Modern Family (season 2)
Encyclopedia
The second season of the comedy
television series, Modern Family
premiered September 22, 2010 and ended on May 25, 2011 on the American Broadcasting Company
in the United States. The series is produced by 20th Century Fox Television
and Lloyd-Levitan Productions with creators Steven Levitan
and Christopher Lloyd
as show runner
s. On January 12, 2010, Modern Family was renewed for a second season by ABC. Season two of Modern Family aired Wednesdays in the United States at 9 p.m. and consisted of 24 episodes.
The season received positive reviews from most critics, with many naming it the among the best series of 2010. Despite this, the season received criticism for a sophomore slump
, most notably from Alan Sepinwall. Despite the criticism, the ratings for the series rose from the previous season due to the series winning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
. The series became the highest rated scripted program in the 18-49 demographic and the twenty-fourth most viewed program among all viewers; it was tied for being the highest rated ABC program. The series has also been nominated and won several awards including a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
, the second year in a row.
and Lloyd-Levitan Productions and airs on the American Broadcasting Company
(ABC). Modern Family is produced by co-creators Christopher Lloyd
and Steven Levitan
who serve as executive producers and show runner
s with Bill Wrubel as co-executive producer. Despite being produced by Lloyd-Levitan Productions, Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd dissolved their four-year business partnership. Returning writers from the first season included Paul Corrigan, Joe Lawson, Levitan, Lloyd, Dan O’Shannon, Brad Walsh, Ilana Wernick, Wrubel, and Danny Zuker. Joining the writing staff during the second season were Jerry Collins, Alex Herschlag, Abraham Higginbotham
, Elaine Ko, Jeffrey Richman
. Higginbotham had previously worked with Jesse Tyler Ferguson on the short lived Fox sitcom, Do Not Disturb
. Returning directors are Michael Spiller
and Chris Koch
while new directors are Gail Mancuso
, Scott Ellis
and Beth McCarthy-Miller
. Jason Winer
, who directed 14 episodes of the first season didn't receive a credit for the season due to him directing his first film, Arthur
.
. The series focuses on Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill
), his daughter Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen
), and his son Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson
) who live in Los Angeles
. Claire is a homemaker
mom married to Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell
); they have three children, Haley (Sarah Hyland
), the typical teenager, Alex (Ariel Winter
), the smart middle child, and Luke (Nolan Gould
), the offbeat only son. Jay is married to a much younger Colombian woman, Gloria (Sofía Vergara
), and is helping her raise her pre-teen son, Manny (Rico Rodriguez). Mitchell and his partner Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet
) have adopted
a Vietnamese
baby, Lily. The child actors were only obligated to appear in 22 episodes.
Several notable actors made guest appearances throughout the second season of Modern Family. The season featured the return of Shelley Long
as DeDe Pritchett who brought a new boyfriend, Claire's ex-boyfriend who was played by Matt Dillon
. Another ex-partner that appeared on the show is Mitchell's ex-girlfriend who was played by Mary Lynn Rajskub
in the twelfth episode. Celia Weston
also made her first appearance as Cameron's mother, Barb Tucker in the ninth episode. Nathan Lane
appeared as ultra-flamboyant "friend" of Mitchell & Cameron, Pepper Saltsman. In the episode, "Earthquake", it is revealed Pepper is Cameron's ex-boyfriend. Other guest appearances included Danny Trejo
played a janitor at Manny and Luke's school who is feared by many students and adds tension to Claire's relationship with Gloria in the tenth episode. James Marsden
played Mitchell and Cameron's new shirtless "neighbor" in the eleventh episode. Fred Willard
was originally set to return this season, but didn't for unknown reasons.
's in which he and his wife would debate on which way was the fastest to go home from a restaurant. The first part of the season also saw the development of Claire Dunphy
, most notably in "The Old Wagon", "Halloween" and "Dance Dance Revelation". The writers also sought to respond to criticisms of the first season. Near the end of the first season, Modern Family drew criticism from some quarters for its portrayal of Cameron and Mitchell as not being physically affectionate with each other. The criticism spawned a Facebook
campaign to demand Mitchell and Cameron be allowed to kiss. In response to the controversy, producers released a statement that a season two episode would address Mitchell's discomfort with public displays of affection
. Executive producer Levitan has said that it was unfortunate that the issue had arisen, since the show's writers had always planned on such a scene "as part of the natural development of the show." The response episode, "The Kiss
" was eventually written and aired during the second season and drew praise from multiple critics for the subtle nature of the kiss and became the fourth highest rated episode of the series so far. During the second season, the writers stopped using a voice over at the end of most episodes which had been criticized by some critics during the first seasons for being "hokey".
