ABC’s ‘Modern Family’ a freshman hit
A young man arrived at Ty Burrell’s hotel room to stock the minibar and immediately recognized the co-star of the ABC comedy “Modern Family.”
He loved the show.
Thanks, Burrell replied. The man went on to quietly describe how his family gathered each week to watch “Modern Family” together, and because of those group viewings, he was getting to know his younger siblings better.
“I know we’re not curing cancer,” said Burrell, who portrays the earnest goofball dad Phil Dunphy, “but it feels nice to see people affected by the show.”
“Modern Family” is the most critically acclaimed and popular new comedy of the TV season, the centerpiece of ABC’s Wednesday lineup and already renewed for a second season. Not only does it fulfill a comedy’s central mission — provide genuine laughs — it nudges preconceptions and isn’t afraid to show some heart amid a sea of snark and irony on television.
More than heart was on display one recent evening when “Modern Family” commandeered a Los Angeles hotel lobby to shoot some scenes. Hoots and hollers from crew members alerted those whose heads were turned the wrong way that they had missed actress Julie Bowen streaking across a room clad only in a bodysuit.
Bowen, who portrays Claire Dunphy, was about to film a scene in which she’s supposed to be naked underneath a trench coat. You’ll just have to watch the episode that airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST to find out why.
Read the full story on WWLTV
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=34d1b0bc-4de1-414b-9140-8dc9560000b8)
MODERN FAMILY: ALMOST PERFECT
Television Without Pity reviewed Modern Family and criticized Julie Bowen’s character Claire – What do you think?
As Modern Family’s fantastic first season has progressed, it’s just gotten better and funnier, and its characters have become more and more likable with each episode as the show has quickly grown into one of the best on television. With one glaring exception — Julie Bowen’s character Claire. While all the characters on the show are flawed by design, Claire is the standard irreversibly shrill sitcom wife surrounded by otherwise transgressive characters. Even when she does redeem herself by letting her husband win a foot race, or begrudgingly jumping into a pool with her clothes on to satisfy the stepmother she called a gold-digger, she’s still a joyless, shrew of a woman, and that’s a damn shame.
The difference between her character’s flaws and the rest of the cast’s is that not only is there nothing endearing about her, she isn’t trusted with the funny either. Her husband is a lecherous idiot who screws up constantly, but he’s an undeniably lovable lecherous idiot, and he gets the best lines on the show. Her father is a bit backwards in his thinking, but he strives to evolve, has a dog butler, and the scene where he spared little Manny from knowing what a jerk his deadbeat dad was would forgive him almost any insensitive remark he could ever make. And Cam is an over-the-top gay stereotype who should probably offend more than he does, but c’mon, you can’t not love that bleeding heart of an impromptu Lion King musical stager. But when pressed to come up with Claire’s good points, I really can’t come up with any. If she’s not humorlessly yelling, nagging, fretting, or complaining, she’s, well, off-screen.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=18b2b0b0-f620-4ee4-88ce-8154f7c6d68c)
More reviews of “Modern Family” – “Undeck the Halls”
Alan Sepinwall from The Star-Ledger did not really like it:
Not much to say about a pretty lackluster “Modern Family” last night. At this point, it’s pretty clear that the show is at its weakest when the three family units are off in their own separate orbits
And from the LA Times:
As much as I wanted to pretend otherwise, I was severely disappointed in Fred Willard’s guest spot. I was excited when I heard that Willard would be the Dunphy patriarch; it was perfect casting. Phil fans certainly would want to see who created the lovable klutz, and Willard was more than perfect. But was Willard even on screen for more than five minutes? Through a computer worst of all! So much for the physical comedy that was sure to happen between the two. Major disappointment. Here’s hoping the short spot leaves room for more visits from Willard. If not, that would be a wasted guest spot in an overflowing list of guests that is becoming mildly overrated.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=d8f2a64a-40be-4f37-aa26-a0151e87a74f)
Top 10 Shows of 2009: The Best, and the Rest
Yet another top 10 shows list this time from the Time and of course Modern Family is in the top:
1. Mad Men
2. Modern Family
3. Breaking Bad
4. Big Love
5. Battlestar Galactica
6. Lost
7. Friday Night Lights
8. Glee
9. Sons of Anarchy
10. The Office / Parks and Recreation (tie)
Read more: in the Time
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=99c1c5ac-75ae-47a7-a751-373e9c9b6365)
Year’s best TV: ‘Mad Men,’ ‘Modern Family’
MSNBC says “Modern Family” is one of the year’s best TV shows:
Three households, all unconventional, are blended into this fall’s freshest family comedy. Ed O’Neill and Julie Bowen are among the stars perched on this sitcom family tree.
See the rest of the top shows here.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=9b2e4bc3-d181-44d8-88c9-0654d8b61c6a)
Five Reasons Why Modern Family is Television’s Best New Comedy
Checkout Paste Magazine’s five reasons why Modern Family is Television’s Best New Comedy:
1. Gay Characters Created Lovingly, Without Resorting to Embarrassing Cliché
2. Ed O’Neill
3. Effective Running Gags
4. Phil Dunphy is the New Michael Scott
5. Manny: The Little Adult That Could
Modern Family – One of the Top 10 TV series of the decade
Barry Garron from Reuters selected Modern Family as one of the top 10 TV series of the decade:
Every decade has its landmark TV shows, and there will or should never be complete agreement on which 10 series belong at the top of the list.
