Utah Affiliate Axes Gay-Themed NBC Sitcom

Mormon-owned station's move 'blatantly homophobic': Ellen Barkin

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 27, 2012 11:50 AM CDT

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Utah Affiliate Axes Gay-Themed NBC Sitcom — This image released by NBC shows Andrew Rannells as Bryan, left, and Justin Bartha as David in a scene from "The New Normal," premiering Sept. 11, 2012. (AP Photo/NBC, Trae Patton)

A Mormon Church-owned NBC affiliate won't be airing the network's new show about a gay couple because it's "excessively rude and crude," Gawker reports. The New Normal, which tells the story of the couple having a child through a surrogate, "feels inappropriate on several dimensions, especially during family viewing time," says Salt Lake City's KSL-TV. New Normal star Ellen Barkin blasts the move as "blatantly homophobic," tweeting: "So L&O SVU (rape & child murder) is ok? But loving gay couple having a baby is inappropriate?" (Read more NBC stories.)