A ‘Modern Family TV’ miracle for sitcoms [source: Variety]
At Starbucks locations across Los Angeles, out-of-work comedy writers are polishing off their “Modern Family” spec scripts.
For the first time in a while — and definitely since the writers strike — there’s optimism in the comedy ranks. And much of that good feeling can be traced this fall to ABC’s breakout “Modern Family.”
“For morale in the comedy business, it’s been huge,” says Alphabet comedy topper Samie Kim Falvey. “All of us who love comedy and refuse to abandon it as a business feel validated.”
“Family” is one of several laffer success stories this season: ABC’s “The Middle” and “Cougar Town” also have performed well enough on either side of “Family” to earn full-season pickups, while CBS newcomer “Accidentally on Purpose” and recent NBC additions “Parks and Recreation” and “Community” have picked up some ratings ground recently.
Then there’s CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory,” which has graduated from hit to megahit thanks to its new timeslot behind “Two and a Half Men.”
But “Modern Family,” even rival network execs agree, is having a major effect on the laffer biz, thanks to what it represents: the revival of the family comedy.
…
ABC execs were high enough on the show that they picked up the pilot early, which Falvey says allowed the network and studio to cast the show well, starting with Ed O’Neill, as well as Julie Bowen, Sofia Vergara, Ty Burrell, Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
The Alphabet also gave the show an early series order, and screened the entire pilot at the net’s May upfront presentation to advertisers.
But “Modern Family” was by no means a slam dunk. The network gave the show the nearly impossible task of holding down the 9 p.m. anchor slot on a Wednesday night completely filled with new shows. And when awareness studies showed low returns for “Family,” the net shifted more marketing money to the show immediately following it, “Cougar Town.”
The net also was forced to give away “Modern Family’s” big pilot reveal: The fact that the three separate families are actually related, something that viewers don’t discover until the very end of the episode.
“We did some early research on tracking and marketing, and people were not getting how special this show was,” Falvey said. “A lot of the heart comes from understanding this is a big family unit.”
Levitan and Lloyd weren’t big fans of the marketing decision, but didn’t protest.
“They did everything you could ask for in launching the show,” Lloyd says.
Salke says she believes the show has fallen into the zeitgeist of the moment — that audiences, faced with economic woes in the real world, were looking for more feelgood fare.
“Shows like ‘Modern Family’ and ‘Glee’ have tapped into the audience’s real desire to be entertained, to laugh, cry, have fun,” Salke says. “It’s not the typical tone that you have seen.”
The success of “Modern Family” has helped populate network development reports with more family-oriented laffers. Net and studio execs say they’re also busy looking at other forms that have been missing as of late — including the modern take on a relationship comedy like “Mad About You.”
“People are looking, and saying, ‘where’s our “Modern Family”?’ ” Salke says.
[read the full story at Variety]
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MODERN FAMILY IS WEDNESDAY’S #1 SERIES FOR 2ND WEEK IN A ROW
- Image via Wikipedia
Released by ABC
Beating its Non-Sports Competition at 9pm, ABC’s Modern Family TV show is Wednesday’s No. 1 TV Series in Adults 18-49 for the 2nd Week in a Row.
“Modern Family” (9:00-9:30 p.m.)
Shooting up from its lead-in by 70% in Adults 18-49, ABC’s “Modern Family” beat out its non-sports competitors at 9:00 p.m. to qualify as the No. 1 TV series of the night for the 2nd straight week (3.4/9).
“Modern Family” is exhibiting big increases over its first-reported numbers through DVR playback, jumping by 1.2 million viewers and by an additional 6-tenths of an Adult 18-49 rating point from the initially reported Live + Same Day Numbers to the Live + 7 Day DVR finals.
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The Return of Ed O’Neill in Another Great Dad-on-the-Couch Sitcom
You know him as Al, former high-school football player* turned women’s shoe salesman, one-time scorer of four touchdowns in a single game, and reluctant head of the Bundy household for eleven years on the hit sitcom Married with Children.
