kraisinski[Jim Halpert]. While  it is pleasing to know that these  prominent actors whose characters are quite central to the show will be returning, it has been reported that actor/producer, BJ Novak[Ryan] has not yet initiated this process.

The Office’s season 8 finale drew 4.4 million per average household with a 2.2 million rating in the 18-49  age group. This is the lowest rating  a season finale for this show has ever had. The Office’s finale featured  Andy Bernard [Ed Helms]  making his return  to Dunder Mifflin  by convincing  David Wallace[Andy Buckley] to negotiate with Jo Bennet to liquidate the company . The finale also had  central focus on  Dwight providing  free family portraits to the staff members as a way to obtain the resources needed to confirm  his paternity to Angela’s child . Additionally,Possible romances between Darryl [Craig Robinson]and Val [Ameenah Kaplan] as well as Angela’s husband,  Robert Lipton[ Jack Coleman]and Oscar[Oscar Nunez] were also explored.

Other shows renewed  include Park and Recs for a 22 episode fifth season . Its season four finale  received  a great rating of 3.4 million viewers.

New series Up All Night and Whitney Houtson  were renewed  for second seasons  with the former earning  3.12 million viewers while the latter drew 4.12 million viewers.

What  is your The  Office  returning for a ninth season. What were your thoughts on the season 8 finale and how do you hope the ninth season builds on where we last off? Share your predictions and aspirations in the comments section!

This blog will be providing ongoing, extensive coverage throughout the show’s ninth season.





The Office Season 8 Episode 24- Free Family Portait Studio

10 05 2012

Explore the promotional features of The Office’s  season 8 finale,  Free Family Portrait  below. The finale will air @ 9;00pm eastern standard time on  NBC[USA] and Global[ Canada]

In the Season 8 finale, Dwight offers free family portraits for the staffers. Elsewhere, a pilfered diaper results in a high-speed car chase; Andy poses as a janitor and stages a covert coup; and Robert considers taking on a new business endeavor.[TV Guide]

What will be the quality of the free family portraits from Dwight  and how  pleased will the staff members be with them? Why is Dwight  pursuing such an initiative?What will Robert’s new business endeavour be and will this be the technique used to write the character out, given James Spader’s departure from the  series. What  are the elements involved in Andy’s coup and how does he intend on using his disguise to regain his post as regional manager at the Scranton branch? How does  Nellie play into this?

Notes

This is the  season 8 finale of The Office.

There is no word on the show’s fate  though talks have  begun about the possibility of a reboot version with NBC.  Details on  this version as well as  potential and definite casting changes have been   reported on the blog @http://abbaskarimjeeweblog.com/2012/04/23/11291/

 Additional Questions Related To Season 8 of The Office

Will Angela discover  her husband’s  homosexuality?  How will she respond? Has Oscar become involved with the senator? Will Dwight make his move to prove that he is the father of  Angela’s child?

What has become of Darryl [ Craig Robinson]and Val’s  working relationship and what is  their current position on pursuing romance?

Share your thoughts on these questions as well as any other questions which you would like to see answered in the comments section!

 





The Office Season 8 Episode 21 Preview- Angry Andy

18 04 2012

Take a read through the blog’s excerpt  and promotional features. of  this week’s episode of The Office, entitled Angry Andy. The episode will debut at 9:00pm eastern atandard time on NBC [USA] and Glohal[ Canada].

Andy returns from his long and winding romantic journey, only to have his manhood threatened. As the staffers give him unsolicited romantic advice, he battles Nellie for the manager’s position. Meanwhile, Kelly struggles to choose between two men.[TV Guide]

ANGRY ANDY ” 04/19/2012 (09:00PM – 09:30PM) (Thursday) : ANDY RETURNS TO THE OFFICE TO QUITE A SHOCK—Andy (Ed Helms) returns from his romantic quest to find his manhood in jeopardy. As he and Nellie (Catherine Tate) duke it out over the manager’s chair, co-workers share unwelcome advice on how to…perform. Meanwhile, Kelly (Mindy Kaling) is torn between the perfect man (guest star Sendhil Ramamurthty) and not-so-perfect Ryan (BJ Novak). Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, James Spader, Leslie David Baker, Phyllis Smith, Angela Kinsey, Brian Baumgartner, Oscar Nunez, Kate Flannery, Paul Lieberstein, Creed Bratton, Craig Robinson, Ellie Kemper and Zach Woods also star[NBC]

How will Andy  secure his post as regional manager of the Scranton branch.?What advice will Andy’s coworkers offer to him and how will he respond to this, given that he is in the midst of a struggle for power with Nellie. How will  Kelly  decide which man to choose?It would be reasonable to assume that Ryan is one of the men, given the two’s encounter  earlier this year before Ryan went to Florida, but who is the second man?Share your  speculations for this episode in the comments section!





