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“The Modern Family”, ABC’s new primetime T.V. series airing Wednesday’s a 9, chronicles an American family, who, in all aspects of the word, are modern. Created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, this half-hour series, follows the families of Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill), his daughter Clair Dunphy (Julie Bowen) and his homosexual son Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson).
Jay Pritchett is your modern re-married aging American man whose wife Gloria, looking about half his age, is the catalyst of awkward tension and cross-eyed stairs from all of the younger men. Spanish in origin, Gloria’s over-the-top appeal never ceases to draw attention, be it at the mall or her son Manny’s soccer game. Married six years, Jay and Gloria’s relationship is the product of give and take, though Jay’s relationship with his son and daughter are rather distant, as he focuses on his teenage stepson. This show also gives us the refreshing return of Ed O’Neil (star of “Married with Children”) to television because his character of Al Bundy is one of the most beloved sitcom fathers of this era. O’Neil knows how to shine on the small screen and hopefully this series will continue to showcase his talents.
Phil and Clair Dunphy are about as typical of a suburban family as you can get. Married for sixteen years and parents of three children ranging from elementary school to high school, Phil and Clair are two parents struggling to see eye to eye with their technologically savvy children. As Clair portrays the typical American stay-at-home mom, Phil prides himself as not only a successful real estate agent, but also on his intricate knowledge of “High School Musical” dance moves. This way Phil becomes the dad “who’s into the same stuff as his children” and can “relate to them.” Nerdy and attempting to be hip, Phil fails miserably, but provides a very accurate depiction of the American dad.
Mitchell Pritchett and his partner Cameron are the black sheep of the family due to their homosexual relationship. Though the family remains relatively close, the adoption of Lilly, a Vietnamese infant foster child, provides a myriad of awkward moments throughout the pilot episode. Together for five years, Mitchell and Cameron are faced with daily challenges, providing comic relief to the hot topic issue of homosexual partnership in this country.
“The Modern Family” is considered a “mockumentary.” This means that the series is set up in a documentary way, but it mocks typical American families. Another series that does this is “The Office” on NBC, but it focuses on the daily lives of the employees of a paper firm in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The new ABC series is a breath of fresh air to the monotony of reality based television and games shows littering the airwaves.
It also provides a very sharp commentary on the changing family dynamic in American society today. In years past we would not have a television shows that revolved around a re-married man and his homosexual children, but now we do. That is a good thing because it shows that television creators are responding to how our culture has changed since family sitcoms like “Leave it to Beaver” or more recently “Home Improvement.” This simply yet quirky cast breaks the mold of typical T.V. by providing something as unique as a family. Be sure and catch “The Modern Family” Wednesday’s at 9 on ABC.
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