NBC’s gay sitcom The New Normal cancelled after just one season
US television network NBC has announced that its new sitcom The New Normal, which features a gay couple and the surrogate mother of their child, has been cancelled after just one season, amidst falling ratings.
The show, written by Glee creator Ryan Murphy, tackled issues such as gay members in the Boy Scouts of America, as well as focussing on a gay couple, and the issues they faced using a surrogate to have a child.
Despite debuting with a strong 7 million viewers, the show dropped down to as low as 2.10 million in mid-March.
The unexpected decision to cancel the show received mixed reactions on Twitter, some users saying they were dismayed that the show would not continue for a second season, and others saying they did not mind that it had been axed.
One Twitter user wrote: “I am FURIOUS that @nbc haven’t renewed #TheNewNormal for a 2nd season”, and another said: “Gutted that The New Normal was cancelled :(“.
TV editor for MSN Lorna Cooper expressed that she would not miss the show: “Pondering what I’ll miss about The New Normal… gimme a sec… Hang on, I’ll come up with something… There must be… Nope. I got nothing”
The cancellation came as several other shows were also cut, including musical drama Smash. Some fans of both shows said they were having a hard time understanding why both were dropped.
After anti-gay campaign group One Million Moms attacked the show, he said they might like it if they try it. One Million Moms said that the NBC show “subject[s] families to the decay of morals and values”, is “harmful to society” and “damaging to our culture”.
