Normal, Ohio
| Normal, Ohio | |
|---|---|
| Created by |
Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner Bob Kushell |
| Starring |
John Goodman Joely Fisher Anita Gillette Orson Bean Mo Gaffney Charles Rocket |
| Composer(s) |
Ben Vaughn Jeff Sudakin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (5 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Marcy Carsey Caryn Mandabach Tom Werner |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Bonter Productions Carsey-Werner Company |
| Release | |
| Original network | FOX |
| Original release | November 1 – December 13, 2000 |
Normal, Ohio is an American television sitcom, which aired on the Fox Network in 2000. The show stars John Goodman as William "Butch" Gamble, a gay man returning to his Midwestern home town. The cast also includes Joely Fisher, Anita Gillette, Orson Bean, Mo Gaffney and Charles Rocket.
Cast
- John Goodman as William "Butch" Gamble
- Anita Gillette as Joan Gamble
- Joely Fisher as Pamela Gamble-Miller
- Greg Pitts as Charlie Gamble
- Julia McIlvaine as Kimberly Miller
- Cody Kasch as Robbie Miller
- Orson Bean as Bill Gamble
- Mo Gaffney as Elizabeth
- Charles Rocket as Danny
Episodes
| Nº | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | "Don't Ask" | TBA | TBA | Unaired |
| 1 | "Homecoming Queen" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner & Bob Kushell | November 1, 2000 |
| 2 | "Foreign Affairs" | Phillip Charles MacKenzie | Gregg Mettler | November 8, 2000 |
| 3 | "Caught on Tape" | Phillip Charles MacKenzie | Jimmy Aleck & Jim Keily | November 15, 2000 |
| 4 | "A Thanksgiving Episode" | Phillip Charles MacKenzie | Miriam Trogdon | November 22, 2000 |
| 5 | "Buyer's Remorse" | Phillip Charles MacKenzie | Brad Walsh & Paul Corrigan | November 29, 2000 |
| 6 | "Working Girl" | Phillip Charles MacKenzie | Lynnie Greene & Richard Levine | December 6, 2000 |
| 7 | "Just Another Normal Christmas" | Phillip Charles MacKenzie | John Schwab | December 13, 2000 |
| 8 | "Pamela's New Boyfriend" | Phillip Charles MacKenzie | John Schwab | Unaired |
| 9 | "Forgotten, But Not Gone" | Philip Charles MacKenzie | Brad Walsh & Paul Corrigan | Unaired |
| 10 | "The Favorite" | Phillip Charles MacKenzie | Kira Arne | Unaired |
| 11 | "He Always Get His Man" | Phillip Charles MacKenzie | Gregg Mettler | Unaired |
| 12 | "Charlie's Gamble" | Phillip Charles MacKenzie | Jimmy Aleck & Jim Keily | Unaired |
Overview
The original concept for the series was an Odd Couple-style situation comedy called Don't Ask, with Goodman as "Rex", sharing his West Hollywood apartment with college friend David (Anthony LaPaglia). Although the pilot was well-received, creators Bonnie and Terry Turner felt that the premise was not strong enough for an ongoing series. LaPaglia's character was written out and the series was relocated to Ohio.[1]
The show was most notable for the divisions it exposed regarding American culture's view of homosexuality. Gamble was an average blue collar bear-type gay man, with many traits typical of American masculinity, including a love of football and beer, and very few of the traits stereotypically associated with gay men, and yet his sexuality itself was signified in part by isolated moments of more stereotypically gay behavior, such as singing snippets of Broadway show tunes and helping his sister to color her hair, that were seemingly at odds with the way his character was presented most of the time. As a result, some media outlets dismissed Goodman's role as unrealistic.[2]
Goodman won the People's Choice Award for Best Actor in a New Comedy Series, but the show was not generally a success in the Nielsen ratings. Thirteen episodes of the series were made, but only eight were aired before its cancellation. All thirteen episodes are available for view on Hulu.
Notes
- ↑ Tropiano, Stephen (2002). The Prime Time Closet: A History of Gays and Lesbians on TV. New York, Applause Theatre and Cinema Books. ISBN 1-55783-557-8. p. 252
- ↑ Maitra, Rob (1994-12-31). "Getting Back to Normal". PopMatters. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
External links
- Normal, Ohio on IMDb
- Normal, Ohio at TV.com