. Aided by winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
the show's second season became the highest rated show on Wednesday on premiere week and also rose 34% from the previous season among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. "The Old Wagon
", the season premiere, finished 5th in the rating with a 5.1 rating among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. "Halloween
", which was broadcast on October 27, was the highest rated episode of the season, finishing second with a 5.1 among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. "Bixby's Back
" later tied with "Halloween" and "The Old Wagon" and finished fourth in the weekly ratings. The lowest rated episode of the season was "Mother Tucker
", which was viewed by an estimated 10.53 million households with a 3.7 rating/12% share among 18-49 year olds, which much like "Fizbo
", might have received a drop due to airing on Thanksgiving Eve
. The success of the series has led to the series being used as a "launch pad" to three ABC series, Cougar Town
(which premiered the same season as MF), Mr. Sunshine and Happy Endings
, with Mr. Sunshine being the only one not to be renewed. The second season ranked 24th among overall viewers and fifth among viewers between the ages of 18 and 49. The season averaged 11.76 million viewers in the seasonal 18–49 demographic ratings with an average of 4.8 rating/12% share in the demographic meaning that the season was watched by an average of 4.8% of households and 12% average of all televisions were tuned to the season when it was broadcast. Added with Digital video recorder
viewers, the season received a 6.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic, adding a 1.7 rating to the original viewership beating it's closest competition, Glee
, by six-tenths of a point.
and Better Off Ted
one of the best shows of 2010
. Robert Bianco of USA Today
gave the new season four stars out of four saying "Not since Frasier
has a sitcom offered such an ideal blend of heart and smarts, or proven itself so effortlessly adept at so many comic variations, from subtle wordplay to big-laugh slapstick to everything in between." Robert Bianco in a later review stated "as good as it was in its first year, is even better in its second" positively comparing the characters to the characters from The Mary Tyler Moore Show
, The Cosby Show
and Friends
. TV Squad writer Joel Keller praised the show's avoidance of the sophomore slump
writing "Steve Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, and their cast and crew haven't missed a beat, churning out consistently funny episodes as if its wildly-successful first season never ended.".
"Manny Get Your Gun" received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics with many of them comparing it to the quality of the first season episodes, with TV Guide
writer Matt Roush calling it "comedy gold". The episode was later put in for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
along with "The Old Wagon
", "The Kiss
", "Caught in the Act
", "Someone to Watch Over Lily
" and "Mother's Day
". "Halloween" also received similar reviews, with The A.V. Club
reviewer Donna Bowman comparing it to the critically acclaimed first season episode, "Fizbo". The episode was also named the eleventh best episode of 2010 by TV Guide
and was also named among the best 2010 episodes of Modern Family by The A.V. Club.
The episode, "Unplugged
" received some controversy due to Gloria's line "Ah, here we go. Because, in Colombia, we trip over goats and we kill people in the street. Do you know how offensive that is? Like we’re Peruvians!" Milagros Lizarraga, founder of the online group Peru USA Southern Ca, told the Associated Press
, "It’s incredible that in a country where everything is politically correct, ABC would have a line of this sort." Sofía Vergara
responded to a fan asking about the script (in Spanish) "get a life".
The second season also received criticism for a "drop in quality". New York
writer Rachel Muddux while reviewing "Chirp
" wrote that "Modern Family feels like it's still struggling a little to live up to the Emmy-winning highs of its first, negotiating the boundaries of its family-sitcom roots and attempting to transcend cheap laughs." She later went on to say in a later review that "after three spot-on episodes in a row and nearly a month of reruns, the show kicked off its second season's second half in such fine form that we're hoping next week we won't feel at all compelled to mention how iffy things were looking there for a while.". Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
while reviewing "Two Monkeys and a Panda
", critizised the second season, saying that it has possibly tarnished the show's legacy as a "classic". HitFix
reviewer Alan Sepinwall, who was very critical over the quality drop of the second season, received harsh comments from readers whenever he criticized an episode leading to him reviewing the series less frequently.
Eric Stonestreet
's character Cameron Tucker
, who was considered the best character of the first season, was mainly criticized. Sepinwall, while reviewing "The One That Got Away
", wrote that Cameron had become a "whiny, overly-sensitive diva". TV Squad writer Joel Keller, while reviewing "Manny Get Your Gun", wrote that "It's just that sometimes Cam is too much Cam for his, or the audience's, own good". Despite the criticism, Ty Burrell
went on to still receive praise from critics and fans alike. While the episode "Bixby's Back" received mixed reviews from critics, Burrell's performance was well received with Rachel Maddux of New York
calling it "comedic mastery". Joyce Eng of TV Guide
named Julie Bowen
, Ed O'Neill
and Nolan Gould
among her dream ballot for Best Supporting Actor/Actress in a Comedy Series at the Emmy's. In a poll voted by TVLine
readers, Vergara, was voted the most deserving of the Supporting Actress Award.
. Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh were nominated for an Episodic Comedy for writing the episode, "Earthquake
", but lost to Robert Carlock
for his work on 30 Rock
s "When It Rains, It Pours
". The series also won Comedy Series. Modern Family garnered 3 nominations at the 2010 Satellite Awards
for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy. The series was also nominated for acting for Burrell and Bowen. The series went on to lose all 3 nominations. The series also received another Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy nomination at the 68th Golden Globe Awards
for the second season in a row. The series also received a nomination for two supporting actor awards for Stonestreet and Vergara. Vergara received another acting nomination at the 17th Screen Actors Guild Awards
, as did Burrell and O'Neill with the cast winning Ensemble in a Comedy. The series also won Best Comedy Series at the 2010 Producers Guild of America Awards
, and tied with Glee
for the Outstanding Comedy Series accolade at the 22nd GLAAD Media Awards
. Michael Spiller
also received a Directors Guild of America Award for Comedy Series at the 2010 ceremony
, the series second win in the category. During the second season, Adweek
named the show one of the 100 Most Influential TV Shows (98th chronologically).
