Modern Family Episode 8 Spoilers

November 17, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Episodes 

Modern Family Episode 8 Spoilers:
This week, Manny reveals an inappropriate crush on his cousin, which leads Jay to use dog-obedience techniques on him. Meanwhile, Ed Norton plays Claire’s anniversary present to Phil, and Elizabeth Banks appears as Mitchell and Cameron’s first baby.

And here is some spoilers for the Benjamin Bratt episode coming soon:
Ty Burrell talks about Benjamin Bratt’s gig as Manny’s long-lost father, Javier: “Javier is playing irresponsible, and they all have their tête-à-tête about it, but you don’t leave thinking anybody is a bad guy. We start to actually like Javier a little bit, and I think he’ll probably be recurring.” As for Phil, he’ll be under the weather during the episode, passing a painful kidney stone.

[source: E!]

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Modern Family Review on Slant Magazine

November 10, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: reviews 

Slant Magazine has a review of Modern Family TV show; here are some parts of it:

In ABC’s Modern Family, the funniest new sitcom of the season, the titular family is an extended one. Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen play Phil and Claire, a suburban couple with three children; Claire’s father has recently married a much younger Latina bombshell and Claire’s gay brother has just adopted a baby girl with his partner. A lesser show would have focused on the nuclear family, with wacky interludes and complications brought on by the unconventional secondary characters, but what is refreshing (and truly modern) about Modern Family is how all of its characters are given equal time and importance. And by extension, how all of the actors are given an opportunity to shine in their respective roles.

It’s a testament to the strong writing that, six episodes in, my favorite character has changed several times. Ty Burrell has been consistently funny as Phil, a cheerful dad completely oblivious not only to the embarrassment he causes himself but to the embarrassment he piles onto his wife and children. As he says to the camera at one point (the show is shot in the faux-documentary style of The Office): “Claire likes to say that you can be part of the problem, or part of the solution, but I happen to believe that you can be both.” He delivers the line with pride, yet the endearing way he causes problems, then tries to fix them, makes him both the fleeting heart of the show and its most clichéd character.

Other standouts include Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet as new parents Mitchell and Cameron. Neither is defined by their gayness, but they are not made to act straight to prove a point either. Mitchell is buttoned-up and anxious while Cameron is big and boisterous, a man who loves to eat, loves football, and who presents his adopted daughter to a family gathering while wearing an African robe and playing “Circle of Life” from The Lion King. My current favorite character, however, is Manny (Rico Rodriguez), the 11-year-old son of Gloria (Sofia Vergara), the new wife of the family’s patriarch (Ed O’Neill, both gruff and decent). Manny is an old soul, a kid who drinks coffee to honor his Colombian heritage, and who would rather have a heart-to-heart with Claire than play with her kids.

Read the full story at Slant Magazine.

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A ‘Modern Family TV’ miracle for sitcoms [source: Variety]

November 7, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: reviews 

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 Even Funnier Than 30 Rock – E! says

November 4, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: reviews 

E! finally admits what we already know – “Modern Family” is the best show on today.

Here are some things they found about Modern Family:

Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet, who play Lily’s proud gay papas Mitchell and Cameron, tell us why you won’t be seeing much of their darling adopted baby in upcoming episodes:

Jesse: We have been writing around Lily a little bit because she is a child that cries a lot. We have to remind the writers that we do have a baby. And we have to remember that.
Eric: Yeah, we’ve each gotten emails from people, viewers watching, going—
Jesse: “Where was Lily when you jumped in the pool?”
Eric: “Where was Lily when you went to Costco?”
Jesse: The answer is always, “She’s always napping. She’s very, very sleepy.”
Eric: Yeah. Our baby is the most rested child on TV. Like, our kid is going to really take her young toddler years by storm.
Jesse: I think in seven years when we have the toddler of Lily, she’s just going to be the character who’s just like–[fake falls asleep, snores]. What? She’s narcoleptic.
Eric: She likes to sleep a lot.

