MODERN FAMILY

INSIDE TV’S FUNNIEST SHOW!

OBSESSED WITH MODERN FAMILY?  ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY TAKES A LOOK AT HOW THE HIT COMEDY PLANS TO STAY FLUSH WITH SUCCESS IN SEASON 2

New York – In just one season, ABC’s sweet-and-saucy mockumentary about an extended family spanning three households pulled off the near impossible:  It made “family comedy” cool.  Not only have the ratings been healthy – the show drew 9.5 million weekly viewers and has already been sold into syndication for a reported $1.5 million per episode – Modern Family is truly excelling honors at both the Television Critics Association awards and the Emmys.  “I’m new to American television, so I don’t know exactly what it means,” says Sofia Vergara of the Emmy, “but I hope it means a lot of money!”

Sounds like this is a perfect time for the stars to take a moment to believe their hype.  “I think that’s a very dangerous thing to do,” warns Ed O’Neill, sitting on a Dunphy den sofa between scenes.  “You just have to keep going until it’s over.  Then you can sit back and say, ‘Wasn’t that a nice run?’  It’s like being in a boxing match.  You’re not going to sit back and go, ‘Boy, I’m beating the s— out of him!’ because the next shot is on you, you know?  You better finish the fight.” Adds Ty Burrell:  “Everybody’s come back with their nose to the grindstone, which is incredibly comforting.  Because that would be the thing you’d worry about – we’d come back resting on our laurels or overconfident or soft…. I love that I just said ‘soft’ about a bunch of comedians.  We’re all incredibly soft.  There’s no way around that.  We’re marshmallows.  But we’re working hard.  We’re hard working marshmallows.”

O’Neill has heard raves from celebs like Helen Mirren, Larry David, and Sacha Baron Cohen; heck, Steven Spielberg flagged him down at the local coffee shop.  “I was in my car reading the paper and he knocked on the window:  ’Ed!  The show!  I watch it with my daughter!  My God, you parent like me!’  And I started thinking, ‘This show is having a strange effect on people.’” The outpourings have surprised and, at times, humbled the cast.  “I’ve done a lot of incredibly pretentious plays in New York,” says Burrell.  ”Just very heartfelt plays. And in a weird way, all the silliness on this show has been the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done.  I’ve had families come up and say, ‘This is how we’re actually getting back in touch with each other as a family.’  We’re realizing this may have a larger impact.  Obviously, we’re going to try not to bring that to work, so that we’re not doing soap opera acting in the middle of our silly little comedy.”

The story of the aforementioned Mitchell-and-Cam lip-lock (airing Sept. 29), however, became something of a soap opera in itself when a “Let Cam & Mitchell kiss!” Facebook page sprang up in May.  Still, the producers and actors insist a smooch was already in the works for this season:  “It’s nice that people care so much, but it kind of bums me out in that now it looks like we’re doing something because somebody begged us to or pressured us to,” says Eric Stonestreet.  “The [writers] wanted to tell a good story and not just make a moment out of it.  It should just be normal, natural, and sweet, and done in a really great way, which is how they’re doing it.” Agrees Jesse Tyler Ferguson:  “I thought it was really sweet that the fans were so avid about the show and wanted to see that happen…. That being said, it’s not a Choose Your Own Adventure type of show.  We have amazing writers.  And we’re not just going to give the fans whatever they want to see.”

Although there are no immediate plans to stage another Family vacation like May’s Hawaiian expedition, the actors are already mapping out possible jaunts…. But theModern Family cast members don’t need fancy trips to stay happy, especially when they realize how lucky they are.  “A lot of us are actors that struggled for a while or have been out of the scene for a while, and we’re sort of adjusting to the notoriety that has been thrust upon us with the show,” says Ferguson.  “It’s been really wild because we’re being treated in ways that we’re not used to.  We’re really trying not to get comfortable with it because we don’t want to look like we’re the new cast of Jersey Shore, lapping up our fame.”

Source: Highlights from ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY’s October 1, 2010 issue (on newsstands nationwide Friday, September 24)

See also : EW website