At the inaugural Comedy Awards
, the season received awards for Best Comedy Series and Comedy Directing - TV. The series was also nominated for Comedy Writing - TV and Ty Burrell
for Comedy Actor - TV. In June 2011, Modern Family was nominated for six of the inaugural Critics’ Choice Television Awards. The show itself was nominated for "Best Comedy Series" while Burrell, O'Neill, and Stonestreet were nominated for "Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series" while Bowen and Vergara are nominated for "Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series". The series won while Burrell, O'Neill and Stonestreet lost their nominated to Neil Patrick Harris
of How I Met Your Mother
while Bowen and Vergara lost to Busy Phillips of Cougar Town
. Burrell received another acting nomination for Individual Achievement in Comedy
at the TCA Awards
his second nomination for the award and his first time winning. The series also received a TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy
, the second win for the series in a row.
The series also received 17 Emmy nominations including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The series received the third-most amount of nominations for the year behind Mad Men
and Boardwalk Empire. It later won five Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Writing for a Comedy Series and Directing for a Comedy Series, all of which except for the latter were for the second win in a row. The season was also included on multiple top ten lists for best series of 2010 including: 1st on MSNBC
's Top 10 TV show's of 2010, 2nd on Paste
s 20 Best TV Shows of 2010, 2nd on Matt Roush's Top 10 TV, 8th on Metacritic
's 2010 Television Critic Top Ten Lists, 8th Best TV Series of 2010, 13th on The A.V. Club
s 25 best television series of 2010, American Film Institute
's Top TV Shows of 2010, and Maureen Ryan's The Best TV of 2010: Top 10 Roster.
set, Modern Family - The Complete Second Season on September 20, 2011. The box-set will contain all 24 episodes and include Deleted Family Interviews, Deleted and Extended Scenes, the "Strangers on a Treadmill
" Table Read, Mitch's Flash Mob, the "Imagine Me Naked" Music Video and a Blooper Reel, Modern Family Holidays, "Waiting for Oprah
", Chatting with Steven Levitan, and At Home with Modern Family.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
television series, Modern Family
Modern Family
Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label...
premiered September 22, 2010 and ended on May 25, 2011 on the American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in the United States. The series is produced by 20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
and Lloyd-Levitan Productions with creators Steven Levitan
Steven Levitan
Steven E. Levitan is an American director, screenwriter and producer of television comedies. He has created such TV series as Just Shoot Me!, Stark Raving Mad, Stacked, Back to You, and Modern Family....
and Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd (screenwriter)
Christopher Lloyd is an American TV screenwriter and producer of Wings, Frasier, Out of Practice, Back to You, and Modern Family...
as show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
s. On January 12, 2010, Modern Family was renewed for a second season by ABC. Season two of Modern Family aired Wednesdays in the United States at 9 p.m. and consisted of 24 episodes.
The season received positive reviews from most critics, with many naming it the among the best series of 2010. Despite this, the season received criticism for a sophomore slump
Sophomore slump
A sophomore slump or sophomore jinx refers to an instance in which a second, or sophomore, effort fails to live up to the standards of the first effort...
, most notably from Alan Sepinwall. Despite the criticism, the ratings for the series rose from the previous season due to the series winning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series is an Emmy given to the best television comedy series of the year.-Winners and nominees:...
. The series became the highest rated scripted program in the 18-49 demographic and the twenty-fourth most viewed program among all viewers; it was tied for being the highest rated ABC program. The series has also been nominated and won several awards including a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series is an Emmy given to the best television comedy series of the year.-Winners and nominees:...
, the second year in a row.
Episodes
"№" refers to the episode number in relation to the entire series, while "#" refers to the episode's number in the season.| № | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | U.S. viewers (in millions) |
Original air date | Production code |
|---|
Crew
The second season of the show was produced by 20th Century Fox Television20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
and Lloyd-Levitan Productions and airs on the American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
(ABC). Modern Family is produced by co-creators Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd (screenwriter)
Christopher Lloyd is an American TV screenwriter and producer of Wings, Frasier, Out of Practice, Back to You, and Modern Family...
and Steven Levitan
Steven Levitan
Steven E. Levitan is an American director, screenwriter and producer of television comedies. He has created such TV series as Just Shoot Me!, Stark Raving Mad, Stacked, Back to You, and Modern Family....
who serve as executive producers and show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
s with Bill Wrubel as co-executive producer. Despite being produced by Lloyd-Levitan Productions, Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd dissolved their four-year business partnership. Returning writers from the first season included Paul Corrigan, Joe Lawson, Levitan, Lloyd, Dan O’Shannon, Brad Walsh, Ilana Wernick, Wrubel, and Danny Zuker. Joining the writing staff during the second season were Jerry Collins, Alex Herschlag, Abraham Higginbotham
Abraham Higginbotham
Abraham Higginbotham is a writer, producer, and occasional actor for popular comedy series such as Arrested Development, Will & Grace, Back to You and Do Not Disturb....