The transcription of this interaction might not really do it justice, but suffice to say this cast is just as funny in real life as they are on the series.

Take, for example, Julie Bowen (Claire) talking about the hotness of her “mother” Sofia Vergara(Gloria):  “She’s a modern marvel of architecture.”

And what about Julie’s hubby, Phil? He certainly has a wandering eye. Will he cheat? “You get married,” Julie says. “You don’t die. You can still see other people. Anybody that sees Sofia and doesn’t acknowledge she’s attractive is just lying. It’s just a line between whether or not you’re going to do anything about it. I think Phil (Ty Burrell) establishes himself as a very loyal, good guy. I think Phil would never cheat. He wears his schoolboy impulses right on his sleeve. You see it all.”

As for the money question that anyone who’s even just seen a poster for the show asks: Why in the world is Sofia Vergara with Ed O’Neill (Jay)? Sophia tells us: “Gloria’s attraction to Ed is that she’s in this time of her life that this is perfectly what she needs. You know, a stable guy, that he’s responsible, he’s there for her and the kid, he’s already stable. He has wisdom and she’s an immigrant in this country and her husband before was this crazy playboy…Javier. It’s perfect for her to be with Ed.”

When asked what Gloria sees in Jay, Ed puts it a little more succinctly: “Money.”

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3 Life and Love Lessons From ‘Modern Family’

October 28, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: reviews 

Your Tango wrote an article about love lessons we can learn from “Modern Family”:

Lesson One: Trust your partner, even in sticky situations. He/she has your best interest at heart—no matter what.

Lesson Two: Be yourself. No matter whom you’re trying to impress.


Lesson Three: Support your loved ones, even when it’s a challenge. 

Read the whole story at : Your Tango
modern family

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Ty Burrell on ‘Modern Family’ and Getting Hit in the Head With an Airplane

October 28, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Actors 

AOL TV blog has an interview with Ty Burrell, who plays Phil Dunphy the “cool dad” on ABC’s breakout comedy ‘Modern Family’. Here are some parts of the interview:

This is the third show you’ve done with Christopher Lloyd. What do you think is working this time?
I think that there’s something — if I must be so pretentious to use this word — something in the zeitgeist of this style of show. I just don’t think we’ve seen a family comedy sprung this way. Chris and Steve [are] getting to write jokes that don’t have quite as much pressure on the punchline. But I also think … that they built this incredible machine — a structure to the show of the three families. It’s so open-ended and so infinite as far as having possibilities for storylines without exhausting them or having the well run dry. Each storyline ends of being five or six minutes apiece per show, and it’s a perfect construct in the age of the Internet and five-minute videos. For [Chris and Steve], the funny part isn’t the issue. The real stroke of genius, and I just bow down to their ability, is how they built the vehicle of the show. These folks love each other even though they’re constantly messing up or stepping on each other or hurting each other’s feelings. It’s not so snarky that it keeps you at arm’s length.

The mockumentary format is popular these days with shows like ‘The Office’ and ‘Parks and Recreation.’ What about this style has been hardest for you as an actor?
I would say you have to pace yourself in a way. ['Modern Family'] is a very drawn-out process. The preparation at night has been really learning how to get your sleep, how to get my rest and prepare properly so that you’re basically ready every day. The cool thing about the form, if you have some ideas, you can throw it on the wall and see if it sticks. I don’t want to lose that spirit and I think that’s one of those things that’s made me want to come in prepared every day so I have the energy to want to add things and not just getting into a place where you’re punching a clock. Luckily, I’m playing a guy who is so well intended and such a positive force while he’s wreaking havoc.

Shelley Long was fantastic.
Yeah, she was amazing. We have an episode with Elizabeth Banks and Edward Norton and they’re both hilarious in it.

How was that plane flying into your nose simulated?
[laughs]. Well it was me out there hamming it up with nothing, and then they brought in the plane and flew it into a green-screen head. So, believe it or not, it was a blast. I’d stayed up the night before practicing my falls on my bed like an eight-year-old boy. It’s the pure essence of why this job is so good — a 48-year-old man bouncing on my bed at one in the morning.