Web Therapy’s Second Season To Debut on July 2

12 04 2012

Showtime has announced that Web Therapy‘s second season will debut on Monday, July 2 2012 @ 11:00pm eastern time, reports TV by the Numbers.The second season of this dark comedy will consist of 11 half – hour episodes.

Web Therapy’s second  season  will  continue  to focus on the self-serving  and highly unsuitable therapist Fiona  Wallace providing  online therapy  in the form of 3 minute web video sessions to  her troubled  clientage.  In addition to the having the opportunity to view these mishaps  unfold, viewers will have the chance  to see Fiona cope with  coming to terms with her husband, Kip Wallice’s[ Victor Garber]  double life as a homosexual man after she decides to  continue to pursue a marriage with him.  The sophomore season will consequently display Fiona focusing on promoting  Kip’s political campaign as he pursues candidacy for a seat in the senate. Throughout the season   Fiona will be seen continuing her pursuits as an author, as a result of her work on her book, Whistling While Worked which documents her” alleged mistreatment “at her former place of employment at a financial institution known as The Lachman brothers.

Actress, Lilly Tomlin is set to make reappearances as Fiona’s blunt and unaccepting mother, Putsy Hodge while Dan Bucatinsky will return as the mistreated and unassertive assistant, Jerome Sokolof.The exact  number of episodes in which they will appear has not been disclosed at this time.

 As previously reported on the blog, some prominent North American actors who will appear this season include  Meryl Streep, Rosie O’Donnell, Conan O’Brien, Molly Shannon, Minnie Driver, Selma Blair and  Kudrow’s former “Friends” cast mate David Shimmer, who   will have apparently witnessed a romantic encounter unfold between Fiona and his father, who is employed as a professor.  After having observed this and  recounting  his observations to Fiona, the unqualified therapist will suggest that she reenact the same sexual acts with him.

Web Therapy initially launched as a web series in  2008. In  April 2010 the    program was picked up by Showtime and the 7-10 minute  episodes were expanded to 30 minute episodes to suitable for television. To view the web episodes or for more information on the series, please refer to the blog’s sidebar for relevant links.

Information on when the second season will debut on The Movie Network for Canadian residents has yet to be disclosed, however an inquiry has been  issued to the Network and this information will be posted shortly after an update is received.

What is your response to Web Therapy  returning for a second season?Have you seen the webepisodes and in what ways do you hope  the television series will expand on some of the storylines ? Are there any predictions you have about this? Share your thoughts in the comments section.





CBC’S Zulekha Nathoo Reports on Little Mosque on the Prairie’s Impact

7 04 2012

With Little Mosque on the Prairie having  drawn to a close this past week, media coverage was  quite prominent for the groundbreaking Canadian series. Among the  features done for the show, was one by reporter Zulekha Nathoo from the CBC. Nathoo’s recent report on the show which examined the national impact and international impact which Little Mosque had on Muslim perception from the perspective  of viewers, researchers, cast members  and crew members was featured on  CBC’s,The National on Sunday, April 1@ 9:00pm eastern time.

To see the feature on the series which includes myself discussing my perspective on the show  visit @http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/TV_Shows/The_National/1233408557/ID=2218190950

.Afterwards, share your thoughts on the segment in the comments section!





Little Mosque on the Prairie Season 6 Episode 11 – The Best of Times[ Series Finale]

2 04 2012

In a series finale that lets Little Mosque on the Prairie live up to it’s namesake, Amaar prepares for the grand opening of the new Mosque, while trying to get Baber to end his boycott. Charles returns to Mercy with a plan to win Ann. Sarah reaffirms her Muslim faith; and, with Mercy Anglican burnt to a crisp, Thorne finds an unexpected new home for his congregation.[CBC]

Will  all proceed well with the grand opening of  the new mosque? What will   Amaar do to succeed in getting Baber to end his boycott?  What will Charles do to attempt win Ann back  and   what turn will this relationship take? How does Sarah  reaffirming her faith to Islam show how she has explored a full circle herself,  from the  start of  the show?

