A situational comedy can either go very wrong or can be a massive hit. Some lie in the middle of this spectrum and are forgotten by the viewers after the first watch itself. It’s not always easy getting it quite right because comedy is very hard to write as well as act. The certain delivery it requires isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and a lot of sitcoms become monotonous with their jokes and are dragged unnecessarily after a point (B99 we’re looking at you).
Modern Family has topped the charts when it comes to all these things. Not only does it have brilliant actors who excel at delivering their dialogues the right way, without ever making it cringe, it is also spectacularly written and never fails to make the audience laugh. Still, if you’re wondering whether you should watch the show or not, here are 5 reasons why it’s the greatest sitcom of all time and deserves your attention.
Incomparable Chemistry among the Actors
While a lot of shows give us characters with excellent chemistry, it’s mostly always limited to a few characters. Either a potential couple or a bromance or a group of friends. But few achieve the almost impossible feat of every actor having brilliant chemistry with all the other actors. And when we say this, we’re not leaving out even a single character. Alongside this, the show also gives room for the characters to mature and grow, and their dynamics with other characters keep changing for the better.
The family dynamics are portrayed brilliantly because not only do we get to see the conflicts but also their resolutions, which are always handled well and with tongue-in-cheek humor. And even the kids are all unique and hilarious in their own ways, which is quite a refreshing sight from the usual sitcoms which fail to show us the dynamics of adults with the kids that well. Moreover, all the sibling relationships and growth definitely make us want to get extra tissues while watching, for the happy tears of course.
It’s Progressive but not in a cheeky way
The show started during the time when comedies could still poke fun at political topics without facing any backlash. And while the show never shoved identity politics in the audience’s faces, it still managed to get the point across. And the way they tackled it was not only unique but always funny. Like when Cam and Mitchell tried to out-diverse a lesbian couple to get their daughter into a fancy pre-school.
In its final years, the show ran head-on into woke themes and it never felt forced. We weren’t subjected to any monotonous lectures but instead, the show poked fun at the new changing world and acknowledged it in its own way.
The Mockumentary Style
What’s better than the characters telling us exactly how they feel after getting snowballed with a disastrous situation? The mockumentary style has been perfected by another sitcom, The Office, and not so surprisingly Modern Family did not disappoint either. This show is referred to as being “told from the perspective of an unseen documentary filmmaker”, and by the family interviews, the looks given to the camera by the characters, we’d say this unseen filmmaker is having a gala time.
This style also explores the realistic and honest humor in the series and the clever editing makes it all the more worth it.
Outstanding Writing
As much as the credit goes to the cast for bringing the vision to the screen so brilliantly, the writers, the people behind the camera deserve countless awards if not all, for their witty, sharp, and genius writing. A lot of instances in the show are inspired by real-life incidents in the writers’ lives so to mould these in a way that fits our beloved Pritchett and Dunphy clan so well, is an art in itself. There is not a single episode that fails to make you laugh multiple times and we can’t say the same for the other sitcoms.
Phil Dunphy
If all reasons fail, then you should just start watching this show right this moment for this beloved goofball of a character, Phil Dunphy. The world’s greatest and coolest dad, no doubt, we’ve all wanted Phil as our own father at least once during the entirety of this show. He’s sure to give you ‘daddy issues’ but only in an awkward and hilarious way.
His obliviousness to reality makes him the most comical character, and that one step on the staircase that he’s always ‘about to fix’ adds character to his character. And how can we ever forget the book of Phil’s osophy. He adds a new meaning to the word ‘family’ and we cannot imagine anyone other than Ty Burrell acing this role.
