Is there any question that ABC's Modern Family is the best show on television right now? We here at tableau have been obsessed since its brilliant pilot episode last fall and have been singing its praises for quite some time now. How is it possible that a half-hour comedy manages to balance 10 main characters in its first season better than Lost or Grey's Anatomy ever has? Like The Office in its prime, Modern Family is grounded in reality yet realizes that life is often hilarious - making for a television show that is both relatable and escapist.
The show's greatest strength lies in its brilliant cast of characters. There is Phil and Claire and their three children (Hailey, the beauty; Alex, the brains; and Luke, the typical boy) who represent the most normal American family dynamic. Then there is Jay and his second wife, the Colombian beauty Gloria, and her son Manny - who have created numerous hilarious scenarios as they navigate their relationships with one another. Finally, there is Cameron and Mitchell, two gay men who recently adopted a daughter, and are finding their new life as parents to be full of its ups and downs.
Perhaps my praise is too effusive - after all, Modern Family is a breath of fresh air compared to the majority of buzzed about shows that still linger on our television schedules - need I mention 24, Lost, CSI, American Idol or Desperate Housewives? We all love things that are shiny and new, but Family has proved itself throughout the past year that it is more than just a temporary success. The writers have managed to create new storylines each episode while at the same time staying true to the characters they created in the beginning. Greatest of all, those characters already feel like our own family. In TV land, there is no better compliment.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
