Modern Family
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Premieres: September 23, 9pm on ABC
Stars: Ed O’Neill, Sofía Vergara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Sarah Hyland, Rico Rodriguez, Nolan Gould, Ariel Winter (more)
Plot: An unseen documentary filmmaker shows what it’s like to be a family in 2009 from the perspective of three couples: stressed out Claire (Julie Bowen) and her husband Phil (Ty Burrell), who would rather be the cool guy than parent; Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) who have decided to adopt; and Jay (Ed O’Neill) and his Columbian bride Gloria (Sofía Vergara), who seem to be deeply in love in spite of their wide age and cultural differences.
Why We're Excited: This is easily the most enjoyable sitcom of the fall, and hands down the show with the smartest writing. Everyone in the cast pulls his or her own weight, and the producers know the difference between artful, deadpan humor and jokes that die as soon as they leave an actor’s lips. The tactic of using three seemingly very different couples to illustrate the challenges of family life allows the viewer a number of pathways into the show. But it’s inevitable that audiences will choose favorites – and Burrell and Stonestreet are stand-outs. Burrell’s Phil all but walks away with the pilot in a scene involving an introduction to his daughter’s boyfriend.
Why We're Not: If you care about good television, a little part of you calcifies every time a deserving series fails to find a foothold. With the exception of one-season wonder "Samantha Who?", ABC hasn’t been able to launch a comedy in ages – and single-camera sitcoms have an even more difficult time. Those are some serious odds for producers Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd to overcome, to say nothing of the fact that the faux-documentary conceit is far from novel these days. The best we can do is wish them luck, and refrain from emotionally investing in the show until the second episode’s ratings come in.
Trivia: Ed O’Neill was nearly cast as Sam Malone in the TV show "Cheers"; the role went to Ted Danson.
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