Utah Station Refuses to Air The New Normal
The New Normal
NBC's Utah affiliate KSL-TV has taken The New Normal off its fall lineup.
The upcoming Ryan Murphy comedy, which focuses on a gay couple who are having their first baby through a surrogate, was deemed inappropriate by the Mormon-owned station.
"From time to time we may struggle with content that crosses the line in one area or another," Jeff Simpson, CEO of KSL's parent company, Bonneville International, told The Salt Lake Tribune. "The dialogue might be excessively rude and crude. The scenes may be too explicit or the characterizations might seem offensive."
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KSL-TV's announcement enraged series star Ellen Barkin, who provides the majority of the offensive language in the show as the politically incorrect and disapproving surrogate's mom.
Barkin called the station's decision "blatantly homophobic" and tweeted: "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?"
KSL-TV has a history of cutting "inappropriate" NBC shows from its lineup. Late series The Playboy Club, Coupling as well as the animated God, the Devil and Bob never made it to air on the Utah station, which still refuses to televise Saturday Night Live.
However, Utah viewers will have the opportunity to catch The New Normal over the weekends on local station KUCW.
The New Normal will premiere Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 8:30/7:30c.