Skip to content
MovieCove
Modern Family

Modern Family

One big (straight, gay, multi-cultural, traditional) happy family.

2009–2020Ended11 seasons250 episodes~22 min/epTV-PGMidcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan is a wonderfully large and blended family. They give us an honest and often hilarious look into the sometimes warm, sometimes twisted, embrace of the modern family.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Modern Family?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Modern Family streaming on Disney+, Hulu and Peacock and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Subscription

New

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Modern Family?

Modern Family earns 10 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of shows.

Show 2 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Cast

Reception

Is Modern Family worth watching?

Modern Family's Midcredits score is the 96th percentile of all shows, from 554K ratings across 2 sources. 92% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

96th percentile

Better received than 96% of shows

96th percentile among Comedy95th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)93rd
Approval (how many liked it)96th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

83 /100

93rd percentile of all shows

95th percentile among Comedy92nd percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

92% liked it

96th percentile of all shows

96th percentile among Comedy96th percentile among 2000s
92% rated it 7–108% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

99th percentile

550K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Comedy99th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 17% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The show had a strong, original first half but lost its spark as it dragged on.

Fans praised

  • brilliant ensemble cast with perfect chemistry
  • sharp, witty writing with layers of humor
  • heartfelt portrayal of family love and acceptance

Detractors panned

  • declined into stale, repetitive storylines after early seasons
  • characters became exaggerated caricatures, especially the kids as adults
  • later seasons felt forced and unfunny

What stands out

ActingDivisive90

phenomenal ensemble, especially Ty Burrell, Sofia Vergara, Ed O'Neill

DialogueDivisive85

clever, witty, layered humor especially in early seasons

CharactersDivisive80

memorable and relatable initially, but many became one-dimensional or unlikeable later

HumorDivisive80

genuinely laugh-out-loud initially, but later became repetitive and cringey

Emotional impactDivisive80

genuinely heartfelt moments, especially in early-mid seasons

OriginalityDivisive75

fresh mockumentary format and diverse family setup, but grew formulaic

Plot and storyDivisive70

relatable family stories early on, became recycled and predictable

PacingDivisive70

tight episodes early on, but later seasons felt rushed and repetitive

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s even
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Episodes

11 seasons

Season 11 · 2019 · 18 episodes · 7.3 average across 18 rated episodes

  • S11E1

    New Kids on the Block

    Sep 25, 201923 minTMDB rating 7.2
  • S11E2

    Snapped

    Oct 2, 201923 minTMDB rating 7.0
  • S11E3

    Perfect Pairs

    Oct 9, 201923 minTMDB rating 7.2
  • S11E4

    Pool Party

    Oct 16, 201923 minTMDB rating 7.4
  • S11E5

    The Last Halloween

    Oct 30, 201923 minTMDB rating 7.4
  • S11E6

    A Game of Chicken

    Nov 6, 201922 minTMDB rating 7.1

Watch experience

What is Modern Family like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and charged — a slow-burn watch that leaves you feeling good.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
JoyfulWarm
Heaviest: throughout
Register
WarmPlayful
Told as
Frame story · 3% of shows: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe show plays its family chaos with affectionate humour, balancing farce and heartfelt moments without undercutting its characters.
The rideThe show consistently delivers light-hearted, comedic, and heartwarming moments across its run, with only occasional dips into more sentimental or dramatic territory, maintaining a fairly even emotional register.
StructureThe show is presented as a mockumentary, with characters periodically addressing the camera in interview segments, creating a frame-story structure.
Episode formatMost episodes are self-contained comedic vignettes, but the series maintains a consistent serialized undercurrent through character development and family milestones.
Season formatThe show typically follows the three families through a season-long span of a year (school years, holidays, etc.) with each season presenting a new overarching set of character challenges and life stages.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Feel-goodFun
Why it leaves you this wayThe show leaves the viewer with a warm, affectionate feeling about family and laughter, making it both feel-good and fun.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Comedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12% (this title): Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% (this title) · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Comedy: Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony. · Comedy of errors: Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.

12% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeEach typical episode revolves around misunderstandings and mistaken assumptions among family members, resolved with a warm lesson, fitting the comedy-of-errors archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% (this title) · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsMarriage · 2% of showsComing of age · 9% of shows
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe show is fundamentally about the complexities, humor, and love within an extended, blended family, exploring how different generations and family units support, annoy, and ultimately cherish each other.
StanceThe show celebrates the messy, chaotic, and ultimately loving bond of family, finding humor and heart in everyday conflicts and quirks.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticStylized realism
PopOrchestral modernJazzBackground music · hybrid
SettingThe interconnected suburban homes and workplaces of the Dunphy, Pritchett, and Tucker families in contemporary Los Angeles.
MusicThe cheerful, bouncy theme song and light-hearted score underscore the comedic and warm tone.

Content guide

Is Modern Family okay for kids?

TV-PG

Modern Family is rated TV-PG. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (7/100), sexual content at mild (33/100), language at mild (32/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at minimal (7/100). Overall it is heavier than 26% of TV-PG shows.

Ratings in 23 other countries
  • UK12
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • France16
  • Ireland12
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil12
  • Austria12
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandS
  • Hungary12
  • IndiaU
  • LTN-7
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands6
  • PhilippinesG
  • Portugal12AP
  • RO12
  • Russia12+
  • SingaporeR21
  • Spain13
  • Switzerland12
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 9% of all showsHeavier than 26% of TV-PG shows
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
light for a TV-PG show
heavier than 10%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a TV-PG show
heavier than 59%
Profanity
Mild
typical for a TV-PG show
heavier than 58%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a TV-PG show
heavier than 59%
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
light for a TV-PG show
heavier than 6%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is drug and alcohol content, heavier than 59% of TV-PG shows.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Modern Family have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Modern Family?

Cast

6 award-winning performances in the cast.

Ed O'Neill
as Jay Pritchett
SAG win: Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sofía Vergara
as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
SAG win: Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Julie Bowen
as Claire Dunphy
Emmy win: Primetime Emmy — Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ty Burrell
as Phil Dunphy
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
as Mitchell Pritchett
SAG win: Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Eric Stonestreet
as Cameron Tucker
Emmy win: Primetime Emmy — Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Rico Rodriguez
as Manny Delgado
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Nolan Gould
as Luke Dunphy
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Sarah Hyland
as Haley Dunphy
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ariel Winter
as Alex Dunphy
SAG win: Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
newcomer then · star now

More like this

What are shows like Modern Family?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Modern Family include Step by Step (1991), Malcolm in the Middle (2000) and Are We There Yet? (2010).

Like this, but

Explore by

What other shows share a tag with Modern Family?

119 other shows share the rarest tag below, kind of show: mockumentary. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.