, Elaine Ko, Jeffrey Richman
Jeffrey Richman
-Producer:* Stacked:* Frasier: executive producer* Charlie Lawrence : executive producer* Stark Raving Mad : co-executive producer* Wings : producer-Writer:* Stacked: 1 episode, 2005...
. Higginbotham had previously worked with Jesse Tyler Ferguson on the short lived Fox sitcom, Do Not Disturb
Do Not Disturb (TV series)
Do Not Disturb is an American sitcom, which debuted as a Fall entry on Fox's primetime lineup on September 10, 2008...
. Returning directors are Michael Spiller
Michael Spiller
Michael Alan Spiller is an American cinematographer and television director.Spiller has directed on numerous series and has also served as a cinematographer prior to directing and worked frequently with Hal Hartley. He was a regular director on the HBO series, Sex and the City where he also served...
and Chris Koch
Chris Koch
Christopher "Chris" Koch is an American director of film and television.He is best known for directing the films Snow Day , his feature film directorial debut and A Guy Thing ....
while new directors are Gail Mancuso
Gail Mancuso
Gail Mancuso is an American television director.- Select TV work :* Modern Family * $h*! My Dad Says * 30 Rock * Scrubs...
, Scott Ellis
Scott Ellis
Scott Ellis is an American stage director and television director.-Biography:Ellis has directed numerous Off-Broadway and Broadway productions, including the New York City Opera Company revivals at the New York State Theatre: A Little Night Music and 110 in the Shade up to his current show, the...
and Beth McCarthy-Miller
Beth McCarthy-Miller
Beth McCarthy or Beth McCarthy-Miller was the director of NBCs Saturday Night Live starting in 1995. She left SNL in 2006 at the end of season 31, replaced as director by Don Roy King...
. Jason Winer
Jason Winer
Jason Winer is an American director, producer, writer, actor and comedian. He is best known for being one of the directors on the award-winning series Modern Family on ABC.Winer was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland...
, who directed 14 episodes of the first season didn't receive a credit for the season due to him directing his first film, Arthur
Arthur (2011 film)
Arthur is a 2011 comedy film written by Peter Baynham and directed by Jason Winer. It is a remake of the 1981 film written and directed by Steve Gordon...
.
Cast
Modern Family employs an ensemble castEnsemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
. The series focuses on Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill
Ed O'Neill
Edward Phillip "Ed" O'Neill, Jr. is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the main character, Al Bundy, on the Fox Network sitcom Married... with Children, for which he was nominated for two Golden Globes...
), his daughter Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...
), and his son Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Jesse Tyler Ferguson is an American actor who portrays Mitchell Pritchett on the ABC sitcom Modern Family. Previously he played the role of Richie Velch in the CBS sitcom The Class. He is openly gay.-Life and career:...
) who live in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Claire is a homemaker
Homemaker
Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping or household management...
mom married to Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell
Ty Burrell
- External links :*...
); they have three children, Haley (Sarah Hyland
Sarah Hyland
Sarah Jane Hyland is an American actress, currently starring as Haley Dunphy on the ABC comedy Modern Family.-Life and career:...
), the typical teenager, Alex (Ariel Winter
Ariel Winter
Ariel Winter Workman , known in television shows and films as Ariel Winter, is an American teen actress and singer. Winter is best known for her current role as Alex Dunphy in the TV series Modern Family, for which she has won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series, along...
), the smart middle child, and Luke (Nolan Gould
Nolan Gould
Nolan Gould is an American child actor best known for his starring role as Luke Dunphy on the ABC comedy Modern Family. He is the brother of Aidan Gould-Acting career:...
), the offbeat only son. Jay is married to a much younger Colombian woman, Gloria (Sofía Vergara
Sofía Vergara
Sofía Margarita Vergara Vergara is a Colombian actress, comedian, television hostess and model.Vergara had been widely known for co-hosting two TV shows for Univisión in the late 1990s. Her TV career opened up for her a window of exposure to North American audiences prior to her first notable...
), and is helping her raise her pre-teen son, Manny (Rico Rodriguez). Mitchell and his partner Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet
Eric Stonestreet
Eric Stonestreet is an American actor, known for his starring role as Cameron Tucker on the ABC comedy Modern Family. Stonestreet has received critical acclaim for his performance in Modern Family and won the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his...
) have adopted
International adoption
International adoption is a type of adoption in which an individual or couple becomes the legal and permanent parents of a child that is a national of a different country...
a Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
baby, Lily. The child actors were only obligated to appear in 22 episodes.
Several notable actors made guest appearances throughout the second season of Modern Family. The season featured the return of Shelley Long
Shelley Long
Shelley Lee Long is an American actress best known for her role as Diane Chambers on the sitcom Cheers, for which she won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress and two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress...
as DeDe Pritchett who brought a new boyfriend, Claire's ex-boyfriend who was played by Matt Dillon
Matt Dillon
Matthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon is an American actor and film director. He began acting in the late 1970s, gaining fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s.- Early life :...
