"New Normal" has solid debut on NBC

Andrew Rannells as Bryan, left, and Justin Bartha as David in a scene from "The New Normal."

/ NBC

(CBS News) "The New Normal," the controversial NBC sitcom about a gay couple (Andrew Rannells and Justin Bartha) trying to have a baby via surrogate mother, debuted to solid ratings this week.

The first new episode - the pilot aired during the Olympics and again on Monday - was watched Tuesday by 7 million households with a 2.5 share.

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The half-hour show by "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy was blasted by One Million Moms this summer as an affront to "the sanctity of marriage," and the NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City has refused to air it.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "The New Normal" lost some of the audience of "Go On," the Matthew Perry sitcom that preceded it. "Go On," which also debuted during the Olympics, was seen Tuesday in 9.6 million households with a 3.4 share.

Also Tuesday, NBC premiered new seasons of "The Voice," whose 11.3 million viewers was down from last year, and "Parenthood," whose ratings (1.9 share with 5.6 million households) stayed even with last year's finale.

Showing its new Tuesday night lineup ahead of the other networks, NBC emerged the clear winner in ratings. It was followed by the finale performances of Fox's summer show "So You Think You Can Dance." The dance competition earned a 1.5 share with 4.3 million households.