The New Normal was a Syndication network sitcom series created & written by Ryan Murphy and Ali Adler.
The show aired from September 10, 2012 to April 2, 2013, lasting for one season & 22 episodes.
Plot[]
After wealthy gay couple Bryan Collins and David Sawyer decide to have a child, they choose single mother Goldie Clemmons (who has moved from Ohio to Los Angeles, California) to be their surrogate mother, and she moves into their home with her 9-year-old daughter Shania.
Cast[]
Main Cast
- Justin Bartha as David Bartholomew Sawyer
- Andrew Rannells as Bryan Collins
- Georgia King as Goldie Clemmons
- Bebe Wood as Shania Clemmons
- NeNe Leakes as Rocky Rhoades
- Jayson Blair as Clay Clemmons
- Ellen Barkin as Jane Forrest
Recurring Cast
- Jackie Hoffman as Frances
- Barry Bostwick as Marty
- Mary Kay Place as Colleen
- Marlo Thomas as Nancy Niles
- Cheri Oteri as Carla
- John Stamos as Brice
- Michael Hitchcock as Gary
- John Benjamin Hickey as Father Michael
- Sterling Sulieman as Clint
Production[]
On January 27, 2012, NBC officially ordered the project to pilot, which was co-written by co-creators/executive producers Ryan Murphy & Ali Adler while being directed by Murphy.
Casting announcements began in January of 2012, with Andrew Rannells first cast in the role of Bryan Collins, one half of the gay couple who decides to use a surrogate to have a baby. Ellen Barkin was next cast in the series as Jane Forrest, Goldie's Republican grandmother.
Justin Bartha and Georgia King both then joined the series. Bartha signed on to play David Bartholomew Sawyer, the other half of the aforementioned gay couple; and King joined the series as Goldie Clemmons, a cash-strapped waitress and mother, who becomes Bryan and David's surrogate.
Bebe Wood followed with her cast in the role of Shania Clemmons, Goldie and Clay's daughter. NeNe Leakes was the last actor cast in the series as Rocky, Bryan's assistant.
On May 7, 2012, the show was picked up to series.
Jayson Blair originally signed on to the series as Clay Clemmons, in a recurring role; but after the pilot was ordered to series, Blair was then upped to series regular.
The Halloween episode "Para-New Normal Activity" was originally scheduled to air on October 30, 2012, but it was pre-empted by NBC's coverage of Hurricane Sandy; the episode was ultimately aired in March of 2013.
Marketing[]
On August 29, 2012, NBC released the pilot episode online as a "preview", prior to the official premiere on September 11, 2012.
A similar marketing strategy was made with "The New Normal"'s time-slot companion "Go On" (which aired its first episode on August 8, 2012, post the 2012 Summer Olympics).
Broadcast History[]
"The New Normal" aired on Tuesdays at 9:30 pm Eastern/8:30 pm Central after "Go On."
On October 2, 2012, NBC commissioned a full season of the series, but after one season, it was officially canceled on May 11, 2013.
Reception[]
"The New Normal" received mixed reviews from critics. The show's first season received a 60 out of 100 aggregate score, based on 32 critics' responses, indicating "mixed or average" reception at Metacritic.
Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes rated it 53% "rotten" based on 40 reviews with average rating of 5.7 out of 10 with the consensus: "The New Normal is heartfelt and briskly paced, but it suffers from one-dimensional characters and jarring tonal shifts."
Robert Bianco of USA Today called it a "surprisingly touching comedy," adding: "For the most part, Normal plays like a lovely, small movie, mixing humorous moments with sweet, gentle grace notes. At its best, it plays like a Woody Allen film, something you may notice most when secondary characters stop and explain themselves to the camera."
Linda Stasi of the New York Post thought the series was "pretty darned good," adding: "The New Normal finds its game when it's funny without trying so hard and sweet when it should be. At times Normal is so touching you might pull out a tissue, or maybe a diaper."
Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a B grade, saying it contains "a mixture of sarcasm and sentimentality that isn't remotely realistic, but can be funny."
David Hinckley of the New York Daily News called the series "a bumpy ride," adding: "The New Normal wants what Modern Family is having. But if we're going to catapult from South Park to a Hallmark movie, we need a smoother ride."
On August 24, 2012, representatives from KSL-TV (the NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City, Utah) announced the station (which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) would not carry "The New Normal", citing content they believed to be inappropriate for broadcast during the family hour.
KUCW (the state's CW affiliate) picked up the series and aired it on Saturday nights.
The show has been criticized for perpetuating racial stereotypes and using a person born intersex as an object of derision.
Accolades[]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 39th People's Choice Awards | Favorite New TV Comedy | (Won) | |
| Art Directors Guild | Episode of a Half Hour Single-Camera Television Series | Episode: Sofa's Choice | (Nominated) | |
| GLAAD Media Award | Outstanding Comedy Series | (Won) | ||
| American Society of Cinematographers | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Half-Hour Episodic Television Series | Episode: Pilot | (Nominated) | |
| Young Artist Awards | Recurring Young Actor Ten and Under | Thomas Barbusca | (Nominated) | |
| Guest Starring Young Actress Ten and Under | Kyla Kenedy | (Nominated) | ||