Modern Family: A Poor Man's (Attempt At) Arrested Development?
Modern Family is one of the most hyped new shows this fall. Did you watch last night's premiere? The show follows three tiers of a (modern) family. There's the middle-class long-married parents of three incipient-teenage children. There's the grumpy patriarch who has remarried a much-younger, "fiery" hispanic woman. And there is the gay son (of the patriarch, brother of the mom) and his gay partner, who have just adopted a baby from Thailand. The cast is decent. The whole thing is filmed in the overused mockumentary style of our time, but the mockumentary style is overused because it works pretty well. The show seems to have pretty much everything it needs to be a great show.
So why isn't it?
For one thing, Modern Family is a pretty fucking grandiose title for a TV show. Even All in the Family, a sitcom that purported to (and succeeded at) capture a historical moment in the development of American life played a little coy with the title. I mean, seriously? For one thing, there are millions of families that are not anything like this family, so you can relax with the sweeping relatability. Second of all, this is not a "modern" family. It's a "contemporary" family. They're completely grounded and entrenched in the world we live in now. People on the show are not especially open-minded or forward-thinking. A few of them are minorities, which I guess still counts as modernity? In 2009?
Speaking of the minorities: I think as smart, thoughtful people engaged with the world around us that we can stop being so proud of the world's sluggish progress by hard-fought inches. I read somewhere that Modern Family is the first TV show that features a gay couple adopting a baby. That's great. But that doesn't make the show important or even particularly daring. What it does is show that we as a nation are ridiculous and small and mean. Just because something gross is going on (the systemic and aggressive discrimination against gay people) doesn't make every tiny nod in the opposite direction a stunning breakthrough. We can do better than a gay couple on a brand new sitcom adopting a baby (for the purposes of making lots of jokes about how gays would decorate a nursery [SPOILER ALERT: they would decorate a nursery very GAY] and how gays self-righteous speeches about equality are annoying interruptions on otherwise enjoyable heterosexual plane rides). The whole thing reminds me of Kanye West thinking that he was doing the work of a SAINT by going on TV a few years ago and saying that hip hop was too homophobic. Uh, hip hop IS too homophobic. You're not a hero for saying that, you're just a person who knows facts. I'm NOT advocating for a sitcom that goes the extra activist mile and makes big bold political points. No one wants that. But I am saying that we can tone down the congratulatory rhetoric.
Anyway, the show does have some good points! I think Ty Burrell is pretty funny in it!
And there was one joke at the end of the episode that has gotten a lot of press, which I suppose is fair, because it is a very funny joke, and one obviously after my own heart.
But it was difficult to watch this show and not feel like it was a watered-down Arrested Development. The punchlines were a little softer, the pop culture references a little broader, the family dynamics a little less acidic. It was like Jay Leno Presents The Arrested Developments. But we already had an Arrested Development, and it was great. The fact that there is a slightly (or more than slightly) worse one now seems like no cause for celebration. And if this show turns into a huge commercial success where AD failed, it will be another reminder that this world was not made for us. I'm not saying I want this show to be canceled in order to prove some kind of larger point that no one even cares about. I hope this show has a long and successful run, and I wish the best for everyone involved. Millions of dollars and a Sea-Doo in every hot tub.
And if for some reason this show does not work out, there is always money in the banana stand.
Posted by Gabe at 11:00 AM in New TV Shows
Tags: Ed O'Neill | Eric Stonestreet | Jesse Tyler Ferguson | Julie Bowen | Modern Family | Sofia Vergara | Ty Burrell
Lots of Love for the Dawn of the Dead remake dude.
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I have not watched this, but I love Jesse Tyler Ferguson in absolutely everything he does. (Which is really not enough.) I'm afraid I'm the only person who remembers The Class, probably because it was not excellent or even necessarily very good, but he was a shining star in that as well. I hope this does better!
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I remember The Class, and as sitcoms go, it wasn't too bad. Had some laffs (mostly generated by Jesse Tyler Ferguson).
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I watched this show and enjoyed it a ton. I don't think it's fair to compare it to the brilliant, genius of Arrested Development. Nothing will ever compare to AD (cue Sinead). I'm a huge AD fan and didn't think of it once while watching. I don't think they are trying to BE AD. I think they are trying to be a funny, clever sitcom, which I think they've accomplished. It was WAY better than all of those other sitcoms with the chub/stupid hub and the hot wife. By escaping that all too familiar set up, in tv terms, it is a "modern" family.
Score = 8
wait, Ed O'Neill is still working?
Also, yes, I signed up just to post this. Hi everyone!
Score = 12
I'm pretty sure Arrested Development was about 20 years ahead of its time. Which is why I propose to cryogenically freeze myself for a couple of decades while 30 Rock and The Office gradually alter American television sensibilities to something more aligned to my own tastes. Goodbye, world!
