The New Normal Fans

Now that Ellen Barkin has more than a Twitter box to address the NBC affiliate station in Utah banning The New Normalfrom their schedule, she has lots more important things to say about it.

Jeff Simpson, CEO of Bonneville International, parent company of Salt Lake City NBC affiliate KSL-TV, told the Deseret News in a statement last week: “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.”

Obviously, this reasoning did not sit well with The New Normal star. 

“Yes, it is [an affiliate’s] right to ban something, but I do think it’s a form of censorship. I don’t understand why a show that I happen to love, like Law and Order: SVU, is in family viewing time,” Barkin said during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. “Why that show, that I hope nobody is allowing a 10-year-old to watch, is acceptable but a show about a very loving, committed same sex couple wanting to raise a child, why that is explicit and offensive and rape, murder, child slavery in very graphic detail is not.”

She continued: “I did take a position on that and being responded to by both sides meant that people paid attention and I think that that’s what matters. And whether you agree that KSL should ban the show and let your children watch a TV show where they use words like ‘anal tearing’ and ‘vaginal tearing’ and ‘child slavery,’ that’s OK…but watching two men kiss each other and cry because they’ve decided to raise a child together…I don’t get it.”

Back in July, One Million Moms publicly announced they were boycotting the show for being “harmful to our society.” Barkin, whose character on The New Normal is a member of One Million Moms, mentioned during the call that she had reached out to the group in order to discuss their position.

“I sent out a tweet asking the One Millions Moms, who I think are the three thousand moms, to meet me for tea and talk about it,” she said. “They didn’t answer back. I guess their position would be ‘Well, we know where she stands and Ryan Murphy stands so we have nothing to say to them.’ And that’s what makes this country divisive.”

Barkin hopes that people who have already judged the show before seeing it might change their minds and see that it’s not a show trying to stir up trouble, it’s a series everyone can enjoy and be entertained by. “With all of the divisiveness that is going on in the country we live in, so much of it based around just fear of the other and anyone who does not look like me, walk like me, talk like me, have sex like me, they’re the other and I’m afraid of them,” she said. “Hopefully we will learn that it’s just not scary and there’s nothing to be afraid of. The show is absolutely hysterically funny, and I hope that people who draw opinions before they watch it give it a chance.”

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Ann Romney or no Ann Romney,Modern Family‘s Cam and Mitch better watch out — there’s another couple vying to become America’s favorite same-sex pairing. The New Normalpremieres on NBC on September 11, but the pilot is already streaming on Hulu — and, much like the first episode of The Mindy Project, it proves that Normal is a promising new series with a few minor wrinkles. Here’s what I took away from Episode 1:

1. If you like Ryan Murphy, you’ll love The New NormalNBC’s new series bears its creator’s unmistakeable stamp: it moves at a lighting-quick pace, features gleefully over-the-top characters and dialogue, and tries to strike a balance between light humor and real pathos. The show also features appearances by Murphy’s evolving stable of repertory players;  NeNe Leakes has ditched Glee‘s McKinley High for a spot as Bryan’s (Andrew Rannells) assistant, and a very special Murphy pal pops up for a cameo I won’t spoil here. Popular fans — there are still Popular fans, right? — will also recognize bad surrogate Melissa as Leslie Grossman, who played southern-fried cheerleader Mary Cherry on the late WB dramedy.

2. But it’s not just for Murphy fansDespite its potentially sensitive subject matter — gay couple (Rannells and Justin Bartha, as David) hires young unwed mother (Georgia King, as Goldie) to be their surrogate — Normalmay have a wider appeal than any other Murphy project. It’s neither as grotesque as American Horror Story or Nip/Tuck nor as frenetic as Glee or Popular. Plus, there’s no singing — at least yet. (Though if there’s any justice, that’ll change in a future episode; Rannells is the Tony-nominated former star of The Book of Mormon.)

3. Ellen Barkin is the new Sue SylvesterBarkin plays Nana, an icy lady of a certain age with a “Callista Gingrich hairdo” and a mean racist streak. Try not to gasp when she calls an Asian character “Hello Kitty” or dubs Bryan and David “salami smokers” — and watch out for a final scene that attempts to humanize her by explaining why she’s prejudiced. The Madonna tribute video is coming any day now.

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4. But Bryan and David also dish it outEven though gay couple Bryan (Andrew Rannells) and David (Justin Bartha) are angry when confronted by Nana’s frank homophobia, the two of them aren’t really any more P.C. than she is. When looking through videos made by potential surrogates, the two laugh and roll their eyes at an overweight woman and one who’s into sci-fi. David also jokingly asks Goldie if she’s a Republican before allowing her to carry his and Bryan’s child. Tolerance!

5. Still, the actors’ chemistry make it workWhen Bryan and David show physical affection — which, for the record, they do much more often than Mitch and Cam — they’re not making any sort of statement; they look and feel natural together, like a couple should. And though neither spends very much time with Goldie in the pilot, a scene between her and David indicates that King can hold her own against other members of the ensemble.

Have you watched The New Normal yet? If so, think it’ll make it onto your “Season Pass” list?

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