Harrison Burt
Reporter
In its thriving second season, ABC’s Modern Family has become the new face of network-television family comedy. Reconnoitering three types of a dysfunctional family, the show depicts the blossoming of a traditional, a homosexual, and an interracial marriage, all intertwined to create a new kind of family.
The show revolves around three families that are unified through Jay Pritchett and his children, Claire Dunphy and Mitchell Pritchett. Divorcé Jay is remarried to the attractive and much younger Gloria, a passionate Colombian woman, and must help her raise her eleven-year-old son Manny. Claire is an overstressed homemaker married to the self-proclaimed “cool dad” Phil with whom she shares three children: Haley, the popular stereotypical teenager, Alex, the overachieving middle child, and Luke, the unconventional imaginable youngest son. Mitchell and his partner Cameron had recently adopted a Vietnamese baby named Lily, and had brought her to raise in the United States.
In 2009, numerous people recommend the show to me and, after only one episode, I was officially hooked. Modern Family manages to create family scenarios that are relatable and produces a comedy that is applicable for all ages to enjoy. It is the show’s characters and overall diversity, though, that achieve millions of viewers every week. No show besides Modern Family has characters that are so comical and genuine that you cannot seem to choose a favorite.
In the climax of its first season, Time Magazine declared it to be the second best American TV series behind Mad Men, while The New York Times said that it is the “best new half-hour of funny TV in a season rife with half-hours of funny TV.” The show has been picked up for a third season, with much to live up to.
