Modern Family turned out to be a big hit for ABC and, after its first season, managed to snag an Emmy for Best Comedy Series. The complete first season came out this week on DVD.
The Show
I cannot begin to describe how much I love Modern Family. It’s not necessarily comparable, and most of you are probably tired of this comparison, but I love it in the way that I loved Arrested Development. There’s not a single character on Modern Family that I don’t like, that I couldn’t stand to watch. I have to admit, Phil is my absolute favorite character, followed quickly by Cameron, but I like them all, from the guy formerly known as Al Bundy to Luke, the Dunphy’s youngest kid.
What I love most about Modern Family is that it’s not a traditional sitcom with a laugh track or studio audience. I know it’s not the most recent show like this, but I do appreciate that aspect. Instead, it’s real and it’s awkward. It’s also funny and touching. The couch confessionals (soon to be adopted by another ABC show, No Ordinary Family, which is also terrific) can often be the best part of the show. They’re consistently hilarious and they work in the overall context of the series.
The individual actors on Modern Family understand what a lot of other actors don’t – that perfect delivery can take an amusing line and turn it into something really funny. Whether it’s Julie Bowen’s dry wit as Claire or Sophia Vegara’s exaggerated accent and smile as Gloria, the actors are always spot on in their delivery. The first season resulted in some really stand-out episodes, but my favorite was the Valentine’s Day episode – particularly the exchange in the bar between Claire and Phil, who were engaging in a little role playing.
My fellow writer Michael said to me earlier today that Modern Family is always great, even when it’s not at its best, and I definitely agree with him.
The DVDs
All of the first season episodes are contained in the 4 disc box set. Bonus features appear on each DVD – primarily deleted/extended scenes and extended couch interview scenes. These features appear for nearly every episode and they’re very amusing. “Before Modern Family” is a featurette where the various cast members discuss their acting history and we even see scenes from their audition tapes for the show. In “Fizbo the Clown”, Eric talks about his love of clowns and how the character on the show came about. “Making of Family Portrait” is a behind-the-scenes look at the season 1 finale. “Modern Family Hawaii” is a behind-the-scenes look with the cast and few about filming on location in Hawaii. Finally, there’s a gag reel, which is funny, but unfortunately plagued with an annoying “bloop!” noise between each mistake. That’s the only flaw I can point out in this box set.
The Bottom Line
Modern Family is a really, really funny show and you should be watching it if you’re not already. It deserved its recent Emmy win and if you’re just getting into it now, then you should get this DVD.
Go enter our contest to win Season 1 of Modern Family on blu-ray!
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