American Muslim TV is here

November 30, 2004 5:19 PM

Bridges TV was launched today and plans to "celebrate the American Muslim lifestyle and culture". Unlike satelite channels Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, Bridges TV plans to focus on English-speaking American Muslim youth rather than their parents. So what kind of cheesy programming can you look forward to? "One show features a Muslim newspaper reporter named Jinnah who solves whodunits. A soap opera explores the melodrama of a Muslim father confronted with his daughter's desire to marry a non-Muslim." It should be noted that Al Jazeera plans to launch an English-language channel in 2005.
posted by exhilaration (4 comments total)

I'll look forward to seeing this in Canada next summer. We've already got pretty extensive multicultural programming here in Vancouver, but most of the fun stuff (Cantonese soap operas, etc.) is in, well, Cantonese. Or Tagalog, or Polish, or one of the other thousands of languages I don't speak. Although I'd imagine there'll be a world of difference between the Chinese soaps and Allah Made Me Funny -- as there always is between cultural material produced for an English-speaking audience and material produced in the native language(s) of that culture -- it still sounds worthwhile. Good to know this is coming.
posted by alsorises at 6:01 PM on November 30, 2004

I live in an area heavily populated by both Arabs and Muslims and many seem to be assimilating while holding onto their faith much the way past immigrant groups did so I suppose I can see a role for a channel like this. Still, in watching the promos, I just couldn’t stop laughing at the title “Muslims in Appalachia”.
posted by arse_hat at 6:16 PM on November 30, 2004

“One show features a Muslim newspaper reporter named Jinnah”. In watching the previews this is Jinnah on Crime staring an acquaintance of mine. It’s a Canadian production about the Indian community in Vancouver. Good show but I’m not sure of the Muslim angle.
posted by arse_hat at 6:44 PM on November 30, 2004

This seems really good. What alsorises said - it'd be great to see more on other cultures as well, where the focus is on another culture trying to live in a mixed society. It's more akin to what I imagine assimilation should be like - cultures mixing but retaining their individual identity. I think things like this that appeal to niche markets won't even find their way to free-to-air tv since they're not so commerically viable, but I'd like to see them nonetheless.

Plus, I can't wait for Welcome Back Mujahideen.
posted by kamus at 7:16 PM on November 30, 2004