Oh wait, Top Chef is still on.
Score = 3
What was the joke in the last clip that has gotten press? Also, aside from the flamboyant gay husband, these characters don't seem nearly wacky enough to compare the show to Arrested Development.
Score = 4
I read somewhere that Modern Family is the first TV show that features a gay couple adopting a baby. Michael Ian Black and Ken Marino's characters on Reaper adopted a baby girl last season -- which marked the only time I ever liked Michael Ian Black.
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You'de probably like him in wet hot american summer when he's fucking bradley cooper in the ass because he's being gay and i guess if he's being gay you like him. that would also probably make gabe focker happy because yay, gays!
Score = -8
yes, gabe's new name is gabe focker
Score = -8
No, I'm the only person born in the '80s who hated that movie.
Score = -1
michaael ian black and ken marino were on reaper?! ugh do i have to start watching reaper now?
also, what about the cops on AD who adopted julia louis-dreyfuss's client's baby?
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Yeah, Gabe, I gotta challenge you on this one... it's not trying to be AD. It's pretty original on its own and I thought it was laugh-out-loud funny all the way through, and it's nice that it had heart. I don't see marks of Jaylenofication on the show anywhere. Why the face?
Score = 3
I'll continue to watch this show solely for the the character of Manny, Ed O'Neill's stepson.
Score = 1
There's no need to dissuade people from watching this when the real killers are still at large. (Namely Cougar Town.)
Score = 7
Yeah but this show seems to be about 3000% better than what I imagined based on the subway ads that I've been contemptuously sneering at for weeks. Is it at all possible that Cougar Town will also exceed expectations (currently at zero)??
Score = 1
Cougar Town was awful. Just plain horrible. And the son from Aliens in America is in it, which can only mean they canceled Aliens in American. That's a double whammy of :(
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I will never watch this.
Not because I care about Arrested Development and the integrity of comedy television.
Rather, I will not watch this due to the previews. The shit looks plain shitty and unfunny.
Oh man, Ed O'Neill plays the old guy married to the spicy young latina, and HE CAN'T GET OUT OF HIS LAWNCHAIR AT THE SOCCER YAW HAHA YAW YAW YAW
Shut The Fuck Up, This is trash.
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I agree with you about the previews, but the show ended up being hilarious.
P.S. it's too bad the second clip gabe gave us stopped 2 seconds short of Ed O'Neill's borderline racist character saying "won't that be pretty hard for her to say?" (Lily)
Score = 2
I think the modern/contemporary distinction you're making is a little too hair-splitting. From just a descriptivist standpoint, 'modern' does mean 'contemporary' in everyday usage (and "Contemporary Family" sounds really clunky). To me, the title is reminiscent of "An American Family," the PBS documentary from the '70s. I don't know if this is intentional or not, but there are some similarities there.
Score = 8
You're really trying to have it both ways here, Gabe. Gay people not having equal rights is disgusting, but a mainstream show integrating gay characters into everyday life with a child is trying too hard? If you're NOT advocating for a sitcom that goes the extra activist mile and makes big bold political points than you don't bitch about the show's politics either.
Score = 6
I agree with Gabe - TRYING TOO HARD. I mean 4 lead men? Everyone knows you can make a perfectly great sitcom with no more the 2.5 men.
Score = 32
I'm surprised that so many people agree with this! I've always found 2 1/2 men to one of the most dull, lazy, and unfunny shows out there! Downvote away.. I'm not trying to be argumentative.. just my opinion.
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No one will downvote you because no one here likes that show. Jokes!
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I agree with, Gabe (wow) on pretty much everything. Arrested Development did it already and was clearly superlative. And sure, having a gay couple who is adopting a baby is something we've never seen before, in mainstream programming anyway - also the fact that one of the gay dad's is overweight, I mean typically we've always seen gay guys as these body obsessed, gym bunnies. Obviously good things as far as visibility goes, but are we really ready to give this show every Glaad award just because it features gay characters. Now, hopefully the show does some good and represents in a positive, non-stereotypical light.. but from the clips I saw, I'm not so sure. (Granted, I have not seen the full episode) Like when the gay couple is talking about scary pregnant lesbians? OH, the gay guys are afraid and grossed out by lesbians - how original. During the run of that first episode, did we see the gay couple lying in bed together or even hold hands or peck on the lips? Like I said, haven't seen the full episode, so maybe I'll be surprised.
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I'll never watch this show because I believe it airs on ABC, a channel that has a long history or corny programming. If it's not corny already, I feel certain that it will be soon.
Score = -2
You refuse to watch comedy on ABC?
So you refuse to watch Better Off Ted?
:(
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i actually do watch better off ted. it's all queued up on my hulu. but i've never caught it on abc. so you got me there. one for abc!
