Review

  • 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.