Why we're worried: Perhaps the most groan-worthy promotional clips to emerge from the upfronts came courtesy of Ryan Murphy and Allison Adler's "The New Normal," a single-camera comedy about a gay couple who recruit a surrogate mother after deciding to have a baby. At least based on the limited footage provided, Murphy (with the help of co-scribes Adler and Katherine Shaffer) seems to have peppered the script with lines that wouldn't seem out of place in a public-service announcement ("A family is a family...and love is love," chirps the mommy-to-be at one point, immediately followed by a shot of one of the gay men lovingly grasping the other by the arm). A worthy and important message? Absolutely. Handled with all the sophistication of an After-School Special? Ditto.

Why it could still end up OK: Fans of Murphy's previous work don't exactly expect "smart" or "sophisticated" from him, just a fun time. As long as he and Adler can deliver on that front -- and perhaps nurture the scene-stealing potential of co-star Ellen Barkin (a feat Murphy actually pulled off with Jessica Lange in "American Horror Story")  -- "The New Normal" could pay off as a lightweight pleasure.