. Another ex-partner that appeared on the show is Mitchell's ex-girlfriend who was played by Mary Lynn Rajskub
Mary Lynn Rajskub
Mary Lynn Rajskub is an American actress and comedian, best known for her leading role as Chloe O'Brian on the Fox action-thriller 24.-Early life:...
in the twelfth episode. Celia Weston
Celia Weston
Celia Weston is an American actress of stage, film and television, and a character actress. Professionally, she may be best known for her role as Jolene Hunnicutt on Alice.-Life and career:...
also made her first appearance as Cameron's mother, Barb Tucker in the ninth episode. Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane is an American actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his roles as Mendy in The Lisbon Traviata, Albert in The Birdcage, Max Bialystock in the musical The Producers, Ernie Smuntz in MouseHunt, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to...
appeared as ultra-flamboyant "friend" of Mitchell & Cameron, Pepper Saltsman. In the episode, "Earthquake", it is revealed Pepper is Cameron's ex-boyfriend. Other guest appearances included Danny Trejo
Danny Trejo
Dan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
played a janitor at Manny and Luke's school who is feared by many students and adds tension to Claire's relationship with Gloria in the tenth episode. James Marsden
James Marsden
James Paul Marsden is an American actor, singer and former Versace model. He is known for playing the superhero Cyclops in the first three X-Men films and for his roles in other commercially successful films such as Hop, Superman Returns, Hairspray, Enchanted, The Box, and 27 Dresses.-Early life...
played Mitchell and Cameron's new shirtless "neighbor" in the eleventh episode. Fred Willard
Fred Willard
Fred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
was originally set to return this season, but didn't for unknown reasons.
Writing
Much like the first season, much of story lines featured in episodes were based on true events that happened to the writers. For example, Phil and Claire's storyline in "Manny Get Your Gun" was based on a personal experience of executive producer Steven LevitanSteven Levitan
Steven E. Levitan is an American director, screenwriter and producer of television comedies. He has created such TV series as Just Shoot Me!, Stark Raving Mad, Stacked, Back to You, and Modern Family....
's in which he and his wife would debate on which way was the fastest to go home from a restaurant. The first part of the season also saw the development of Claire Dunphy
Claire Dunphy
Claire Dunphy is a fictional character on the American television series Modern Family. She is portrayed by Julie Bowen.Claire is the daughter of Jay, Mitchell's older sister, and the overprotective mother of the Dunphy family and its three very different kids...
, most notably in "The Old Wagon", "Halloween" and "Dance Dance Revelation". The writers also sought to respond to criticisms of the first season. Near the end of the first season, Modern Family drew criticism from some quarters for its portrayal of Cameron and Mitchell as not being physically affectionate with each other. The criticism spawned a Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
campaign to demand Mitchell and Cameron be allowed to kiss. In response to the controversy, producers released a statement that a season two episode would address Mitchell's discomfort with public displays of affection
Public display of affection
Public displays of affection are acts of physical intimacy in the view of others. What are acceptable displays of affection vary between cultures as well as to time and context. Which acts are acceptable have also varied over time...
. Executive producer Levitan has said that it was unfortunate that the issue had arisen, since the show's writers had always planned on such a scene "as part of the natural development of the show." The response episode, "The Kiss
The Kiss (Modern Family)
"The Kiss" is the second episode of the second season of the American sitcom Modern Family and the 26th episode overall. The episode aired September 29, 2010, and was written by Abraham Higginbotham and directed by Scott Ellis. The episode also featured guest starred Aaron Sanders as Jeremy, Alex's...
" was eventually written and aired during the second season and drew praise from multiple critics for the subtle nature of the kiss and became the fourth highest rated episode of the series so far. During the second season, the writers stopped using a voice over at the end of most episodes which had been criticized by some critics during the first seasons for being "hokey".
Ratings
Like the previous season, Modern Family aired Wednesday at 9:00pm and is coupled with Cougar TownCougar Town
Cougar Town is an American television sitcom that premiered on ABC on September 23, 2009. The series focuses on a recently divorced woman in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life's next chapter, along with her son, ex-husband, and friends who together make...
. Aided by winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series is an Emmy given to the best television comedy series of the year.-Winners and nominees:...
the show's second season became the highest rated show on Wednesday on premiere week and also rose 34% from the previous season among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. "The Old Wagon
The Old Wagon
"The Old Wagon" is the second season premiere of the American sitcom Modern Family and the 25th episode overall. "The Old Wagon" premiered on September 22, 2010.. The episode was written by Bill Wrubel and was directed by Michael Spiller...
", the season premiere, finished 5th in the rating with a 5.1 rating among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. "Halloween
Halloween (Modern Family)
"Halloween" is the sixth episode of Modern Familys second season. It originally aired on October 27, 2010 on the ABC network in the United States. The episode was written by Jeffrey Richman and directed by Michael Spiller and was based on an idea by cast member Eric Stonestreet...
", which was broadcast on October 27, was the highest rated episode of the season, finishing second with a 5.1 among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. "Bixby's Back
Bixby's Back
"Bixby's Back" is the fourteenth episode of the American comedy television series, Modern Familys second season and the 38th episode overall. It originally aired February 9, 2011 on the American Broadcasting Company...
" later tied with "Halloween" and "The Old Wagon" and finished fourth in the weekly ratings. The lowest rated episode of the season was "Mother Tucker
Mother Tucker (Modern Family)
"Mother Tucker" is the ninth episode of the second season of the sitcom, Modern Family and the 33rd overall. It originally aired on November 24, 2010 on the ABC...