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Modern Family Episode 6 “Run for Your Wife” Pictures

October 27, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Season 1 Episodes 

Modern Family Episode 6
Modern Family Episode 6 “Run for Your Wife” – It’s the first day back at school for the kids and, at the Dunphy house, Phil oversteps when he misreads how Claire is coping with an empty nest. Over at Jay’s, he and Gloria are in disagreement over Manny’s interesting choice of outfit for his first day of class, and Mitchell and Cameron freak out after Lily gets her first bump on the head.
Modern Family episode 6 -1

Modern Family episode 6 -1

[Source: Daemons TV]

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Ty Burrell Is A Talking Dog [source: TV.com]

October 22, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Actors 

You may recognize Ty Burrell’s face from any number of his movie credits — The Incredible Hulk, Dawn of the Dead, National Treasure: Book of Secrets — but he’s really caught our eye as the bumbling Phil Dunphy on ABC’s hysterical new comedy Modern Family. Ty took some time off the set to chat with TV.com about his character and the show.
TV.com: Break down your character, Phil Dunphy, for us.
Ty Burrell: Luckily he doesn’t require a lot of psychological complexity. The easiest description of Phil is he’s a dog that can talk. He’s just this incredibly well-intentioned guy and he means so well, he’s so eager to please, and he’s so loyal, but he has no idea [what's going on] — the level of obliviousness is so much fun to play.
What is it about Modern Family that has made the show so easy for the audience to connect to?
Primarily it has to do with a warmth that the creators have built into it. They wrote a smart, sophisticated single-camera show that manages to bring people [in]. A lot of single-camera shows have been very smart and I’ve loved them, but they’ve kept a certain part of the audience at arm’s length because it’s hard to get past the irony and snarkiness. The genius of [creators Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan] is that they have built these three families that really love each other even though they’re constantly teetering on the brink of catastrophe.

I think the child actors do a splendid job on the show, which is part of what makes Modern Family work so well. Kids can make or break a family sitcom.
It’s totally true. It’s an under-appreciated aspect of all sitcoms, but I hope these guys get the attention they deserve because they’re uniformly great actors and really fun to be around. I would argue they are the funniest people on the show. It’s been really eye-opening for me, because I haven’t worked with kids this much. To be honest, they’re much more experienced in the profession. They’re all telling me union rules. I basically just know where to stand and talk.
There were rumors that your pal Ed Norton is making a guest appearance.
He is going to be on the show, we filmed it two weeks ago. He plays this former bassist for Spandau Ballet, but he tours by himself to make money, and all he does is play the bassline and sing background vocals.

Ed O’Neill is fantastic on the show. Is this his comeback role?
The thing about Ed is that what [Married with Children] did for him was gave him opportunity to turn down other work. We see a lot of people take work because we need to pay bills. If we haven’t seen Ed much, it’s because he doesn’t have to take anything he doesn’t want. He’s done the stuff he has been doing, the David Milch and David Mamet stuff, it’s really stellar work. He’s such a good actor. On the show, I love the relationship with Phil and Jay. He’s the perfect patriarch for this family because he’s so grounded and his performance is so grounded. It’s a great thing because there’s a range of personalities in the families, from bigger personalities to more demure personalities, and I think he grounds the show perfectly.

Can you sum up the difference between Phil and his wife Claire’s parenting styles?
Claire has a parenting style. That’s the difference.

[source: TV.com]
Modern Family

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Modern Family’s Ty Burrell Talks with E!Online

September 30, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Actors 

E!Online has an interview with Ty Burrell, otherwise known as ultracool, hipster dad Phil on ABC’s new hit “Modern Family”.
Ty on Phil: “Phil is a dog who can talk. He’s this well-intentioned guy, superearnest. His tail is always wagging when anyone comes home as if he thought they were never going to come back. And yet at the same time, that tail is knocking crap off the tables, you know?”

Ty Burrell Modern Family

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