Situational comedies better known as the sit com, has been the foundation of television scheduling since the inception of the medium. In most cases they are closer to fast than fine dining, good to help past the time but typically lacking in substance. Every so often one comes on the scene that imbeds itself into the collective consciousness of our society elevating them to popular cultural icons. Series like ‘All in the Family’, and ‘The Wonder Years’ took the hackney format of the sit com reworking it into something readily embraced by the audience and the critics. It’s been a very long time since a show meting these criteria has been on the programming lineup but a couple of years ago it happened. ‘Modern Family’ takes the sit com into this new millennium with a flair rarely seen on television. It succeeds for two exceptionally simply factors. First, it was based on the traditional premise of the classic sit com, the family. Second it transports that well established theme into the readily identifiable modern world. ‘Modern Family’ lives up to its title confident that its honest representation of the show will attract and retain viewer. So far it is in its third season and there is no sign that its originality will abate any time soon. The nuclear family of the fifties has become a fond memory and unrealistic plank in politician’s campaign platforms. The classic, Mother, Father and three children may have been a reasonably accurate model for ‘Donna Reed’ and Ward Cleaver’ but it simply doesn’t fit the current American family. This series is a hit because the humor rings true to the audience allowing them to see them and their families represented by the characters depicted here. Looking back at the sit-coms that have enjoyed the cultural embrace of the audience the best always strike a chord with the audience reflecting an acceptable truth back to those watching. It is amazing east to watch this show and recognize archetypes you can look up and see at the Thanksgiving dinner table. We laugh at the families depicted here because they are us.

The nuclear family of the fifties has been supplanted by the extended family. Step siblings, life partners and ex spouses are now common place in every corner of this nation. At the core of such a familiar unit is a center hub around which the rest orbit. In ‘Modern Family’ the center of the family universe is Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill), husband, father and grandfather. As the patriarch of the clan he is the most stable and financially successful of the lot. Not much of his business life is explored in the first season but by the look of his home and his expensive hobbies it is reasonably certain Phil does well managing his living. He is divorced from DeDe Pritchett (Shelley Long) who is, to put it mildly, bat guano crazy. She is also the mother of Phil’s two adult children Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and his older sister Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen). Currently Phil is married to Gloria Delgado-Pritchett (Sofía Vergara) mother of eleven year old Manny (Rico Rodriguez). She is a younger woman, beautiful and full of life, the typical trophy wife. Manny is a pudgy, emotional boy proud of hid Columbian heritage.

Claire is a stay at home mother just on the shy side of neurotic. As a teen she acted on her wild child tendencies, something she is trying to avoid with her eldest child, fifteen year old Haley (Sarah Hyland) who as the prototypically teenage girl is rarely seen without her cell phone in hand. Her younger sister Alex (Ariel Winter) is exceptionally intelligent demonstrated by the traditional TV indicator, glasses. She enjoys playing practical jokes on Haley and her not particularly bright younger brother, Luke (Nolan Gould). The father of this brood, Phil (Ty Burrell) is overly concerned with being the coolest person in the room and friend to his kids. His juvenile demeanor typically has Claire refer to him as the child she married. Phil is also overly competitive which usually turns out poorly for him. Claire’s kid brother Mitchell is gay in a monogamous relationship with his partner Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet). He is a big, good natured man who is obligated to help everyone he encounters. Together they have just adopted a little girl from Vietnam, Lilly (Ella/ Jaden Hiller).

The basic format of the show is a Mockumentary, along the lines of ‘The Office’. This methodology gives the characters the opportunity to break the forth wall speaking directly to the audience. This technique is used here to provide simple, efficient exposition and to smartly set up many points of humor. That is one of the defining aspects of the show; it is one of the most intelligent sit-coms to come around in many years. This is clearly demonstrated with the track record of the show’s creator’s; Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan. They were part of the success of such series as ‘Frazier’, ‘Wings’, ‘Just Shoot Me’ and ‘The Larry Sanders Show’. As good as though series were ‘Modern Family’ is hands down the best thing on their resumes so far. When you combine this expertise in smartly written comedy with a finely honed ensemble cast magic is possible. Most of the cast have been singled out for well deserved accolades but the synergy by them as a group is something incredible to behold. They sell the dysfunctional family to perfection. A significant portion of this is how they present their characters. They are not the over the top dysfunctional family we are used to seeing. Their take the dysfunction on a more subtle tack, letting the audience identify with the characters. This gentle approach lets the series excel without being concerned with the ground breaking show that it is. The series also attracted some ‘A’ list talent as guest stars including Elizabeth Banks, Edward Norton, Chazz Palminteri and Benjamin Bratt. These actors are rarely seen on television, especial half hour sit-coms but the undisputable quality made them willing to show up. It should have the same effect on viewer’s not yet loyal fans.