TV NEWS ON SEPTEMBER 10

http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2012/09/nbc-fall-pilot-review-new-normal-sneak.html The New Normal - Tuesdays 9:30PM ET/PT on NBC Sneak Peek Monday, September 10, 2012 at 10:00PM ET/PT and Premieres Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at 9:30PM ET/PT These days, families come in all forms - single dads, double moms, sperm donors, egg donors, one-night-stand donors... It's 2012 and anything goes. Bryan (Andrew Rannells, Girls, The Book of Mormon) and David (Justin Bartha, The Hangover) are a Los Angeles couple, and they have it all. Well, almost. With successful careers and a committed, loving partnership, there is one thing that this couple is missing: a baby. And just when they think the stars will never align, enter Goldie (Georgia King, One Day), an extraordinary young woman with a checkered past. A Midwestern waitress and single mother looking to escape her dead-end life and small-minded grandmother (Emmy and Tony Award-winner Ellen Barkin), Goldie decides to change everything and move to L.A. with her precocious eight-year-old daughter. Desperate and broke - but also fertile - Goldie quickly becomes the guys' surrogate and quite possibly the girl of their dreams. Surrogate mother, surrogate family. Ryan Murphy serves as creator/executive producer and director along with creator/executive producer Ali Adler (Glee, Chuck) and executive producer Dante Di Loreto (Glee, American Horror Story). The New Normal is produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Ryan Murphy Productions. Cast Details: • Justin Bartha as David Murray • Andrew Rannells as Bryan Collins • Georgia King as Goldie Clemmons • Bebe Wood as Shania Clemmons • Ellen Barkin as Jane Forrest • NeNe Leakes as Rocky • Jayson Blair as Clay Clemmons Justin Bartha (David) was recently seen in The Hangover Part II, the sequel to the 2009 blockbuster that became the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time. He also starred in the Todd Solondz independent film Dark Horse with Selma Blair, Mia Farrow and Christopher Walken, which premiered in competition at Venice and Toronto. In the indie drama Holy Rollers, Bartha starred with Jesse Eisenberg. The film, loosely based on the true story of Hasidic Jewish drug dealers in the late '90s, premiered in competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and went on to garner its director the Breakthrough Award at the Gotham Film Festival and the Most Promising Newcomer Award at Deauville. Bartha is also known for his portrayal of Riley Poole, partner to Nicolas Cage's character, Ben Gates, in the world-wide successes National Treasure and National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Beyond the groundbreaking comedy The Hangover, Bartha's credits include New York, I Love You, the American version of Paris, Je T'aime, and Failure to Launch with Matthew McConaughey. Andrew Rannells (Bryan) is best known for his breakout role as Elder Price in Broadway's smash hit musical The Book of Mormon, which was created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone of South Park fame along with Robert Lopez of Avenue Q. The Book of Mormon received nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, and on the Tony Awards telecast, Rannells brought down the house with his performance of I Believe. For his work in The Book of Mormon, Rannells received nominations from Tony Awards, Drama Desk and the Drama League. He also won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album for the cast recording of The Book of Mormon. Variety called his performance in The Book of Mormon "the brightest of a uniformly fine cast," and Entertainment Weekly noted Rannells as "a breakout star." Currently, Rannells can be seen on HBO's new series Girls, from producers Lena Dunham and Judd Apatow, and he will make his big screen debut later this year in Leslye Headland's Bachelorette. Named Screen International's "Star of Tomorrow," Georgia King (Goldie) has recently completed filming Austenland, a romantic drama based on the beloved novel by Shannon Hale. Directed by Jerusha Hess (co-writer of Napoleon Dynamite) and produced by Stephenie Meyer (The Twilight Saga), the film stars King as Lady Amelia