10. MODERN FAMILY
* ABC, 2009-present
It’s a little risky to pick a new show as one of the best of the decade, even after seeing about a dozen episodes. In the case of “Modern Family,” the risk is minimized by the track record of its creators, Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd. At a time when most new shows are just finding themselves, this one has been so consistently funny, smartly produced and crisply written that it has all the earmarks of a classic in the making.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=4455c9af-829e-4d08-9a5c-f39885673d2c)
Modern Family ABC – Laugh tracking
Boston.com has a great review of ABC’s Modern Family, here is part of it:
Maybe it was when 10-year-old Manny put down his newspaper to get another cup of espresso, like a little executive Buddha, or maybe it was when he insisted on wearing his traditional Colombian poncho to grade school, that it came to me: “Modern Family’’ is an instantly lived-in and fleshed-out sitcom. The ABC comedy arrived in September fully formed, filled with the rich inner life that usually only exists on a TV series over time. The characters are already indelible.
And that’s a rare thing, especially for a sitcom. Good half-hour comedies usually take many months to find themselves, to define their individuality (see: “Seinfeld’’). ABC’s “Better Off Ted’’ and NBC’s “Parks and Recreation’’ – both series with promise – are currently following that more familiar route, trying to discover their distinctive mojo while they’re on the air, hoping not to become just more brokedown sitcom chassis by the side of the road.
Each a member of the sitcom class of 2009 and each a single-camera show, “Modern Family,’’ “Better Off Ted,’’ and “Parks and Recreation’’ actually stand a chance of joining the likes of “Scrubs’’ and “Extras’’ in the canon. “Better Off Ted,’’ which returns for season 2 on Dec. 8, is a solid setup crying out for tweaks; “Parks and Recreation,’’ now in season 2, has just been nicely tweaked; and “Modern Family’’ is in need of no tweaks whatsoever. It is just right. They represent three marks on the map to sitcom excellence, with “Modern Family’’ already having reached the destination point.
Created by Steven Levitan (“Just Shoot Me’’) and Christopher Lloyd (“Frasier’’), “Modern Family’’ is a rare pleasure. The family dynamic among the large collection of characters feels thoroughly established, as if their histories are genuinely interwoven. Ed O’Neill’s Jay is the father – of Claire, who’s married to Phil and has three kids, and of Mitchell, who’s living with Cameron and has an infant daughter. Jay has a second family, too, with a much-younger wife, Gloria, from Colombia and a stepson, the inimitable Manny. When the three families interact, you can see all the casual intimacy, resentment, stubbornness, and forgiveness of an extended family in play.
Within the group chemistry, each character is finely etched. Among the most vivid are Cameron (Eric Stonestreet), a queeny gay man who once played football, and Gloria (Sofia Vergara), who unwittingly torments her husband with stories of her early sex life. And, of course, there’s Manny (Rico Rodriguez), the little guy who swoons over older girls and fences like a royal prince. These characters are already beautifully established, and yet you can detect the actors’ pleasure as they discover more and more about their roles with each episode.
Read the rest of the review at Boston.com
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=28f5af50-b72a-4999-9c66-b8ee217cf53c)
New Comedy Throwdown: Community vs. Modern Family
TV.com has both Community and Modern Family has the best new comedies of the season, but they are trying to decide which one of them is the best. Here are some of their thoughts:
Cast: This critical category is a tight one. Community boasts Chevy Chase, the man who once played Fletch, and Joel McHale, the man who could play him today. Add fall’s freshest faces—Danny Pudi and Donald Glover—and you’re looking at TV’s most surprising new motley crew of a cast. But Modern Family has Ed O’Neill, who is looking like an Emmy candidate right now, and adding Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Sofia Vergara, and a bushel of funny child actors only seals the deal. Point: Modern Family.
Guests/Recurring Actors: Like sexually frustrated couples, comedies need to throw others into the mix to spice things up. Shelley Long in ModFam’s “The Incident” was hilarious. It was nice to see Diane Chambers get absolutely lubed on booze and destroy a wedding. Unfortunately, Ed Norton’s appearance as Spandau Ballet’s bass player was a disaster, despite the “Fandau” gag. Elizabeth Banks was so-so, but just reminded us how much we’d rather watch Cam and Mitchell instead. On Community, John Oliver’s portrayal as Jeff’s nemesis/friend (frienemesis?) is hysterical, and I don’t care what anyone says, Ken Jeong as Senor Chang is muy awesomo. Fred Willard’s upcoming role as Phil’s dad in Modern Family could change our minds, but for now, it’s Point: Community.
The Winner: Just a second as I count the votes… it’s Modern Family by the official score of three to two! But let’s face it, we’re all winners here! Except for Community, which is slightly less of a winner. But in this race, there’s no shame in second place. Let’s just be happy we actually have “best new comedy” candidates this season. Modern Family, stop by the TV.com offices anytime to pick up your trophy.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=ad5f597a-6663-40a4-9b45-1ab876dc3def)
Worth sticking with ‘Modern Family’?
Maureen Ryan has her mid-season review of the TV shows, and this is what she has to say about ‘Modern Family’:
“Modern Family,” 7 p.m. Central Wednesday, ABC: This sterling comedy is still the season’s best new show. Sure, not every episode is as gut-busting and perfectly crafted as “Modern Family’s” best outings, but then, very few comedies on the air now can match “Modern Family” at its best. This show unites sharp-eyed observations about family life with characters who still seem believable (and believably flawed, not sitcom-fake). The best part? I can’t pick my favorite character. Some weeks it’s the dorky Phil (Ty Burrell), other weeks, I’m in stitches thanks to guest stars such as Shelley Long (Edward Norton and Fred Willard are among the upcoming guest stars). But it must be said that the delightful Cameron (Eric Stonestreet, pictured at left) steals every single scene he’s in. (My original review of “Modern Family” is here.)
Will I stick with it? Absolutely
Grade: A
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=ba5110ba-e961-49c6-8eeb-dab9f6ec784a)
Who Da Manny?
Going to a wedding?
-
-
-
-
