Modern Family

Seasons: 9

Years: 2009 - 

Characters: Jay Pritchett, Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, Joe Pritchett, Manny Delgado, Claire Dunphy, Phil Dunphy, Luke Dunphy, Haley Dunphy, Alex Dunphy, Cameron Tucker, Mitchell Pritchett, Lilly Tucker-Pritchett

Quick Synopsis: Three different, but relate families face trials and tribulations in their own uniquely comedic ways. 

Creators: Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd 

Pilot Episode: 

The show opens by introducing Claire and Phil Dunphy in the kitchen, with Claire shouting at the kids to come downstairs and Phil busying himself, causing Claire to drop the food. From this we can tell that it is a chaotic family, with the mum running around late and the kids not really listening. Haley is introduced next telling her parents to just text her and she is wearing a slutty outfit. Claire disapproves with what she is wearing and tries to get Phil to agree who doesn't pick up on it. The next child is Alex who informs her parents that Luke got his head stuck in the rails on the stairs and Phil saying he will handle it, insinuating that Luke usually gets himself in tricky situations where his parents need too help him.

The next family we are introduced to is Jay and Gloria. Gloria is seen shouting and being loud, like your stereotypical Spanish woman with an accent, and encouraging Manny to play football and threatening the other mums who are saying mean things about Manny. Jay is sitting down reading a newspaper and uninterested in what is happening.

Next character introduced is Mitch who is holding a baby they just adopted and showing it off like a proud father. Then Cam walks onto the plane holding all the baby stuff, acting like the woman of the relationship with his comments. Next we see the men find themselves in an awkward situation when Mitch accidentally mistakes a womans comment about the baby being about two men adopting. He makes a big announcement on the plane only to be proven wrong and that nobody actually cares.

Claire is trying to act like the relaxed mum but in reality she is not. When Haley brings a boy over she makes them keep the door open. Also, when Luke shoots Alex with a BB gun she makes Phil shoot him back to teach him a lesson. But, the klutz that Phil is ends up shooting nearly the whole family.

Manny is seen as the romantic type by confessing his love to a sixteen year old with a poem and flowers. Jay is married to a younger woman and feels pressured to act and dress younger after someone mistook him for Gloria's father.

Pam is over the top character by having him and Mitch painted as angels above Lilly's bed, and when he introduces Lilly to the family he plays the Lion King theme song. Mitch avoids issues and this is shown with not only Pam saying it, but also the fact that he did not tell him family that they were adopting because he did not want to hear their negative remarks.

Why does it successful? 
It is a show that is set post-2000s, with the single camera, documentary style format and the multicultural storylines, making it a 'modern' sitcom. Its a modern version of a family with Jay marrying someone younger than him, a gay couple and their child and Claire being 'the man' with Phil being more the 'woman'.

It features relatable storylines and characters; neurotic Claire, accident-prone Phil, buttoned-up gay Mitchell, flamboyant Cameron, easygoing Jay and spicy Gloria. Their far fetched storylines though worked as they are usually based on real-life scenarios of the writers making it believable yet funny..

The show was developed by the idea that all families are crazy, and this made up family does exactly that with moral as well. The focus on one side is of the Pritchett's and the dissimilar people they chose to marry and how they go about raising their children. The show follows the formula where the couple face a different problem each week and must overcome their obstacles, and no matter love and family comes above everything else.