Heartwright, alongside JJ Feild, Keri Russell and Jennifer Coolidge. King has also completed the role of Emma in Matthias Hoene's Cockneys vs Zombies, opposite Harry Treadaway. In 2011, King starred in One Day, as Suki, girlfriend to Jim Sturgess' Dexter. She was also featured in the hugely successful Chalet Girl alongside Ed Westwick and Felicity Jones. King was singled out for her performance in Tanner Hall, in which she starred with Rooney Mara. Her other film credits include The Duchess, Wild Child and Burke and Hare.. King's British television credits are also extensive. She has most recently completed filming Sky's new action adventure Sinbad and new multi-cam sitcom Felix and Murdo opposite Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller. She was also featured in the BAFTA-winning Little Dorrit, Merlin, Off the Hook, Jane Eyre, Shadow in the North (all for BBC), Plus One and Free Agents (both for Channel 4), Poirot and The History of Mr. Polly (ITV). Bebe Wood (Shania) guest starred as Catherine, the sarcastic carbon copy of Liz Lemon, on NBC's hit TV series 30 Rock, and later made an appearance on Veep. Born, raised and home-schooled in Kansas City, Wood became an avid theater enthusiast at a young age. Her acting career began onstage, kicking off with her Children's Chorus performance in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella at Kansas City's Starlight Theater. She has worked with Theatre for Young America, Music Theatre for Young People, and Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. Ellen Barkin's (Jane) diverse body of work spans theater, film and television with roles ranging from abusive mothers to sultry femme fatales. Barkin has had an illustrious acting career comprised of over 50 films that include Sam Levinson's Sundance winner Another Happy Day, Cam Archer's Shit Year, Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's 13, Todd Solondz' Palindromes, Antoine Fuqua's Brooklyn's Finest, This Boy's Life opposite Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, Spike Lee's She Hate Me, Tony Scott's The Fan opposite Robert De Niro, Walter Hill's Johnny Handsome and Wild Bill opposite Jeff Bridges, Sea of Love opposite Al Pacino, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Mike Newell's Into the West, Bob Rafelson's Man Trouble opposite Jack Nicholson, John Turturro's Mac, Jim McBride's The Big Easy opposite Dennis Quaid, Blake Edwards' Switch, Jim Jarmusch's Down by Law, Bruce Beresford's Tender Mercies opposite Robert Duvall and Sydney Lumet's Daniel. Her first film and breakout performance was in Barry Levinson's iconic film Diner. As a New York native, NeNe Leakes (Rocky) is known for her no-nonsense attitude, which quickly made her the breakout star of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Leakes faced Donald Trump in the Boardroom in March 2011 as a contestant on the fourth season of NBC's Celebrity Apprentice. Her charity of choice for the competition was the Atlanta Union Mission in Support of My Sister's House, a shelter for women and children who experience domestic abuse. The reality media star earned titles such as People Magazine's Diva of the Season and Bravo's A-list Award for Fan Favorite. Leakes then transitioned from her reality success to scripted television. She made her acting debut as Coach Roz Washington, a recurring role on Glee. Later she guest starred on BET's comedies The Game and Let's Stay Together. Pilot Episode: "Pilot" (September 10, 10:00PM - encore broadcast on September 12 at 10:30PM) - With successful careers and a committed, loving partnership, Bryan and David are missing only one thing: a baby. Could Goldie be just the surrogate mother they’re searching for? Directed by Ryan Murphy Written by Ryan Murphy and Ali Adler Guest Stars: Michael Hitchcock as Gary, Leslie Grossman as Melissa, Jayson Blair as Clay, Jessica Lu as Tabitha, Antoinette Abbamonte as Deaf Mom, Debbie Lee Carringon as Little Person Mom, Andrea Helene as Lady Buyer, Marieve Herington as Heather,Sara Ann Lassner as Sheryl, Kelly Mantle as Aubrey, Julie Meyer as Michelle, Ellen Ratner as 50-Year-Old Woman, Yolanda Snowball as Nurse, Michael Anthony Spady as Deaf Dad, Haley Strode as Waitress, John Vance as Juror, Algerita Wynn as Judge