EW:39;TheNewNormal39;:SixthingstoknowaboutNBC39;snewcomedy

TheNewNormal:SixthingstoknowaboutNBCsnewcomedybyTannerStranskyThepilotforNBC’snewRyanMurphycomedyTheNewNormalhadapreviewbackinAugustduringtheOlympics,andthathalfhouralsore-airedMondaynight.ButTuesdaynight,thesecondepisodeairsandwillgiveviewersanideaofwheretheshow—whichfollowsgaycoupleBryan(AndrewRannells)andDavid(JustinBartha)astheyattempttostartafamilyviaadown-on-her-lucksurrogateGoldie(GeorgiaKing)—isgoingtobeheadedthisseason.Butbesidesthat,whatelseshouldyouknowaboutTheNewNormal?Readonforsixinsightsintothenewcomedy.1.TheNewNormalislooselybasedoncreatorRyanMurphy’sreallifequesttostartafamilywithhishusband,DavidMiller.Alsothere’ssomeGleeinfluence…sortof.“It’slikeifKurtandBlaineweregrown-upandmarriedandthinkingabouthavingakid,”Murphy—whocreatedGlee—toldEW,referringtotheFoxdramedy’sbelovedgayteencouple.“I’veneverreallydoneanythingautobiographical,butIfindit’sreallyinteresting.”AddsRannells,whoplaysBryan,thecharacterbasedonMurphy:“Thisisaprettylazyactorroleforme,inthatthecharacterislooselybasedonRyanMurphy.AfterthefirsttimeImetRyanandwegottositdownandtalk,webothrealizedthatwehaveaverysimilarsenseofhumor.Wehavealotofthesameinterests.”2.ThecomedyisgettingcomparedtoseminalshowslikeAllintheFamily.There’snoArchieBunker,exactly,butTheNewNormaldoeshavestripesoftheshowthatmadethecharacterfamous.“Afewcomparisonshavebeendraw,veryflatteringly,toAllintheFamily,inthesensethatthatwasahalf-hourcomedythatwasnotafraidtotacklepoliticalissuesandthingsthatyoumightfindonadrama,”Rannellssays.“It’snotjustaleft-sidedviewofthisgaycoupleandhowgreatitistobeagayparent.”Thecomparisonsarespot-on,too,asMurphycreditsFamilyasoneofhisfavoriteshows.“GrowinguptheshowsIlovedmostwereAllintheFamilyandtheMaryTylerMooreshow,”Murphysays.“[TheNewNormalis]apasticheofthattone.”3.Theshow’sdetractorsareactuallyrepresentedin…theshowitself.OneMillionMomscameoutagainstTheNewNormal,blastingitforexposingfamilies“tothedecayofmoralsandvalues,andthesanctityofmarriage,”whileanNBCaffiliateinSaltLakeCityannouncedonAug.24thattheywon’tbeairingtheshowbecauseit’s“inappropriate.”“Ellen[Barkin]‘scharacter,Jane,sherepresentswherealotofthecountryisintermsofhavingresistancetogaymarriageandgayparenting,”explainsRannells,“andwegettoshowallofthat.”KingechoesRannell’ssentiments.“Thosepeoplewhoareagainstitrightnowmightactuallybepleasantlysurprisedabouthowlotsofdifferentviewpointsandopinionsareactuallyintheshow.That’swhat’ssogreat—itexploreseverybody’sideasandthoughts.”4.TheNewNormalisaboutmorethanjustgaypeopleandparenting—it’saboutanewkindoffamily.“TheNewNormaldoesnotrefertohomosexuality,”Barthaexplains.“Itisjustamixedfamily.There’sasinglemotheronthisshow,there’sasinglegrandmother.”It’sabout“everyone’slife,”saysco-creatorAliAdler.“Inmyfamily,there’stwomomsandtwohousesandtwokids.”AddsMurphy:“Attheendofthedayit’snotaboutbeinggayorstraight,it’sabouthowyounavigatehavingchildren.Andithastheworld’sworstin-lawplayedbyEllenBarkin.”5.AndspeakingofBarkin,shewilllikelybetheshow’sscenestealer,alongsideTheRealHousewivesofAtlanta‘sNeneLeakes.They—BarkinasGeorgia’shomophobic,racistgrandmotherandLeakesasBryan’ssmart-mouthedassistantRocky—certainlyarebehindthecamera.“IfNeNewasn’talreadyonarealityshow,wecouldmakearealityshowofthebehind-the-scenesofTheNewNormal,”Barthasays.“HerandEllenarehilarious!Youhavethesetwopeoplecomingfromextremelydifferentbackgrounds—it’skindofourshow.”6.StarJustinBarthahasapersonalconnectiontotheshow’spremise:hisgaybrother.“Myonlybrotherisgay,andhedidn’tcomeoutuntillaterinhislife,”Barthasays.“Ilovehimverymuch,sothere’sthat.”ButBarthaacceptedtheroletotakeastandamakeapoint,too.“There’salsothefactthatit’sstillasocialissueinourcountry,”hesays,asawaytoexplainhispassionfortheshow.“Ithinkit’sbaffling.It’ssomethingthatisconfusingtome.”AddsBartha:“I’venevergottensuchapositiveresponsetoanythingthatI’vedone,andI’vebeenluckytobeapartofthingsthatarebeloved.”TanneronTwitter:@EWTanStranskyhttp://insidetv.ew.com/2012/09/11/the-new-normal-nbc-comedy/