Will the Anglican community’s  new home be the new Mosque?What are your  thoughts on how this would be a suitable ending to the show and  represent the theme of cross -cultural unity?Will  the Muslims and Anglicans continue to live in a strong sense of unity?

Special thanks  are extended to the  crew  and cast for  creating this groundbreaking series and for  portraying its highly comical and relatable characters, respectively. Thank you  very much to  all of the  cast  members of the show for the insightful and entertaining interviews.  Thanks to  the producers at Westwind Pictures and the CBC for its support for its ongoing  endorsement and continued support of this site.

Thank you to the many  viewers of the show who have followed the blog’s ongoing  coverage of Little Mosque on the Prairie throughout the seasons.I look forward to providing  occasional retrospective coverage on this series in the forthcoming years.

Notes

This episode marks the series finale of Little Mosque  on the Prairie.  The shows draws to end after six seasons on CBC.

Aliza Vellani  will return as Layla  Siddiqui  in the finale. In a recent interview with the blog, she mentioned how  Layla would continue to increase  her independence from Baber.http://abbaskarimjeeweblog.com/2012/04/01/little-mosques-aliza-vellani-chats-about-series-finale/

A recent feature on the National displays certain members in the  cast and crew, myself and  others discussing the  impact  the show has had on the perception of Muslims. Take a look at this “.http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/TV_Shows/The_National/1233408557/ID=2218190950





Little Mosque on the Prairie’s Arlene Duncan Talks About The Series Wrap Up

2 04 2012

Its been sometime since we last connected with Little Mosque on the Prairie’s Arlene Duncan, who  has  portayed  the role  of the vibrant  and independant cafe owner, Fatema Dinssah.With the groundbreaking and daring yet highly comedic series drawing to an end tonight on CBC, its a suitable time to touch base  with the actress to discuss  her response to the conclusion and to ask  her to reflect on some of her experiences over the course of its six seasons.

 Read through  my complete interview with the delightful actress below and be sure to tune in for the series finale of Little Mosque on the Prairie @ 8:30pm eastern standard time.

Abbas Karimjee: Since we last connected, it was announced that Little Mosque

will end in its current season.This season marks Little Mosque’s

final chapter. What was your reaction when you discovered this

and what are your thoughts on the degree to which it is suitable for the show 

to end this year?

Arlene Duncan:It has been both an honor and a pleasure to be part of such a unique

and ground-breaking show for six seasons. Currently we are

viewed in over 90 countries around the world. Although the show

went through many changes in its six seasons, I’m happy to have

seen my character make it from the first shooting day to the end!

Obviously after this amount of time working with the same cast

and crew there was sadness when we learnt that the show would be

coming to an end. Actually we thought we would be ending after

the 5th season but when we heard we would be coming back again

for a 6th season it was an unexpected bonus!

“]

The cast of Little Mosque share a toast as production for the show wraps[June 2011 in Toronto

AK: Could you please give us an idea as to the atmosphere which was present on the set throughout the final weeks on the show?

AD:The atmosphere shooting the final season was very bittersweet: all

good things must come to an end, it wasn’t a complete shock or a

surprise, and we were all prepared to go out with a bang. Still, after

an investment of six seasons into these wonderful characters, just

like our audiences around the world, we’ve become attached to

them. It’s hard to say goodbye and let go of both the relationships

and what they mean to us, fortunately they’ll continue to live on in

reruns and DVDs around the world! After we shot our final scene

together as a group, we all very un-Islamically opened a bottle of

champagne and toasted to our success—those who partake,

partook!

AK: What is the final season all leading up to? Could you please give

us an idea of what in store for the series finale itself, both for

Fatima and the show in general?

AD:By the time this is posted the season finale may have already aired,

but still I don’t want to spoil the ending for anyone. However, I

can say I think the ending should be a satisfying way to show the

journey of this community of Muslims and the people of Mercy to

the loyal viewers who have followed us from the beginning.

When the final credits roll, one can still imagine that life in Mercy and the lives of these characters will continue to go on: Rayaan &

Amaar’s life as a married couple, Sarah’s adventures in her new

role as a single woman, embracing her faith, Baber continuing to

rant, Fred spouting off on the radio, and Fatima dishing out goat

curry and wisecracks at the café.

