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93 reviews in total

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162 out of 211 people found the following review useful:
The Evolution of Comedy, 15 October 2009

Author: heartion from United States

For those still in withdrawal from the cancellation of Arrested Development, let me write you a prescription: Modern Family.

The comparisons are obvious and with good reason. The postmodern comedy for the 21 century was ushered in by The Office(UK) and Arrested Development, but I, for one, doubted something could come along and satiate my longing for another truly, original comedy.

Albeit, you may initially be wary to see yet another mockumentary-style show, but by the end of the pilot, you'll be smiling/laughing way too hard to stay cynical. Thus far, the plot lines have been really fresh and the characters are so, for lack of a better word, lovable. This show fulfills all my comedy needs, and I feel like I must resort to the listing of relevant adjectives: Witty, dry, smart, outlandish, silly, clever, cute, sarcastic, subtle, not-so subtle. HILARIOUS.

I hate to say it, but the laugh tracks and raw goofyness of classic sitcoms like 'Seinfeld' and 'Friends' are obsolete and leave something to be desired. You will find that something in Modern Family.

And who knows, maybe some of the more painfully funny and poignant scenarios will reveal insight into the changing dynamics of both the modern family and modern comedy.

Great f_cking show. Period.

And let's get it right this time around: don't cancel good TV shows. Pretty please?

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111 out of 146 people found the following review useful:
Wow. Hysterical., 12 August 2009
Author: dashfast from United States

Give this show a chance. I really kind of watched it against my will, but figured I'd give it a shot. I bet out of a hundred pilots, I would like maybe one - this was that one. I literally laughed out loud at numerous parts - the way that it comes together is interesting / well-done - each couple has an interesting balance - great dialog (IMDB won't let me spell it with a "ue" at the end) - original characters - I'm impressed.

I don't think I've ever seen ABC come out with something in this vein. Normally their shows are a bit watered down, but this is edgy and as fresh as anything I've seen hit network TV. I know that comparisons to Arrested Development will be frequent, but I think that this has more structure. The characters aren't as wacky, but they're more believable and easier to sympathize with in my eyes. Tremendous acting, great kid actors - I forwarded the pilot to a bunch of people already, and I feel lucky that I got to watch it before it came out officially.

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97 out of 127 people found the following review useful:
Pilot Episode: Engaging, Witty - I Shall Be Watching More, 24 September 2009
Author: Topher-Liam Froehlich from United States

Modern Family

I'll keep my comments short and sweet.

I found this show to be incredibly funny. Not to sound at all cliché, but several times I was quite literally, laughing aloud. It moved at a great pace, the dialogue was sharp, pointed and delivered note-perfectly.

The characters were all likable, interesting personas, and did not seem built from clichés (well maybe the clueless Dad is a stereotype, but he was presented so well, he might have been my favorite character). The entire cast gave great performances and they all seemed very natural; by that I mean, they seemed not to be reading dialogue but improvising lines - they appeared as human beings and not caricatures.

This show uses what is fast becoming the overused setup of 'mockumentary' however, I felt it was not over-done here and did not distract.

I loved the setup and hope this show delivers from its second episode onward. Grade: A

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86 out of 112 people found the following review useful:
Smart and Funny, 22 October 2009

Author: bob-dow from United States

Modern Family is one of the best shows on TV in 2009.

It's written by smart and funny people. It shares some DNA with Arrested Development and Fraiser, but has a little bit more heart.

6 episodes in and I am still impressed and still laugh out loud.

I usually avoid ABC because their programming in years past has been terrible and vanilla. Happy to see they have taken some chances on this show and hooray for them, it seems to be finding an audience and critics love it too.

I usually hate shows with little kids in the cast... they usually end up getting used as cute crutches when writers run out of ideas, but Modern Family has been giving the kids sharp dialogue to match the grown ups.

The gay Mitchell and Cameron couple are portrayed honestly and they are hilarious.

The very underrated Ed O'Neill is pitch perfect as the grouchy but soft family patriarch. Sofía Vergara who plays his Colombian trophy wife is excellent and very funny in what could have been written as a terrible bimbo role.

I wasn't sold on Ty Burrell as the dad who tries too hard to be cool after the pilot... but he's a slow burn, and now it works.

Julie Bowen as the slightly off kilter mom adds an anchoring charm to the mix.

Every person on this show gets good lines, and the quality is holding up... I hope they win a boatload of Emmys.

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57 out of 77 people found the following review useful:
Best show in years, 20 October 2009

Author: lisawilson11 from United States

I just want to say that I love this show!! It is good family entertainment. I believe all of us can relate to someone in it or have a relative that can. For those of you who only saw the pilot (which I watched by accident and loved)please don't give up on it, it is really good comedy. I can't decide who my favorite character is, Cam, Phil...all of them, each week another one cracks me up. I rarely watch TV but this one has me hooked. I agree that the format is much like The Office, which I also think is funny, but the shots to the camera, the expressions are some of the best parts. We have all of the shows on dvr because my daughter and I usually can't wait till the next Wednesday to see it again! Again...Best show in years!

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61 out of 86 people found the following review useful:
The funniest, most believable comedy in years, 19 November 2009

Author: ToddTee from Southern California

Because I have not one, but two, DVRs I'm able to give all the new shows a chance, which I did with "Modern Family". Am I ever glad I did!! I have found that everything about this show is believable. Though the situations that occur during any given half-hour show would obviously never all happen in that short a stretch, I have no difficulty in believing that they would all happen. I never feel that anyone's exaggerating to draw a laugh or milking a laugh. It's just the only "laugh out loud for the whole show" on TV today. It is, IMHO, the funniest show since MASH, and that's saying some.