", which was viewed by an estimated 10.53 million households with a 3.7 rating/12% share among 18-49 year olds, which much like "Fizbo
Fizbo
"Fizbo" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American comedy series, Modern Family. It originally premiered on American Broadcasting Company in the United States on November 25, 2009...
", might have received a drop due to airing on Thanksgiving Eve
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
. The success of the series has led to the series being used as a "launch pad" to three ABC series, Cougar Town
Cougar Town
Cougar Town is an American television sitcom that premiered on ABC on September 23, 2009. The series focuses on a recently divorced woman in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life's next chapter, along with her son, ex-husband, and friends who together make...
(which premiered the same season as MF), Mr. Sunshine and Happy Endings
Happy Endings (TV series)
Happy Endings is an American television series for the ABC network. The single-camera ensemble comedy premiered on April 13, 2011, as a midseason replacement, with a one-hour premiere of two back-to-back episodes starting at 9:30 pm ET/PT...
, with Mr. Sunshine being the only one not to be renewed. The second season ranked 24th among overall viewers and fifth among viewers between the ages of 18 and 49. The season averaged 11.76 million viewers in the seasonal 18–49 demographic ratings with an average of 4.8 rating/12% share in the demographic meaning that the season was watched by an average of 4.8% of households and 12% average of all televisions were tuned to the season when it was broadcast. Added with Digital video recorder
Digital video recorder
A digital video recorder , sometimes referred to by the merchandising term personal video recorder , is a consumer electronics device or application software that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card or other local or networked mass storage device...
viewers, the season received a 6.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic, adding a 1.7 rating to the original viewership beating it's closest competition, Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, by six-tenths of a point.
Reviews
The second season reached positive reviews much like the previous season. Maureen Ryan of TV Squad named the season along with Cougar TownCougar Town
Cougar Town is an American television sitcom that premiered on ABC on September 23, 2009. The series focuses on a recently divorced woman in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life's next chapter, along with her son, ex-husband, and friends who together make...
and Better Off Ted
Better Off Ted
Better Off Ted is an American satirical situation comedy series, created and written by Victor Fresco , who also serves as the show's Executive Producer...
one of the best shows of 2010
2010 in television
2010 in television may refer to:*2010 in American television*2010 in Australian television*2010 in British television*2010 in Canadian television*2010 in Japanese television...
. Robert Bianco of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave the new season four stars out of four saying "Not since Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
has a sitcom offered such an ideal blend of heart and smarts, or proven itself so effortlessly adept at so many comic variations, from subtle wordplay to big-laugh slapstick to everything in between." Robert Bianco in a later review stated "as good as it was in its first year, is even better in its second" positively comparing the characters to the characters from The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
, The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
and Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
. TV Squad writer Joel Keller praised the show's avoidance of the sophomore slump
Sophomore slump
A sophomore slump or sophomore jinx refers to an instance in which a second, or sophomore, effort fails to live up to the standards of the first effort...
writing "Steve Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, and their cast and crew haven't missed a beat, churning out consistently funny episodes as if its wildly-successful first season never ended.".
"Manny Get Your Gun" received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics with many of them comparing it to the quality of the first season episodes, with TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
writer Matt Roush calling it "comedy gold". The episode was later put in for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series is an Emmy given to the best television comedy series of the year.-Winners and nominees:...
along with "The Old Wagon
The Old Wagon
"The Old Wagon" is the second season premiere of the American sitcom Modern Family and the 25th episode overall. "The Old Wagon" premiered on September 22, 2010.. The episode was written by Bill Wrubel and was directed by Michael Spiller...
", "The Kiss
The Kiss (Modern Family)
"The Kiss" is the second episode of the second season of the American sitcom Modern Family and the 26th episode overall. The episode aired September 29, 2010, and was written by Abraham Higginbotham and directed by Scott Ellis. The episode also featured guest starred Aaron Sanders as Jeremy, Alex's...
", "Caught in the Act
Caught in the Act (Modern Family)
"Caught in the Act" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the American television comedy series, Modern Family and the 36th overall episode of the series. Co-creator Steven Levitan and Jeffrey Richman wrote the episode, and Michael Spiller directed it. The episode originally aired on...
", "Someone to Watch Over Lily
Someone to Watch Over Lily
"Someone to Watch Over Lily" is the twentieth episode of the American comedy television series, Modern Familys second season and the 44th episode overrall...
" and "Mother's Day
Mother's Day (Modern Family)
"Mother's Day" is the twenty-first episode of the American comedy television series, Modern Familys second season and the 45th episode overall of the series. It original aired on the American Broadcast Company on May 4, 2011...
". "Halloween" also received similar reviews, with The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
reviewer Donna Bowman comparing it to the critically acclaimed first season episode, "Fizbo". The episode was also named the eleventh best episode of 2010 by TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
and was also named among the best 2010 episodes of Modern Family by The A.V. Club.
The episode, "Unplugged
Unplugged (Modern Family)
"Unplugged" is the fifth episode of the second season of the ABC sitcom, Modern Family. The episode originally aired October 20, 2010. The episode was written by series co-creator Steven Levitan and directed by Michael Spiller....
