For your possible tv viewing pleasure this fall NBC is offering up a much needed diverse mix in comedy that showcase LGBT characters. This Fall NBC is debuting freshman comedy The New Normal featuring a gay couple looking to expand their family. The show’s frontrunner, Ali Alder, wants to inform viewers this show isn’t just about a gay couple.

“We’re not intending to be political –We intend to be an emotional and character-driven show, and these are very personal stories that are very relatable regardless of gender or sexual orientation. It’s about your humor, I think, and your ability to be self-aware.”

When discussing the reaction the show has been getting from angry mother groups and the religious right, Adler feels a central character played by the incomparable Ellen Barkin, who’s the mother of the gay couple’s surrogate, will reflect America’s more conservative views:

“What’s exciting about this — and there are a lot of polarized viewpoints in this show — is that we hope to present a very inclusive platform. To me, we do a lot of point-counterpoint, and Ellen’s character in particular represents a lot of people’s, in many ways, valid opinions, aside from the racism. Her conservative beliefs are something that a lot of people feel, so we feel proud to be able to represent that. Forget about the racism — that’s just her own character quirk. But we do like to be able to show everyone’s opinion. This is not a show about gay people. It’s just a show about people, and hopefully everyone can look in and admire something or see something familiar to them. Regardless of what their own experience is, it’s familiar because it’s really just a family that cares about each other.

I personally don’t see how racism is a quirk or how someone’s hateful views on same sex couples are seen as valid but it may be a poor choice of words. MAY BE. It is possible that is the point since Ellen’s character has a weekly verbal sparring with Real Housewives of Atlanta NeNe Leakes to showcase that.

Co-Creator Ryan Murphy, who’s also the frontrunner for Fox musical comedy/drama Glee and FX American History Story, echoed Adler’s sentiments that this show is more than about a gay couple when he was questioned about the reaction the new show got from 12 angry bitter uptight hateful mothers One Million Moms;

“We certainly pitched the gay couple,” Murphy said. “But we also talked about what’s it like to be a single mother. What’s it like to be a single woman in your ’50s dating again. We fell in love with the characters … Everybody has people in their family who are represented in all of these characters.”

Overall. the reviews are mixed with some calling the new comedy try-hard to others professing the new show as must see TV. Judge for yourself this Fall starting September 11 at 9:30 EST.