TV Station Refuses To Play Gay-Centric Sitcom ‘The New Normal’
A Utah TV station has received criticism for dropping openly gay Glee creator Ryan Murphy’s new sitcom, The New Normal, from their fall schedule.
After viewing the pilot episode of Murphy’s upcoming gay-focused sitcom The New Normal, NBC affiliate KSL-TV out of Utah (which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) decided to pass on the show due to its gay content. The station’s CEO Jeff Simpson says, “After viewing the pilot episode of The New Normal, we have made the decision to keep it off our fall schedule.”
“For our brand, this program simply feels inappropriate on several dimensions, especially during family viewing time,” he continued.
The sitcom, co-created by Ali Adler, follows a gay couple, played by Justin Bartha and Andrew Rannells, who meet a single Midwestern mother played by Georgina King who subsequently becomes the surrogate for the happy couple’s baby.
“From time to time we may struggle with content that crosses the line in one area or another,” Simpson explained to the Salt Lake Tribune. “The dialog might be excessively rude and crude. The scenes may be too explicit or the characterizations might seem offensive.”
Actress Ellen Barkin, who also appears in the series, took to Twitter to defend the show:
Shame on u
@kslcom not airing@nbcthenewnormal So L&O SVU (rape child murder) is ok? But loving gay couple having a baby is inappropriate?— Ellen Barkin (@EllenBarkin) August 25, 2012
Anyone in Utah interested in
@nbcthenewnormal please clog up@ksl5tv feed 4 their blatantly homophic decision 2 not air the show#KSLBigots— Ellen Barkin (@EllenBarkin) August 25, 2012
“
@thetedsaid:@ellenbarkin What will play in@nbcthenewnormal spot? A dude reading from the bible?”Which one?— Ellen Barkin (@EllenBarkin) August 25, 2012
Here is the trailer for Ryan Murphy’s The New Normal, a show that will most likely play on NBC where you live (unless you live in Utah).
[iframe src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/nJfBZxUlzhY” width=”560? height=”315?]