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Agree with you there completely. The only quality shows on ABC that didn’t pander to mediocre tastes were My So Called Life and Pushing Daisies, both of which they killed prematurely. So eff ABC. I swore I’d never watch that channel again until Pushing Daisies came along, and I’ll wait another 15 years before I even think about get into another one of their shows.
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Seriously you guys, Better Off Ted is a pretty damn fine sitcom. Have you given it a chance? You should give it a chance!
Also.....I get what Gabe's saying, but this is a pilot; of course it's trying too hard! I thought it seemed fairly promising, and I'll certainly give it a few weeks before writing it off.
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"if this show turns into a huge commercial success where AD failed it will be another reminder that this world was not made for us." This made me :( a million times.
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You ask too much of a sitcom pilot, Gabe. It was funny! And it had Ed O'neill in it! That is reason enough for me to wish it success.
I think you just don't like it because it mocks self-righteous speeches. We understand. You can't turn it off; it's who you are!
Score = 8
I only made it through the first 12 minutes before I shut it off. I agree completely with Gabe. I did not catch one funny joke or anything apprising a joke. Clueless dad tries to use slang? Old rich man married to fiery latina? Teenage daughter gets yelled at for being underdressed. The whole thing save for one scene -- the bb gun shooting -- felt predictable and trite.
Score = 2
I didn't watch this show last night, but even seeing previews for it I felt that it was going to rip off Arrested Development. Thanks for letting me know, I'll come back now and then to get the scoop on the new shows.
Score = 0
since we're discussing A.D. for whatever reason,
at the risk of being down-voted, "sit down, shut up" has greatly improved.
we should watch it now.
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It's still on? That's good; I always thought it had potential.
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No, I'm the only person born in the '80s who hated that movie.
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I would like to watch a whole show of Ty Burrell accidentally shooting people with a BB Gun. It would be called Modern Accidentally Shooting With BB Guns starring Ty Burrell, and it would be ninety minutes long, and it would be great.
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Sorry, I meant Contemporary Accidentally Shooting With BB Guns
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Agree totally, Arrested Development was an amazing show, but I also understand how some people (even people with normal to high levels of intelligence and reasoning) just didn't get what was so great about it. I think AD was more of a 'blow your mind' kind of comedy, whereas this show is more middle ground, LOL stuff. Either way, wouldn't the world be a better place if we could like all kinds of comedy?
Score = 2
I kept thinking it was an ersatz Flirting WIth Diaster.
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I was initially excited, the way I always am about these things, at the prospect of maaaybe, just maaaybe having some gay characters on tv who's being gay is not seemingly their defining characteristic and the inherent source of all their humor (they've got a baby! and one of them's a fat guy!) but the ads pretty much dissuaded me from that assumption. I think I have to stop being so naive and accept that most of america will only accept a gay man if they can tell right away and/or he can redecorate their living room.
Score = 3
Painful confession: while not great, I found this show's pilot more enjoyable than Community.
Score = 2
Welcome to Preachygum, where only straights can be made fun of.
Score = -2
Bitch, please. Sexman gets made fun of constantly.
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louis ck must not be on this show.
Score = 2
Love that WTF joke, my mother in law used to sign off her emails with LOL, thinking it meant Lots Of Love.
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Were all the cultural references made to Disney properties? Is Spiderman going to move in next door in episode 2?
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Way to get "thailand" and "vietnam" mixed up there. It doesn't look to bad. It's giggle-funny! Plus we're talking ABC, here; where most shows go to die.
...sorry I'm still chokesobbing down some Piehole pie.
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Marry me! I agree with Gabe 100% The show is banal and idiotic.
Bring back AD.
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Marry me! I agree with Gabe 100% The show is banal and idiotic.
Bring back AD.
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Sorry...double post.
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the writing for the gay characters was bad. and they were mean to lesbians. boo! everyone loves lesbians!
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Keith and David adopt 2 kids in the fifth season of Six Feet Under, and that was in 2005.
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I thought it was really funny. I'm going to give it a chance. If anybody missed it, you can catch it on Fancast.
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I totally agree. I just recently got into Arrested Development(but i've seen all of the episodes more than once, so I'm not clueless). When I first saw the preview for this show, my mind immediately shot to A.D.
So I just decided to stay away from it...
but today my friend linked it to me and told me it was hilarious.
So I watched.
& every freaking thing that I saw, I was just amazed by how much it reminded me of A.D.
I mean, The one mom even screamed, "COME ON!" Just like GOB does!
& Yes, It could very well be a coincidence, but pft. I don't care.
& the dad(the one that married the young latino woman)? George Sr. All the way. He even SOUNDS like him a little.
What's next, we're going to find out that he gets arrested and has a twin brother?
Ugh. No thanks ABC.
I want A.D. Back.
Score = 0