After Married ended, O’Neill receded from the pop-culture spotlight, but he kept right on working, popping up in a few notable roles — like the criminally underappreciated John Hughes movieDutch and his cameo as Glen, the crazy guy who works behind the counter at Stan Mikita’s Donuts inWayne’s World. There were a few forgettable roles in there too: remember Dragnet? Me neither.
But this fall, O’Neill has returned to television on the new ABC comedyModern Family, and he’s back to doing what he does best — playing a wiseass and seemingly miserable patriarch. Shot in a mockumentary format similar to The Office, the show follows three generations of the dysfunctional Pritchett family — O’Neill’s Jay and his young Latina wife, Jay’s son and his partner, Jay’s daughter and her husband and a bunch of grandkids. It sounds like every other beleaguered-dad sitcom. But it’s not. It’s goddamn hysterical.
Read more:http://www.esquire.com/blogs/endorsement/ed-oneill-modern-family-110309#ixzz0Vw36z3VB
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Vote for Modern Family TV show — “Best new fall show”
TV.com is running the “Best of 2009” election.
Show your support and vote for Modern Family as the “best new fall show”.
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Good Job Modern Family
ABC POSTS ITS BEST VIEWER AND YOUNG ADULT NUMBERS IN 4 WEEKS
Released by ABC
“Modern Family” Hits Series Highs in Adults 18-34, Key Men, Teens and Kids
Up Year to Year, ABC is Thursday’s No. 1 Non-Sports Network in Adults 18-49.
Rankings: ABC claimed 7 of the week’s Top 20 shows in Adults 18-49, including TV’s Top 2 scripted programs with “Grey’s Anatomy” (top for 5th time in 6 weeks) and “Desperate Housewives”: “Grey’s Anatomy” No. 6, “Desperate Housewives” No. 8, “Modern Family” No. 12, “Dancing with the Stars” and “Private Practice” tied at No. 15 and “Home Edition” and “Brothers & Sisters” tied at No. 20. The Net aired 4 of the week’s Top 15 most-watched television programs overall: “DWTS” No. 5, “DWTS Results” No. 11, “Housewives” No. 12 and “Grey’s” No. 13. “DWTS” stood as the most-watched non-sports program of the week. ABC once again delivered the Top 2 TV shows for the week across all key Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54) with “Grey’s” and “Housewives.” ABC aired TV’s Top 4 freshman series during the week with Adults 18-49, with “Modern Family,” “Cougar Town,” “FlashForward” and “The Middle,” respectively.
Wednesday
ABC finished as the No. 1 non-sports network on Wednesday night among Adults 18-49 (2.4/6).
Despite going up against Game 1 of the 2009 World Series (NY Yankees-Philadelphia Phillies) on the night, ABC posted its highest-rated Wednesday in 4 weeks (since 9/30/09) among Adults 18-49, surging by 9% over the prior week (2.4/6 vs. 2.2/6). In fact each of ABC’s Wednesday series increased week to week.
With “Modern Family” and “Cougar Town,” ABC delivered the Top 2 series telecasts on Wednesday across the key Adult demos (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54).
“Modern Family” (9:00-9:30 p.m.)
Shooting up from its lead-in by 68% in Adults 18-49, ABC’s “Modern Family” beat out its non-sports competitors at 9:00pm to qualify as the No. 1 TV series of the night (3.7/9).
“Modern Family” was up week to week in Total Viewers (+7%) Adults 18-49 (+9%), hitting its best young adult number in 4 weeks since 9/30/09. Although it faced the World Series, the freshman ABC comedy achieved series-high numbers in Adults 18-34, key Men (M18-34/M18-49), Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11.