" received some controversy due to Gloria's line "Ah, here we go. Because, in Colombia, we trip over goats and we kill people in the street. Do you know how offensive that is? Like we’re Peruvians!" Milagros Lizarraga, founder of the online group Peru USA Southern Ca, told the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, "It’s incredible that in a country where everything is politically correct, ABC would have a line of this sort." Sofía Vergara
Sofía Vergara
Sofía Margarita Vergara Vergara is a Colombian actress, comedian, television hostess and model.Vergara had been widely known for co-hosting two TV shows for Univisión in the late 1990s. Her TV career opened up for her a window of exposure to North American audiences prior to her first notable...
responded to a fan asking about the script (in Spanish) "get a life".
The second season also received criticism for a "drop in quality". New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
writer Rachel Muddux while reviewing "Chirp
Chirp (Modern Family)
"Chirp" is the seventh episode of the second season of Modern Family and the 31st episode overall. It originally aired on the American Broadcasting Company in the United States on November 3, 2010...
" wrote that "Modern Family feels like it's still struggling a little to live up to the Emmy-winning highs of its first, negotiating the boundaries of its family-sitcom roots and attempting to transcend cheap laughs." She later went on to say in a later review that "after three spot-on episodes in a row and nearly a month of reruns, the show kicked off its second season's second half in such fine form that we're hoping next week we won't feel at all compelled to mention how iffy things were looking there for a while.". Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
while reviewing "Two Monkeys and a Panda
Two Monkeys and a Panda
"Two Monkeys and a Panda" is the seventeenth episode of the American comedy television series, Modern Familys second season.-Plot:Claire runs herself ragged trying to fix the relationship between Haley and Alex, after Haley tries to keep Alex from wearing one of her sweaters, and therefore has no...
", critizised the second season, saying that it has possibly tarnished the show's legacy as a "classic". HitFix
HitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
reviewer Alan Sepinwall, who was very critical over the quality drop of the second season, received harsh comments from readers whenever he criticized an episode leading to him reviewing the series less frequently.
Eric Stonestreet
Eric Stonestreet
Eric Stonestreet is an American actor, known for his starring role as Cameron Tucker on the ABC comedy Modern Family. Stonestreet has received critical acclaim for his performance in Modern Family and won the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his...
's character Cameron Tucker
Cameron Tucker
Cameron Scott Tucker is a fictional character on the American television series Modern Family. He is portrayed by Eric Stonestreet.Cameron, also referred to as Cam, is Mitchell's partner of five years, and one of Lily's fathers, who has a very big dramatic personality. His bubbly outgoing...
, who was considered the best character of the first season, was mainly criticized. Sepinwall, while reviewing "The One That Got Away
The One That Got Away (Modern Family)
"The One That Got Away" is the second season finale of the American comedy television series, Modern Family, and the 48th episode overall.-Plot:...
", wrote that Cameron had become a "whiny, overly-sensitive diva". TV Squad writer Joel Keller, while reviewing "Manny Get Your Gun", wrote that "It's just that sometimes Cam is too much Cam for his, or the audience's, own good". Despite the criticism, Ty Burrell
Ty Burrell
- External links :*...
went on to still receive praise from critics and fans alike. While the episode "Bixby's Back" received mixed reviews from critics, Burrell's performance was well received with Rachel Maddux of New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
calling it "comedic mastery". Joyce Eng of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
named Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...
, Ed O'Neill
Ed O'Neill
Edward Phillip "Ed" O'Neill, Jr. is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the main character, Al Bundy, on the Fox Network sitcom Married... with Children, for which he was nominated for two Golden Globes...
and Nolan Gould
Nolan Gould
Nolan Gould is an American child actor best known for his starring role as Luke Dunphy on the ABC comedy Modern Family. He is the brother of Aidan Gould-Acting career:...
among her dream ballot for Best Supporting Actor/Actress in a Comedy Series at the Emmy's. In a poll voted by TVLine
TVLine
TVLine is a website devoted to information, news and spoilers of television programs.-History:In late 2010, Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving EW after nearly two years in their employ to establish a TV-centered website with MMC, the media company founded by...
readers, Vergara, was voted the most deserving of the Supporting Actress Award.
Awards and nominations
During its second season, Modern Family received two nominations at the 2010 Writers Guild of America AwardsWriters Guild of America Awards 2010
The 63rd Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film, television, and videogame writers of 2010. Winners were announced on February 5, 2011.-Best original screenplay:Inception — written by Christopher Nolan; Warner Bros....
. Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh were nominated for an Episodic Comedy for writing the episode, "Earthquake
Earthquake (Modern Family)
"Earthquake" is the third episode of the second season of the American Broadcasting Company American sitcom, Modern Family and the 27th episode overall. The episode originally aired October 6, 2010. The episode was written by Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh and directed by Michael Spiller...
", but lost to Robert Carlock
Robert Carlock
Robert Carlock is an American television producer and screenwriter most widely known for his work as a writer for several NBC television comedies, particularly his work with Tina Fey as show runners for 30 Rock.-Early years:...
for his work on 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
s "When It Rains, It Pours
When It Rains, It Pours
When It Rains, It Pours is the second, and last, full album of new material by the metalcore band Adamantium. They disbanded in 2001. It was recorded in April and May 2000 and subsequently released by Indecision Records in August 2000...