AK: You have played Fatima for the show’s six seasons. Could you

please reflect on some of your most favorite moments on the show,

both on screen and in production? Reflecting on your six years

from working to the show, what aspect of working on the show,

will you miss the most?

AD:Although we did the majority of our shooting in Toronto (the

interiors were shot in a studio and the vicinity) and the exteriors in

Saskatchewan, we considered ourselves a Canadian show

representing the multicultural Canadian experience. What I’ll miss

most, besides having a steady gig for six seasons, and working

with our fantastic cast & crew, are the trips to Saskatchewan every

year to shoot exterior scenes. Our‘paid vacation time’ or ‘acting

camp’ as it was affectionately called was a fun-filled bonding

experience where we got to connect with each other as a cast & as

friends, as well as make friends within the Saskatchewan

community. These trips also helped me to ground my character in

the experience of what life would really be like as a Nigerian

immigrant in a small Saskatchewan town.

AK:You were recently involved in a musical theatre which made its

debut on January 23. Could you please indicate the

title of the project, where it was held,the storyline of the show and

other relevant details?

AD:Since the show finished shooting I have gone on to perform some

very different roles from Fatima in various films & television

shows, but I was most excited to get back to my roots in musical

theatre and play the lead role in the Tony-Award winning play

Caroline or Change. Set in 1963, Caroline Thibodeaux is a maid to

a Southern Jewish family who does what she must to provide for

children while struggling to keep her sense of self, while the son of

her employer struggles to make sense of the world around him. It

has been quite a while since I’d been ‘on the boards’ performing

live on stage night after night.

AK: How does working on a  theatre production differ from working

on studio sets such as Little Mosque? Which type of acting do you

prefer?

Playing eight shows a week takes a

very different discipline from working in television. There are no

re-takes in theatre and the objective is to give the audience an

‘opening night’ performance every night. I’m very happy to say

that thankfully our show was well received with a sell-out run. I’m

actually looking forward to getting back on the stage again!

AK:With Little Mosque ending, how do you hope Fatema will be remembered as and  what final message do you have for viewers of the show?

With the luxury of six seasons on LMOTP I’ve learnt a great deal as

a performer, grown as an actor and a person and I’m sure to carry

all that I’ve learnt into my future roles. I’m very grateful that

audiences have embraced the character of Fatima Dinssa as their

friend, a sister, or a neighbour and I hope that her legacy will be

similar to that of LMOP: to show that in spite of our outward and

cultural differences at heart we are all the same…and that most

problems can be resolved with some good food!





Little Mosque’s Aliza Vellani Chats About Series Finale

1 04 2012

Photograph taken by Karolina Turek Photography.

Aliza Vellani  has  continued to lead a notable career within the Canadian entertainment industry, particularly through  her ongoing involvement in  CBC’S hit sitcom, Little Mosque on the Prairie.With the groundbreaking series drawing to a conclusion this  week on Monday, April 2 @ 8:30pm eastern standard time on  CBC and  Aliza making a reappearance in the promising and highly anticipated  finale, I thought it was an appropriate time to reconnect with the delightful actress for an interview.

The audio interview is approximately 6 minutes in length  and covers Aliza’s response to the show ending this season,  her comments on what is to come  with Layla reappearing   in the finale, the actress’ final message for the show’s faithful viewers and much more.

Click on the link below to listen to the interview and share your thoughts on it afterwards, in the comments section!

Aliza Vellani Interview -Little Mosque on the Prairie





Live Q&A With Little Mosque on the Prairie’s Aliza Vellani on Saturday,March 31 2012

29 03 2012

Join us on the blog on Saturday, March 31  from 3:00pm -5:00pm eastern time[7:00pm -9:00pm GMT]  to engage in a live chat with Aliza Vellani, who has portayed the teenage character  of Layla  Siddiqui on Little Mosque on the Prairie.

Fans   can interact with the actress by asking her questions related to Layla’s reappearance this season, anything else  related to Aliza’s  work on the show  as well as the actress’ other  related pursuits. Fans are also welcome to share relevant comments with the talented actress. With Little Mosque drawing to an end after   six    seasons and  Layla making  an appearance in the show’s series finale on Monday, April 2,  it’s a great time for fans to interact with the actress.

A  post will be created on the blog’s homepage, outlining further details about the event and readers will be able to interact with the actress in the comments section!Will you be joining the chat?Do you have any questions about the event? Let us know in the comments section!








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