This was published on April 8, 2020, at 3:30 a.m. After 11 seasons, 250 episodes and 22 Emmys ” Modern Family” signs off with an emotional series finale. As the years wore on and critical reception for the show became more mixed it might have been easy to lose sight of the incredible impact Modern Family had on broadcast television when it debuted back in the fall of 2009.
It arrived at a time when family sitcoms were generally considered a relic of the past and immediately re-energized the genre. Presented in mockumentary style, it also addressed changing social norms of the time and the diverse makeup of the American family, and gave ABC a huge hit to build around.
And in cam and Mitchell, it broke ground with a depiction of a gay couple looking to adopt a child. Putting a gay couple in the forefront and having them be an integrated part of the family and not leading with the fact that they are gay meeting them when they are at this moment in time when they’re bringing home a child and becoming a new parent for the first time, it’s something that’s incredibly relatable to so many people, gay and straight and nonbinary, Ferguson said. I think it was revolutionary back then and I don’t think it’s as revolutionary now, which I think is a great thing.
The actor insists it was important also that Cam and Mitchell weren’t a picture-perfect couple. I think that the flaws of a relationship are more interesting than a perfect relation. I think that more relatable, he said. No one turns on the TV to see people having a perfect life.
It and other aspects of the show obviously worked. Modern Family won the Emmy Award for outstanding comedy series in each of its first five years tying Fraiser for the most ever. But it’s time to bid adieu to the Dunphys, Pritchetts, and Truckers.
