Posted on 07/29/2013 6:43:34 AM PDT by Colonel Kangaroo
With Sean Hayes' gay sitcom on the way, executives try to explain why Ryan Murphy's comedy failed
Even with Fox's "Glee" and FX's "American Horror Story" under his belt, Ryan Murphy wasn't able to score another hit with his NBC comedy, "The New Normal."
Why didn't it find its audience? NBC's top executives seemed to grapple with the answer to that question themselves Saturday in a Television Critics Association press tour panel.
"We really wanted to get behind Ryan Murphy," NBC entertainment president Jennifer Salke said. "Maybe, something about the tone of it. It's really one of those things where you look at each other and think, 'Why didn't this show do better than it did?' It was the time for it. It was smart. It was original. It felt like it had breakthrough tone and originality to it. It got people talking and we thought it would build into something."
More Americans, and politicians on both sides of the aisle, are supporting gay marriage. But not enough people backed "The New Normal," about a gay couple who adopt a child.
When it premiered in September, the pilot episode banked 6.88 million total viewers. Its finale in April scored around half that number.
"I don't believe it didn't work because it had gay characters," NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt said. He pointed to the success of 90s series "Will & Grace."
"It was in a different time and in a different lineup of stronger shows and stronger lead-ins and things like that," he continued. "Like Jen said, we think the country is moving in the right direction, the Supreme Court is doing the right thing and there's a growing support for gay relationships and gay marriages in this country. It may have been slightly ahead of its time, because that really was the focus of it: The gay marriage and the baby. But, we feel no regret whatsoever about putting it out there, and feel enormously proud of it."
With Sean Hayes' new sitcom, "Sean Saves the World," premiering this fall, the network will again feature a gay parent, but take a different approach.
"We're drafting off a little bit on the 'Will & Grace' thing," Greenblatt said. "It’s a brightly lit situation comedy. He's single, so maybe it will feel more universal to people who aren't gay and don't have people in their lives in gay relationships."
"That show is trying to be a family show in its essence," Salke interjected. "Ryan Murphy, in his shows, likes to push an idea in every episode, something he's grappling with and thinks people should be thinking about and is more issue-oriented in that way. And maybe that didn't help it. Still again, something we would stand by. But the DNA of the other show is completely different only based on in its creative origins, not in that we're guiding it in a way that is less gay or issue-oriented."
But as the article indicates, the captains of American culture are not giving up.
Doesn’t “Modern Family” basically have the same thing?
Gays run the entire media business.
The networks will blame their “bigoted audience” and keep coming back to the well no matter how many times they fail.
Meanwhile their former audience is watching Duck Dynasty and large-breasted women buying storage lockers.
sorry losers at NBC
normal is a man and a woman married in their 20s with their own children, going to work, church or synagogue, mowing the yard, playing board games with the fam in the evenings. Period. Not all this depravity you at NBC are trying to pass off as normal
1.8% of the population isn’t much of an audience to play to.
:: Ryan Murphy, in his shows, likes to push an idea in every episode ::
Confirming the observation of Cletus, “When a sit-com thinks it can influence the culture by becoming “socially relevant”, when it delves into experimental social engineering because of its position in the ratings, it ceases to be watchable.”
For the best example, please see the timeline and content of “The Cosby Show”.
(Ryan Murphy, in his shows, likes to push an idea in every episode, something he’s grappling with and thinks people should be thinking about and is more issue-oriented in that way.)
Another way of saying, “PROPAGANDA”. And I doubt very much it’s something “he’s grappling with”. it’s something he wants to push down the throats of people, and preferably brainwash them with.
We gave up TV some years back and when I hear about what’s being shown these days, I feel like a visitor from another planet.
I have a theory about the success of “Will and Grace”.
While the shows characters were openly and flamboyantly gay, the show had actual sit-com comedy, that was funny.
It did not focus on crammiong homosexuality down your throat (ew...) every episode. I still found it hard to watch some times though.
She called it "Gay-sploitation". Pretty smart, my wife.
You obviously misspelled Glee...should be Gay-Lee.
I enjoyed it at the beginning - great music.
Then it became Gay 101, then Gay 401, then Gay grad year.
Gave up on it...get my music elsewhere without having to think about gross things.
Ah yes, the homophobic masses in Jesusland aren’t enlightened enough to appreciate this show!Never mind that 98% of the country is heterosexual. I think a lot of people voice “support” for gay marriage, but are inwardly repulsed at the reality of gay sex.
Actually it started with “Soap” in the late 70s and Billy Crystal’s character.
Yep, tv is no longer entertainment, it's one-way access into peoples homes and minds and the minds of children. People that are not intelligent enough to see through it (and many aren't) swallow it whole, which is a result of what Rush has been calling “the dumbing down of America”.
That's how it works, hook people in first, then cram the gayness down their throat. (Forgive the expression)
“1.8% of the population isn’t much of an audience to play to.”
Agreed. Ask J C Penneys how that worked out for them.
Goebbels would have been proud.
How about a “comedy” about “gay” zombies? That might get some ratings.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.