‘A Modern Farewell’: A look at how ‘Modern Family’ won us over with 11 years of love and laughter 

We are only a few moments away from witnessing television’s legendary sitcom come to an end, as ‘Modern Family’ Season 11 will be airing its last two episodes, thus bidding its final goodbye. 

When the series first premiered in September 2009, it brought to us the unprecedented in the form of its unusual kinships, which managed to overpower far more formidable network shows at the time by breaking stereotypes and coming across as a fresh breath of air to an audience that looked forward to witnessing more progressive shows. 'Modern Family' proved to be an immediate hit with the audiences, with its mockumentary style format where the characters speak directly to the camera to share their thoughts throughout the episode. 

After nearly 11 years, today, April 8, Christopher Llyod’s brilliant creation will be airing its two-part finale, which is bound to leave you teary-eyed with its bittersweet farewell.  The hour-long documentary ‘A Modern Farewell’ which precedes the finale takes us through the journey of the show and the actors, since its inception until the very last episode. 

At the beginning of ‘A Modern Farewell’, creators Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd recollect how the idea for the comedy series was born from the notion that families have changed. Although the creators drew inspiration from their own stories, finding the quintessential cast of characters was a great challenge and the ‘Modern Family’ which entertained us for over 11 years was finalized following hundreds of auditions. 

 ‘Modern Family’ may have grown to become a landmark show,  but Ed O’Neill, who essays Jay Pritchett, the patriarch of the Pritchett household wasn’t game for it when he was first approached as he felt acting in a half-hour comedy was simply “rude at worst”. However, after watching the pilot episode, he called Eric Stonestreet, who plays the role of Cameron Tucker to firmly establish that the show would “go on for ten years”. 

While a large number of auditions led to the finalization of the rest of the cast, Phil Dunphy was written with Ty Burrell in mind.

In this revealing retrospective tribute, the actors and the crew members of the hit sitcom reveal how stressing shooting the pilot episode was, which opened to global accolades. And, soon it became a ‘Modern Classic’ which headlined every newspaper at the time when digital space was yet to gain popularity. Although ‘Modern Family’ gained immense popularity and racked award after awards, director Jason Winer owes its success to its simplicity and originality. The ABC show has been one of the most decorated comedies of the 21st century, winning 22 Emmys, including five consecutive ones for, Outstanding Comedy Series.  

The rest of the farewell special sees the beloved actors of ‘Modern Family’ reminisce their time on the series and how they became a strong knitted family from known strangers. You can see everyone reflect on how the child actors have grown, with testimonials from off-camera workers providing glimpses of life on the backlot and historic soundstage. 

‘Modern Family’ Season 11 finale will air in two parts following ‘A Modern Farewell’ on ABC.