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It’s a shame that many of you may not even be aware of Modern Family simply due to the fact that it airs on Sky1 (and not everyone has access to satellite television). However, as the first season was recently released on DVD and in August it won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, there really seems no better time than right now to lend my view on why Modern Family so clearly stands out amongst the current crop of television comedies.
As comedies go, Modern Family is easy to follow (you really don’t need any prior knowledge to jump right in). The story focusses on the families of Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill), his daughter Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen), and his son Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson). Jay is married to Gloria (Sofia Vergara) and they are raising her son, Manny (Rico Rodriguez). Jay’s daughter Claire is married to estate agent Phil (Ty Burrell) and together they have three children: Luke (Nolan Gould), Alex (Ariel Winter) and Haley (Sarah Hyland). Claire’s brother Mitchell and his partner of five years, Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) have recently adopted Lily, an unbelievably cute Vietnamese baby.
One of the most obvious reasons that Modern Family is so effective (besides the writing of creators Christopher Lloyd and Steve Levitan) is because it essentially has a perfect cast. It’s easy to feel a connection to this set of characters - truthfully, I love watching every single one of them. They’re all so brilliant that any viewer would struggle to choose a favourite! Furthermore, the show has really well-cast child actors (which is such a rarity...); the kids of Modern Family are so suited to their roles that some of my favourite moments actually come from their scenes (particularly the interactions between Luke and Manny).
Modern Family also works on multiple levels (it has bits of sarcasm, irony, slapstick and many other types of comedy), which means that it provides something for everyone. The events of any given episode of Modern Family are also easy to relate to and I’m sure everybody has experienced at least a couple of these inherently funny family-based situations. (For example, Claire arguing with her rebellious teenage daughter, Phil constantly attempting to be the “cool” dad, Claire and Mitchell’s sibling competitiveness, etc.) Whilst it has many elements of more traditional sitcoms, Modern Family mixes them with a mockumentary format, giving it the capability for adding an extra dimension to any scene. In many ways, it’s like a traditional family comedy that just has a much wider scope.
Because it finds itself in the spot between tradition and innovation, Modern Family is able to become an exception amongst other television comedies. Yes, I absolutely love shows like Community and 30 Rock, but their comedy fits into a niche, whereas Modern Family creates something that is enjoyable for everyone. The best comedies are the ones that are relaxing and comfortable whilst simultaneously being able to make you laugh out loud uncontrollably - Modern Family easily does that in every one of its episodes.
Modern Family is best when shared with friends (or family). It’s the type of show that just cheers you up, and I know there’s nothing I’d rather be watching on a Thursday night.
Watch Modern Family on Thursday nights at 8pm on Sky1
agreed! 
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