As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I try to add a few new shows to my television viewing schedule each fall. Some only last a few episodes (Smith, Life, Pushing Daisies) while others last for seasons (Friday Night Lights, House, CSI). If the first few episodes are any indication, I’m really hoping that “Modern Family” falls in the latter category.
It’s a complicated show to describe, but an easy show to follow. Here’s my best attempt to describe it: A middle-aged man (Jay) has remarried a much younger
The beauty of the show lies in the chemistry of the cast, as every scene seems to bring out plenty of comedy while also showing plenty of heart. The jokes aren’t superficial or crude, they’re just really funny. Most of the laughs come from the normal interactions between family members rather than one person hating on another. Most comedies these days resort to cheap jokes or sexual innuendos to get a laugh out of the audience. “Modern Family” succeeds in bringing humor to real situations that seem perfectly plausible. Disagreements between in-laws, awkward moments in front of family members, naïve assumptions; they’re all in play as the family bickers in a loving sort of way.
Phil and Jay are my favorite characters. Phil attempts to be the “cool dad” while using slang or behaving in a way that is abnormal for his age is hilarious. Some of his phrases are inherently quotable (i.e. to Claire: “the whole point of keeping it real is taking it to the next level. Did you really not know that?”), and provide humorous scenes week after week. We’ve all had moments when our parents tried to be cool or say something to us that sounded completely weird coming out of their mouths, so it’s funny to see that caricature acted out on TV. Jay, played by Ed O’Neill, who starred as Al Bundy on “Married With Children”, is the rich old guy who is set in his ways to a t. There are plenty of times where he seems agitated by the whole gang yet tries to get over it to support them…and fails to do so. His performance resembles an older, crankier Al Bundy, which is perfect for the role.
The other night, my roommate’s girlfriend and I were watching TV while he was in his room studying (he’s in law school so he’s kind of a big deal). When I asked her if she wanted to watch the episode of “Modern Family” that I’d recorded, she said she’d give it a try (she’d never seen it before). Less than a minute after I started the recording, she was laughing out loud. Phil’s antics, Lily’s cuteness, Jay’s grumpiness, and Mitchell and Cameron’s back-and-forth banter had her rolling. Once the episode was over, she asked, “when does the show come on? I need to add it to my DVR.” I’m confident that if you watch just a single episode you’ll be hooked just like she is now.
Oh, and for the record, “Modern Family” airs Wednesday nights at 9 pm on ABC. Thank me later.
~~ Lank
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