Modern Family is one of the hottest sitcoms on television right now. Since its debut in September of 2009, it has been one of those “water cooler” types of shows. It seems to have fans that cut across age groups and lifestyles. Perhaps this is because Modern Family includes so many different types of characters.
The heart of the show is Ed O’Neill as Jay Pritchett, the patriarch of the family. He is married to a Colombian woman named Gloria (played charmingly by Sofia Vergara), and together they raise Gloria’s son Manny (Rico Rodriguez). The rest of the cast is outstanding as well, and it includes Jay Pritchett’s children from his former marriage to his ex-wife, De-De, as well as their families.
Since the show’s debut, it has been nearly unanimously praised by the critics. Every one of the first three seasons has been reviewed positively. Those people who were not fortunate enough to see the show as it aired now have the chance to catch the first few seasons of Modern Family DVDs. They are stuffed with extras, and are wonderful for fans who want to watch their favorite episodes over and over again.
Modern Family DVD Season 1
The first season of Modern Family DVD came out in September of 2010, just in time to promote the launch of the second season on ABC. This first season set has a lot to recommend. The premise of the show is that the family is to be the subject of a television documentary show that will be aired on TV in the Netherlands.
The humor comes out in all kinds of strange ways when this large and kooky family interacts. There are so many ages and ethnicities represented on the show that it is easy for almost everyone to find a character with whom they identify.
The writing is top-notch, as it comes from the same team that created the hit show, Frasier. The episodes are so good that it is easy to consume them like candy, popping them one after another.
There are a number of extras available on all of the discs, and the fourth disc is all extras. The only bad thing to say about the set is that some of the extras are repetitive and could have been streamlined.
Modern Family DVD Season 2
Released in September of 2011, the second season of Modern Family DVD was as widely praised as the first. The show keeps growing the relationships between the family members. Even though fans benefit from watching the series in chronological order, all of the episodes are funny enough to stand on their own (something that really makes shows re-watchable).
The second season’s highlights include a version of the infamous Seinfeld episode, “The Contest,” as well as an episode where the parents challenge the children to go without their multitude of electronic devices.
In addition, the Modern Family DVDs of Season 2 feature a number of fantastic guest star appearances, including Matt Dillon, Phillip Baker Hall and Shelley Long.
The extras are again ample, providing many behind-the-scenes interviews and videos, as well as a number of deleted scenes. Once again, however, there is too much overlap on the extras. It is a little irritating to see the same scenes used in multiple extra features.
Modern Family DVD Season 3
The third season began airing in September of 2011, and this season’s episodes have been meeting with more mixed reviews than the first two seasons, for a few different reasons. It’s important to keep in mind that even the “best” shows out there will still meet criticism from time to time.
Though the show is still widely praised, some critics feel that the writing has become a bit repetitive. Some critics have also stated that the show has lost some of the wit and sparkle that it showed previously.
Of course, some critics are praising Modern Family’s third season more than ever. The divide seems to be related to the increase in the number of guest appearances in this third season. Those that are giving it negative reviews seem to feel that there are too many guest appearances.
Bottom Line
All in all, the entire run of Modern Family has been consistently funny and crowd-pleasing. The first seasons of Modern Family DVDs are assuredly worth viewing for fans of witty, funny sitcom writing and performing. They make great gifts and are the kind of DVDs that will be repeatedly watched.
