TMC
06-09-2026, 03:08 AM
https://jacksonupperco.com/2026/06/03/ryan-murphys-modern-family-a-look-at-the-new-normal/
Thoughts: Three years after the premiere of Modern Family, NBC offered its own spin on the hit sitcom — or rather, Ryan Murphy’s spin. The result was a semi-autobiographical comedy focused on the most distinguishing aspect of Modern Family’s situation — the gay couple — and followed that pair’s efforts to start their own little suburban family. Similarly, The New Normal (https://web.archive.org/web/20140402224659/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/3214825-the-new-normal/?view=getnewpost) also sought to take this “non-traditional” household dynamic and make it comfortable for viewers by framing it within the context of a familiar type of show — the family sitcom. However, true to co-creator Ryan Murphy and his flashier, more flamboyant style (of Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story), his version would be more narratively high concept. That is, this show wanted to be more explicit on a weekly basis about its premised particulars — the fact that this was a gay couple starting their family in a way that, in this case, also wasn’t “traditional.”
Thoughts: Three years after the premiere of Modern Family, NBC offered its own spin on the hit sitcom — or rather, Ryan Murphy’s spin. The result was a semi-autobiographical comedy focused on the most distinguishing aspect of Modern Family’s situation — the gay couple — and followed that pair’s efforts to start their own little suburban family. Similarly, The New Normal (https://web.archive.org/web/20140402224659/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/3214825-the-new-normal/?view=getnewpost) also sought to take this “non-traditional” household dynamic and make it comfortable for viewers by framing it within the context of a familiar type of show — the family sitcom. However, true to co-creator Ryan Murphy and his flashier, more flamboyant style (of Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story), his version would be more narratively high concept. That is, this show wanted to be more explicit on a weekly basis about its premised particulars — the fact that this was a gay couple starting their family in a way that, in this case, also wasn’t “traditional.”