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'The New Normal': More Modern Than 'Modern Family'?

By Sue Funke
August 29, 2012 / 3:00 PM

Ryan Murphy and NBC teamed up to create a modern family sitcom, The New Normal. It focuses on a male couple that decides they want to have a baby and a mother of one that decides she wants to finally follow her dreams. What? This sounds similar ABC’s hit show Modern Family you say. Kinda, sorta, not really, because we laughed more at that pilot than this one.

So what does The New Normal have to offer viewers, exactly? Here’s a rundown of reasons we think you ‘might’ want to tune in:

  • NeNe Leakes: She is just as sassy as she was on Glee, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and The Celebrity Apprentice, but this time she’s perhaps a bit more self-deprecating referring to herself as a “Half giraffe / Half Drag Queen”.

  • Support NBC Supporting ‘The Gays’: At one point the bigoted Nana character (Ellen Barkin) points out a lesbian couple that is ‘proud as two peacocks’ which is a subtle call out to NBC showing their rainbow side.

  • Gwyneth Paltrow’s Brief Cameo: We won’t ruin it for you, but she’s quick and cute. The best way to see her in our opinion.

  • Book of Mormon Meets The Hangover: Andrew Rannells and Justin Bartha make an adorable couple and their moments on screen together are genuinely endearing.

  • More Modern Than Modern Family: Sure, Modern Family has a gay couple, but do they have a gay couple that points out other different types of family? Do they make references to social networking and other technological advances as often as possible? Then perhaps they really aren’t as modern as they boast, because The New Normal has got this in spades.

    • Is this another Ryan Murphy hit? Well, it’s certainly not his strongest pilot, but it is a tender look at building a family and if you’re looking for that kind of thing, definitely give it a shot. If you’re looking for a great new type sitcom, may we suggest Community? (Yes, we know it’s going into its fourth season, but it’s just so darn innovative.)

    Sue Funke is a comedic writer from New York and writes social media for NewNowNext. She comes from the old normal type of family.

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