Television writer and show creator Ryan Murphy first came to the attention of television viewing audiences with the plastic surgery drama Nip/Tuck. It is, however, with the Fox superhit Glee that he rose to prominence, quickly following it with American Horror Story and his latest series, The New Normal. Following the lives of a gay couple, their surrogate baby’s birth mother, and her mother and daughter, the show has proven to be a freshman hit in a year when both sitcoms and new shows on NBC, the parent network of the show, have tanked. At PaleyFest 2013, Murphy and some stars of the show discussed what to expect from the rest of the season.
– The baby will be arriving this season. The cast and crew promised, however, that the season finale, which sees the birth of David and Brian’s baby, will not be as expected. Nor will it veer off into screwball comedy territory either. Pressed further, Ryan Murphy revealed that one act will contain no dialogue, instead using only music to convey the emotions of the characters.
– Murphy spoke about how shows such as The New Normal and Glee, as well as Modern Family, were contributing towards the paradigm shift of public perception towards gay individuals by providing relatable gay characters on television.
– Despite the show’s success, the cast and crew confirmed that a second season was not official yet.
– Also on the docket for this season was the topic of LGBT issues in the Boy Scouts program.
– On the red carpet, Andrew Rannells, star of The New Normal, also confirmed a desire to return to the HBO show Girls, saying that “I think we’re figuring that out right now, but that’s certainly my hope.”
These, and many other details, were discussed at the panel, which can be seen below. The show airs on Tuesdays at 9:30 pm EST on NBC.