In August, NBC’s Salt Lake affiliate refused to air the new sitcom The New Normal, Ryan Murphy’s latest comedy. Now, the group One Million Moms is putting pressure on the show’s sponsers in an attempt to get it off of the air, as “the show mocks anyone who disagrees with their sinful lifestyle choice.” With such opposition for its first season, what are The New Normal‘s chances of success?

The New Normal is about redefining what makes up a stereotypical family, and demonstrates that through the show’s focus on a gay couple trying to have a baby. The idea is clearly controversial for some viewers, especially considering the fact that gay and lesbian couples can’t marry in some states.

The TV station in Utah, KSL–TV, decided against airing the show this season and told press that, “For our brand, this program feels inappropriate on several dimensions, especially during family viewing time.” This statement seems intentionally vague, attempting to move the focus away from the more obvious reason – it’s about two gay men.

Andrew Rannells, who plays Bryan Collins, remarked on the news. “What is hurtful…that even today in 2012, just the fact that it was about a gay couple starting a family was enough to start a boycott – that was disappointing.”

In their weekly missive statement, One Million Moms said “the majority of the sponsors [they] previously contacted did not appear on this past week’s episode of ‘The New Normal.'” However, no sponser has come out and official stated that it will no longer be advertising during New Normal‘s time slot.

In fact, the group will be disappointed this week, as NBC has given The New Normal the go ahead for a full season, along with Go On and Revolution, as reported earlier on Hypable. The President of NBC Entertainment, Jennifer Salke, talked about their new shows, stating that they are “very proud of [their] new comedy block of Go On and The New Normal,” and went further to compliment Ryan Murphy and Ali Adler, the show’s creators, commending them for having “created a truly unique family in The New Normal that is reflective of the changing dynamics of the world we live in.” 

If there is already so much negativity surrounding a show that has only been on the air for two weeks, can it hope to last? According to Entertainment Weekly, The New Normal dropped in ratings from its premiere episode, although Go On, another new NBC comedy, has remained strong. Whether or not the drop in ratings is from bad publicity and its pro-gay attitude or because of its actual content is up for the audience to decide.

What do you think of the controversy surrounding The New Normal? What’s your thoughts on KSL-TV and One Million Moms? Discuss in the comments.