NBC Utah affiliate KSL-TV has pulled the upcoming Ryan Murphy sitcom "The New Normal" from its fall lineup, calling the series as "inappropriate on several dimensions."
The show, which follows a mother who serves as a surrogate for a Los Angeles-based gay couple, stars Justin Bartha, Ellen Barkin and Georgia King. It's set to debut on Sept. 11 on NBC at 9:30 p.m. ET. But Utah's KSL-TV doesn't want anything to do with it during "family viewing-time."
"From time to time we may struggle with content that crosses the line in one area or another," Jeff Simpson, CEO of the station'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."
Barkin, who portrays grandmother "Jane" on the series, reacted to the news on Twitter:
GLAAD President Herndon Graddick released a statement criticizing the decision, saying, "Same-sex families are a beloved part of American television thanks to shows like 'Modern Family,' 'Glee' and 'Grey's Anatomy.' While audiences, critics and advertisers have all supported LGBT stories, KSL is demonstrating how deeply out of touch it is with the rest of the country."
This isn't the first time KSL has opted out of programming. Last year, it wouldn't broadcast NBC's "The Playboy Club." That series ended up getting canceled after three episodes because of sluggish ratings.
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