Suradit I did enjoy the show and, like Sean Saves the World and Partners, both of which I also found to be as good or better than shows that were renewed for another year, The New Normal may have been axed for reasons other than just their ratings.That said, unlike the other two shows I mentioned, The New Normal seemed a lot less focused. In the highly successful Modern Family, the show manages to shift focus between the several family components while keeping a common thread for each episode, and they do it well. Not as successful with TNNIn The New Normal, that common thread was often too tenuous if it existed at all. I enjoyed the main gay couple and their interpersonal as well as more general gay-related issues, both those issues used for humor and those that were emotionally painful.I usually enjoyed the Ellen Barkin character and, although I generally lean way to the left politically, I found some of her well-delivered rants to be fair criticism of some dearly held beliefs or behaviors of those who consider themselves Liberal. There were a few times when her rants, especially in the earlier shows, may have crossed the line into what sounded too much like very real, not at all humorous, bigotry.Obviously the show was heading in the direction of two gay men becoming dads and all the joy & trauma of parenthood, both typical and unique to same-sex couples. So the surrogate mom was a practical necessity, but the character & the actress who played Goldie, in my opinion, were rather bland and added little to the show's appeal. Actually I thought her estranged husband, Clay, although somewhat marginalized in the plot development, added more to the show's appeal than she did.But the killer for me ... in the negative sense of the term ... was the little girl, Shania. Maybe in some After School Special format or main stream family show, she would have been considered cute and precocious, but I'm guessing the primary audience for a gay themed show like this does not include grade school children or Middle Americans resting after a hard day at the factory or plowing the fields. The kids on Modern Family fit in beautifully with the pace of the show and would appeal to those who might be expected to watch such a show. Shania was just an annoying waste of show time. Maybe I'm projecting my feelings onto more people than is warranted, but when the Shania character appeared to be more than incidental to an episode, I definitely started jabbing the fast-forward button or went on to the next episode altogether. Watching her prepare for and perform in a grade school assembly was a little too Sesame Street for me and the sort of thing that is a leading cause of glazed-eye syndrome.I think with a little effort and redirection, the show could have been saved rather than axed. Hope the two main characters can make a comeback in something better aimed at its target audience.

jbarnes-10 I can sum up the "New Normal" in one sentence, Dull and sanitized for straight people.The two main characters are right out of central casting. Asexual, non-threatening actors playing upper class yuppie gays in LA. There is NO chemistry between the two men, no affection, no kissing, nothing. The two men almost look like brothers rather then partners. Their personalities are stereotypical gay and I was both bored and angry with the show before the first episode was over.I never watched the show again until this past weekend after a friend told me the show was better, well the only good thing about this show is Nene Leakes, now that girl is funny! They should just throw out the whole mess and give Nene her own show as the overworked single mom trying to do her best. Her scenes are the only ones that have any life, humor or reality too them.I doubt this show will be back for a second season, at least I hope it's not. Lets hope cable can come up with a real program about gay parents minus the 1970's stereotype gay men. Two big thumbs down.

duncanjohn71 What a delightful and meaningful story line. The humor is so real and absolutely undeniable. Each character embodies a unique personality that is necessary for the understanding and belief of the series. Ryan Murphy has designed and written a piece that relates much of to what the average person either says or wants to say, but to appropriate not to actually. This work like that of his previous masterpiece, gives an outlook on the changing and more trending times of society. It seems that with the success of this show some may with luck be more willing to broaden their judgments on what is different and uncommon and hopefully with the success, that uncommonness will blossom into something of a more familiar and casual and ultimately not such a new normal.

Ellie Cem Cohen This comedy is something between Will & Grace and Modern Family. Take Jake's words and attitude from Will & Grace as well as Cameron & Mitchell from Modern Family. Here you are. Although the first episode is pushed a bit too hard in acting on third episode it is settled. Acting is OK. Lines are usual. Yet it has a nice touch and script. It has the quality LOGO TV is missing in its own series. Perhaps because this is NBC. However the question is whether this series will last or not. As there are key gay issues crafted very intelligently between the lines such as an American soldier just back from Iraq getting engaged to his fiancé, gay adoption and surrogacy, etc. I just hope NBC makes the right call to keep this series as it is just funny. In this series kissing two main characters is not an issue as oppose to Modern Family. I just hope we will see the season 7 when they have their grandkids.