“Modern Family” is exhibiting big increases over its first-reported numbers through DVR playback, jumping by 1.2 million viewers and by an additional 7-tenths of an Adult 18-49 rating point from the initially reported Live + Same Day Numbers to the Live + 7 Day DVR finals.
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First Look: Elizabeth Banks Drops By MODERN FAMILY
We know that Elizabeth Banks is coming to Modern Family on November 18, now TVaddicts brings some pictures. In the episode “Great Expectations” she will be dropping by old-friends Mitchell and Cameron’s house to take them out for a long overdue night on the town. “We haven’t seen Sal [Banks] in a while because we’ve been so busy with the baby,” explained Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitchell) in a recent interview with theTVaddict.com, “We decide to go out for a night of drinking together and she just kind of crumbles into this heaping mess of drunken nausea.”
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Modern Family episode 7 1.07 “En Garde”
MANNY’S FENCING TOURNAMENT ENDS UP IGNITING EVERYONE’S COMPETITIVE SPIRIT, ON ABC’S “MODERN FAMILY”
“En Garde” – The whole family comes out to support Manny’s newfound interest – fencing. It turns out he’s quite masterful in the sport, but Jay’s proud enthusiasm triggers an old childhood wound for Mitchell. Meanwhile Phil is determined to find where Luke’s hidden talents lie, on “Modern Family,” WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 (9:00-9:30 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.
“Modern Family” stars Ed O’Neill as Jay Pritchett, Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy, Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy, Sof’a Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett, Eric Stonestreet as Cameron, Sarah Hyland as Haley Dunphy, Nolan Gould as Luke Dunphy, Ariel Winter as Alex Dunphy and Rico Rodriguez as Manny Delgado.
Guest cast include Alexandra Park as Caroline, Mo Collins as Denise, Nolan North as Donald Flum, Amy Landers as Krista Flum and Monti Sharp as tournament official.
[source: TV Over Mind]
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Haley’s Learner’s Permit
Somehow, Haley managed to get a learner’s permit. Despite hitting her dad with the car… and not pulling over for the cops… and driving through the park and…
[source: ABC]
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Modern Family Episode 7 – “En Garde”
The whole family comes out to support Manny’s newfound interest – fencing. It turns out he’s quite masterful in this sport, but Jay’s prideful enthusiasm triggers an old childhood wound for Mitchell. Meanwhile Phil is determined to find where Luke’s hidden talents lie, on “Modern Family,” WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 (9:00-9:30 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.
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Opposite the World Series “Modern Family” and “Cougar Town” Are the Night’s Top 2 Series in Key Adults
- Image via Wikipedia
- TV’s No. 1 Non-Sports Net on Wednesday, ABC Scores its Highest:
- Adult 18-49 Rating on the Night in 4 Weeks, Opposite the World Series
- “Modern Family” and “Cougar Town” Are the Night’s Top 2 Series in Key Adults
- Opposite the World Series, “Modern Family” Hits its Top Adult 18-49 Number
- In 4 Weeks and Marks Series Highs with Adults 18-34, Key Men, Teens and Kids
Shooting up from its lead-in by 68% in Adults 18-49, ABC’s “Modern Family” beat out its non-sports competitors at 9:00pm to qualify as the No. 1 TV series of the night (3.7/9). The ABC series won its hour, beating the World Series, among key Women: W18-49 (4.2/10) and W25-54 (4.8/11).
“Modern Family” was up week to week in Total Viewers (+6%) Adults 18-49 (+9%), hitting its best young adult number in 4 weeks – since 9/30/09. Although it faced the World Series, the freshman ABC comedy achieved series-high numbers in Adults 18-34, key Men (M18-34/M18-49), Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11.
“Modern Family” is exhibiting big increases over its first-reported numbers through DVR playback, jumping by 1.2 million viewers and by an additional 7-tenths of an Adult 18-49 rating point from the initially reported Live + Same Day Numbers to the Live + 7 Day DVR finals.
[source: TV By The Numbers]
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Going to a wedding?
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