Phil Dunphy is a loving husband/devoted dad who dreams big while making the most out of the little things in life. Claire is his grounded, responsible, regimented (but in a good way) wife. These two are the perfect mix when it comes to raising their three way-different kids. Haley is the independent, eye-rolling teen. Middle sister Alex is wise beyond her years. Little brother Luke, well, isn't. At least, that's what he'd like you to think.
Claire's gruff, no-nonsense dad, Jay Pritchett, married a much younger Colombian beauty named Gloria. Her passion for life has rubbed off on her young son Manny, who marches to the beat of his own drum, usually in a burgundy dinner jacket. Jay has done the parent thing with his two adult kids and is currently enjoying Round 2 as dad to Manny. Round 3 is just around the corner now that Gloria has announced there's a new baby headed their way!
Jay's lawyer son, Mitchell, embraced a major life change when he and his carefree, trophy wife partner, Cameron, adopted their super-cute Vietnamese baby, Lily. They're learning all the parenting ropes as they go. Attempts to adopt another child haven't panned out. Fortunately, they have the loving support of their extended, eclectic, funny family to keeping them going strong.
TV’s #1 Family Comes to Blu-ray and DVD September 18
Modern Family is a progressive show, featuring
three unique familial structures and highlighting real-life problems that
normal families face. In this feature, we will explore the evolution of
television’s ‘modern family,’ from the Ricardos to the Bradys and the
Huxtables, all the way through to the Pritchetts/Dunphys.
Join TV’s #1 family for another hilarious and
refreshingly original season of Modern
Family, winner of eleven Emmy® Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series
two years in a row! As the extended Pritchett/Dunphy clan faces an uproariously
unpredictable array of family vacations, holiday hassles, troublesome in-laws,
and surprising secrets, they still somehow manage to thrive together as one
big, loving family — even as they drive each other absolutely insane! Season
Three features a hilarious gag reel and never-before-seen couch confessions
that will make you laugh out loud and remind you why viewers and critics alike
have fallen in love with this thoroughly Modern
Family.
The Ricardos (1951)
The
Ricardos, of I Love Lucy fame,
entertained families from 1951 to 1960. I
Love Lucy was groundbreaking in its time for a few reasons. First, the show
was the first scripted show to be filmed in 35 mm film. Second, and maybe more
importantly, it was one of the first sitcoms to feature a pregnancy. Lucille
Ball became pregnant and made the radical decision to write the pregnancy into
her show. This was obviously deemed controversial at the time as the network
forbade the writers from using the word “pregnancy,” and they instead had to
use euphemisms for the term.
The
Bradys (1969)
The Brady Bunch aired from 1969 to 1974, permanently engraining
their theme song in the minds of generations of TV viewers. As many people
know, The Brady Bunch was unique for
highlighting a blended family, which was especially important in the late ‘60s
and early ‘70s as divorce rates began to rise. Despite this, the network
wouldn’t allow the circumstances of the demise of Carol Brady’s first marriage
to be mentioned on the show, even though creator/producer Sherwood Schwartz
wanted Carol to be a divorcée. Despite this, The Brady Bunch still helped open doors for blended families and
single parents on network television.
The
Bunkers (1971)
All in the Family, one of America’s most iconic sitcoms, had its
groundbreaking original run from 1971 to 1979. All in the Family was so unique due in part to its main character,
the working class bigot, Archie Bunker. The show was able to address real
issues like racism, homosexuality, women's liberation, the Vietnam War,
menopause, impotence and more. Shows on network television were not previously
able to poke fun at or even mention
these issues, so having a show that injected real life issues into it was a
great triumph for sitcoms as a whole.
The
Huxtables (1984)
The Cosby Show originally ran from 1984 to 1992, and almost
single handedly revived the sitcom genre! The
Cosby Show was unique first in that it featured an affluent African
American family (Cliff was a doctor and his wife, Clair, was a lawyer). This
helped pave the way for shows like The
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Second, the show was based partially on Bill
Cosby’s standup acts, which centered on his family. Other shows, like Everybody Loves Raymond, would later
follow this unique format.
The
Conners (1988)
Roseanne, which ran from 1988 to 1997, revolved around a
working class family from Illinois. Like All
in the Family, Roseanne dealt
with taboo topics, like poverty, drugs, race, domestic violence, social classes
stratification and more in an open and honest way. Aside from dealing with real
issues, Roseanne also featured a more
realistic-looking cast, including a mom and dad who were overweight, and a
strong female figure who challenged the typical role of women in the household.
Perhaps because of this realism, the show was one of the most-watched shows on television
during its nine season run.