". The series also won Comedy Series. Modern Family garnered 3 nominations at the 2010 Satellite Awards
Satellite Awards
The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama...
for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy. The series was also nominated for acting for Burrell and Bowen. The series went on to lose all 3 nominations. The series also received another Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy nomination at the 68th Golden Globe Awards
68th Golden Globe Awards
The 68th Golden Globe Awards was broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 16, 2011, by NBC. The host was Ricky Gervais....
for the second season in a row. The series also received a nomination for two supporting actor awards for Stonestreet and Vergara. Vergara received another acting nomination at the 17th Screen Actors Guild Awards
17th Screen Actors Guild Awards
----Best Cast - Motion Picture: The King's Speech----Best Cast - Drama Series: Boardwalk Empire----Best Cast - Comedy Series: Modern Family...
, as did Burrell and O'Neill with the cast winning Ensemble in a Comedy. The series also won Best Comedy Series at the 2010 Producers Guild of America Awards
Producers Guild of America Awards 2010
The 22nd Producers Guild of America Awards, given on January 22, 2011, honouring the best film and television producers of 2010.-Theatrical Picture:The King's Speech*127 Hours*Black Swan*Inception*The Fighter...
, and tied with Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
for the Outstanding Comedy Series accolade at the 22nd GLAAD Media Awards
22nd GLAAD Media Awards
The 22nd GLAAD Media Awards is the upcoming 2011 annual presentation of the media awards presented by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The awards seek to honor films, television shows, musicians and works of journalism that fairly and accurately represent the LGBT community and issues...
. Michael Spiller
Michael Spiller
Michael Alan Spiller is an American cinematographer and television director.Spiller has directed on numerous series and has also served as a cinematographer prior to directing and worked frequently with Hal Hartley. He was a regular director on the HBO series, Sex and the City where he also served...
also received a Directors Guild of America Award for Comedy Series at the 2010 ceremony
Directors Guild of America Awards 2010
The 63nd Directors Guild of America Awards, which was given out on January 29, 2011, honors the outstanding directorial achievement in feature films, documentary and television. -Feature Film:Tom Hooper - The King's Speech...
, the series second win in the category. During the second season, Adweek
Adweek
Adweek is a weekly American advertising trade publication that was first published in 1978....
named the show one of the 100 Most Influential TV Shows (98th chronologically).
At the inaugural Comedy Awards
The Comedy Awards
The Comedy Awards is an annual award ceremony run by the American television network Comedy Central, honoring the best of comedy. The first ceremony took place on March 26, 2011 and aired on April 10 on CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, Spike TV, TV Land and VH1...
, the season received awards for Best Comedy Series and Comedy Directing - TV. The series was also nominated for Comedy Writing - TV and Ty Burrell
Ty Burrell
- External links :*...
for Comedy Actor - TV. In June 2011, Modern Family was nominated for six of the inaugural Critics’ Choice Television Awards. The show itself was nominated for "Best Comedy Series" while Burrell, O'Neill, and Stonestreet were nominated for "Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series" while Bowen and Vergara are nominated for "Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series". The series won while Burrell, O'Neill and Stonestreet lost their nominated to Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
of How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
while Bowen and Vergara lost to Busy Phillips of Cougar Town
Cougar Town
Cougar Town is an American television sitcom that premiered on ABC on September 23, 2009. The series focuses on a recently divorced woman in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life's next chapter, along with her son, ex-husband, and friends who together make...
. Burrell received another acting nomination for Individual Achievement in Comedy
TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy
The TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy is an award given by the Television Critics Association.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-External links:*...
at the TCA Awards
TCA Awards
The TCA Awards are awards presented by the Television Critics Association in recognition of excellence in television excellence. There are eleven categories, which are presented every summer.-Categories:...
his second nomination for the award and his first time winning. The series also received a TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy
TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy
The TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy is an award given by the Television Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
, the second win for the series in a row.
The series also received 17 Emmy nominations including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The series received the third-most amount of nominations for the year behind Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
and Boardwalk Empire. It later won five Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Writing for a Comedy Series and Directing for a Comedy Series, all of which except for the latter were for the second win in a row. The season was also included on multiple top ten lists for best series of 2010 including: 1st on MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
's Top 10 TV show's of 2010, 2nd on Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
s 20 Best TV Shows of 2010, 2nd on Matt Roush's Top 10 TV, 8th on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
's 2010 Television Critic Top Ten Lists, 8th Best TV Series of 2010, 13th on The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
s 25 best television series of 2010, American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
's Top TV Shows of 2010, and Maureen Ryan's The Best TV of 2010: Top 10 Roster.
Home video release
The second season of Modern Family is set to be released in a three-DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set, Modern Family - The Complete Second Season on September 20, 2011. The box-set will contain all 24 episodes and include Deleted Family Interviews, Deleted and Extended Scenes, the "Strangers on a Treadmill
Strangers on a Treadmill
"Strangers on a Treadmill" is the fourth episode of the second season of the American sitcom, Modern Family. The episode originally aired October 13, 2010 on American Broadcasting Company...
" Table Read, Mitch's Flash Mob, the "Imagine Me Naked" Music Video and a Blooper Reel, Modern Family Holidays, "Waiting for Oprah
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
", Chatting with Steven Levitan, and At Home with Modern Family.