No laughing matter: The Catholic League blasts ABC for hiring 'vulgar bigot' Dan Savage to make Catholic-family sitcom The Real O'Neals

ABC's upcoming sitcom The Real O'Neals hasn't aired yet, but it's already ruffling feathers at The Catholic League, which took out an advert in The New York Times on Monday criticizing ABC and its parent company, Disney, for hiring 'vulgar bigot' Dan Savage as its executive producer.

Savage, a columnist and satirist, also executive produces the show, which follows a Roman Catholic family that stops trying to be perfect and 'gets real' when the parents start considering divorce and one of its sons comes out as gay. Savage, who is gay, grew up Roman Catholic.

It was his role in the production which the League seemed particularly displeased with, due to his negative remarks about the Catholic church over the years, many of which centered around the child abuse scandals that have plagued the church.

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For real: The cast of The Real O'Neals, ABC's new sitcom about a Catholic family. Columnist Dan Savage's role as exec producer sparked the ire of The Catholic League, as he has been critical of the Catholic church

'Vulgar': The League compared Savage with ex-KKK 'Grand Wizard' David Duke, calling him 'vulgar'. Savage is famous for his no-holds-barred criticisms of the church and anti-LGBT-rights figures

'For those not acquainted with [Savage] his maniacal hatred of Catholicism is so strong that it would be as though David Duke were hired to produce a shot about African-Americans,' it reads, referring to the ex-'Grand Wizard' of the Ku Klux Klan.

The advert, written by League president Bill Donohue, continues: 'That comparison is an understatement: Duke may be a bigot, but he is not known for his foul comments. By contrast, Savage [is] vulgar.' 

As a testament to Savage's alleged vulgarity, the published ad says a previous version that featured quotes from several of Savage's articles was not accepted by The New York Times because it was deemed 'too incendiary for readers' even with offending words asterisked out.

That version included remarks about various popes, Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. Most in some way reference the child abuse scandals.

However, the League's core complaint is that although the first episode of The Real O'Neils had yet to air, it felt that ABC had been more careful with its previous sitcoms Modern Family (which featured two gay parents), Black-ish (which portrays a wealthy black family) and Fresh Off the Boat, which is about a Taiwanese-American family.

'When it comes to Catholics,' it says, 'ABC delivers Dan Savage.'

Out there: Noah Galvin plays a gay Catholic who comes out to his family in the show. Savage is credited with the idea, but producers say the show 'changed during development' due to pressure from Catholic groups

Savage's actual role in the finished sitcom is not clear. Last month Deadline described the show as being based on his 'idea' about a Catholic family with a gay son, but said that the show 'changed during development' due to pressure from Catholic groups, becoming more like the channel's other 'wacky family' sitcoms.

Savage was also notably absent from a promotional question-and-answer session for the show, and another executive producer, Todd Holland, said, '[The O'Neals are] my family… except my father wasn’t as caring as Pat [O’Neal, the patriarch].' 

Holland, the article notes, is also gay, and has a husband and triplets. 

IMDB lists the creators of the show as David Windsor and Casey Johnson, whose previous credits both include ABC's edgier sitcom Don't Trust the B---- In Apartment 23.

The Real O'Neals premiere airs on ABC, Tuesday at 8.30pm.

Absent: Dan Savage was absent from ABC's promotiona; Q&A session for The Real O'Neals in December. Instead executive producer Todd Holland (back row, far left) said the O'Neals were based on his family