There are some parallels to another of my favorites, the little appreciated "Arrested Development", "Modern Family" has its own unique flavor; and the flavor is . . . hilarious!!!

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52 out of 70 people found the following review useful:
Well written--real laughs, 22 October 2009

Author: mareller-1 from United States

When I saw summer promos of this sit com I thought it looked forced and very predictable. As Cam would exclaim, "Surprise!" It is well cast, written, and consistently laugh out loud funny. The documentary camera bit is actually as well done, no, even better than one of the best, The Office. I recognized most of the talented adult cast, they have great chemistry, and it was so hilarious when Shelley Long guest starred as the ex wife. But it is the kid actors on the show who are amazingly well directed in their parts- Manny, as a son, stepson, brother, uncle, and cousin is a hoot: he can wisecrack with the best of them, and then break your heart when dad isn't able to fulfill his promise for the weekend. I always thought Steve Levitan did agreat job with "Just Shoot Me", on NBC and I think he and ChristopherLloyd have got a hit show for ABC. Take a look at this so ABC won't cash in on some more ridiculous reality shows.

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53 out of 75 people found the following review useful:
One of the best TV comedies to hit the air for a while, 15 October 2009

Author: tetrafunk from United Kingdom

I saw the trailer for this show a while back and was instantly intrigued. Shot in a "mockumentary" style it follows the lives of three couples who's various members are related as family members. Although the set-up is slightly cliché, a gay couple, a stereotypical family and a Columbian wife and son (from her first marriage) with her American husband, this is where the standard ends. The dialogue is fantastic and at many points I found myself really laughing quite loudly, something which is very rare for a TV show to accomplish for me personally. The casting is also spot on with the inclusion of Ed O'Neill (the infamous Al Bundy!), Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen and Sofía Vergara, with each actor really bringing something unique to the mix. I strongly recommend this show to anybody who appreciates good comedy, the "to-camera" sections of the dialogue have a very close resemblance to the original UK version of "The Office" and for those who are familiar with this, Modern Family will be a welcomed return. Great show, great acting, great script. Highly recommended.

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49 out of 73 people found the following review useful:
Laugh-out-loud ensemble comedy; a "The Office"/"Arrested Development" hybrid (almost...), 26 October 2009
Author: Jimmy L. from Upstate New York

I decided to check out "Modern Family" after hearing all of the critical praise about it. The show was five episodes in, so I caught up on the action online. And I must say that the acclaim is well-deserved. The show is nothing like what I'd imagined when I read about it. It is not a typical three-camera sitcom and it actually IS as gut-wrenchingly funny as people say.

With any modern TV comedy, people are going to compare it with "Arrested Development", which is highly regarded as one of the greatest shows ever by many. "Modern Family" is not quite "A.D.", but I can see why some people may compare the two.

"Modern Family", like "Arrested Development", is a comedy about a wacky extended family that is filmed in a quasi-documentary style, similar to "The Office". The characters don't acknowledge the camera, but they do contribute "talking head" segments to supplement the action. The show is less cartoony and surreal than "Arrested Development" or "30 Rock", but the comedy can still get pretty off-the-wall.

The ensemble cast is great. There are three branches of a single family. The patriarch (Ed O'Neill) has re-married, bringing a Colombian-born wife and her son into the fold. The daughter (Julie Bowen) and her husband (Ty Burrell) have three kids. The son (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and his partner (Eric Stonestreet) have just adopted a Vietnamese baby. The show focuses mainly on the parents and how they raise their families and interact with each other in today's society.

My favorite character is Phil (Burrell), who plays the dad who tries to be "hip". He means well, but he's really kind of a wimpy husband. Phil's always putting himself in awkward situations (without always realizing it) and some of his lines are hilarious. He tries so hard to be the "cool dad". Next I like Cameron (Stonestreet), who's gay and proud of it. He's sensible and sensitive and he has some great lines, too.

Although I haven't really connected with the show like I have with some others (just a matter of personal style), there's no denying that "Modern Family" is an above-average comedy. It's written well, with humor sewn throughout the fabric of each episode, and each episode packs some laugh-out-loud moments. And I say this as someone who rarely actually bursts into audible laughter. (Occasionally, with shows like "A.D." or "30 Rock".) This show does it, though. Phil, in particular, has me in stitches.

To give you a comparison, I'd say "Modern Family" is like a cross between "The Office" and "Arrested Development". Presented more like the former, with humor and content drifting more toward the latter. More grounded in reality than "A.D.", though, and without some of the triple-entendres and zingers.

The show finds windows to sneak in some wholesome family morals like togetherness and acceptance, but the episodes always end with a laugh.

But the rumors are true. "Modern Family" IS a very funny new comedy. Check it out on ABC or ABC.com if you don't believe me. (Or wherever else it's available.) It definitely should be on your radar.

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39 out of 63 people found the following review useful:
A surprise hit!, 12 October 2009

Author: tacticalguy from United States

I wasn't sure about this show. I liked Ed O'Neil and wanted to see him succeed in another comedy. I talked my girlfriend into watching the pilot episode and we laughed uproariously. The casting was so good. Ed O'Neil's delivery is absolutely pitch perfect. Ty Burrell is annoying but, in the perfect over-compensating way that you would expect from a dad who feels his Life has aged while he has remained a teenager. Julie Bowen manages to under play her role as Ty's annoyed and insecure wife. Sofia Vergara is absolutely gorgeous as O'Neil's younger, Latina wife. Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet are hysterical together. The show ties together so well each and every episode.

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