TLC Cancels Controversial 'All-American Muslim' Reality Show

DEARBORN (WWJ) - The first season of TLC's reality television show "All-American Muslim" was also its last.

The network announced on Wednesday the cancellation of the series which focused on five Muslim families living in and around the Dearborn area.

TLC spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg told the Associated Press the controversial series won't be back. Its eight-episode run ended in January.

All-American Muslim came under fire before it even began when a Florida-based conservative Christian group called for an advertiser boycott. At least two companies, including Lowe's Home Improvement, announced they were pulling ads. Locally, hundreds of people gathered at the Lowes store in Allen Park to picket the company's decision.

Episodes of the show focused on the Fordson High School football team, religious conversions and conflicts the families faced outside and within their own community. One episode focused almost entirely on the cast's conflicted feelings about marking anniversaries of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when Muslim extremists destroyed the World Trade Center and killed thousands of people.

Cast members also appeared in round-table segments where they discuss general principles of Islam as relating to specific events depicted in the episode.

TLC says after a strong start to the series, ratings faded. The series, which debuted in November, averaged one million viewers per episode.

According to the Washington Post, before deciding on Dearborn, TLC considered Muslim communities in San Diego, Washington and Northern Virginia.

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