How long was Modern Family on

After over a decade of success, iconic ABC sitcom Modern Family came to an end with season 11's finale, which saw lots of big changes take place - but why was Modern Family canceled? Filmed in the single-camera, mockumentary style made famous by The Office, Modern Family showcased a large, diverse cast of related characters. In the beginning, there was the head of the family Jay Pritchett, his wife Gloria, their son Manny, and then two subfamilies springing off from Jay's kids Claire and Mitch. By the end, the next generation of Dunphy/Pritchett's had arrived and the kids from season 1 were adults, so why did Modern Family end?

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Over the course of its long run, Modern Family's titular clan grew and grew, adding spouses, as well as multiple kids both adopted and biological. While Modern Family season 11 certainly wasn't as sharp as earlier seasons, the show never really wore out its welcome. When Modern Family season 11 ended, it was still a consistent ratings performer for ABC, even if far from what it used to draw before broadcast TV as a whole started to dip in viewership thanks to streaming. Considering all this, it's strange that Modern Family season 12 never got the green light from ABC. Why did Modern Family end?

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Why Modern Family Didn't Return for Season 12

The cast of Modern Family holding ice-creams

While Modern Family co-creators and showrunners Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan never offered a single conclusive reason for why did Modern Family end, it had already been apparent for a while that the show was probably going to sign off soon. When Modern Family was renewed for season 10, Lloyd and Levitan indicated that it would likely be the final year, although a formal announcement was never made. That came after season 9 had seen Modern Family take a significant hit in critical favor.

Interestingly, the fact that Lloyd, Levitan, and the writing staff went into season 10 believing it would likely be the last of Modern Family gave them the urge to try and shake things up, incorporating major life-altering events like the sudden and surprising death of DeDe Pritchett, Jay's ex-wife and Claire and Mitch's mom. Season 10 also saw Haley fall back in love with old flame Dylan, get married, and have twins.

Season 10 saw Modern Family's review scores shoot back upward, and the writers/producers were so interested in seeing where these events would lead the family that they decided season 11 would be worth making. For their part, ABC was more than happy to oblige that request, although Modern Family was definitely not canceled. So, when Modern Family was renewed for season 11, and it was quickly dubbed the final season, that was more of a delayed proclamation than anything, giving fans one more year with their favorite characters. Why was Modern Family canceled? Narratively, at that point, the show's main storyline had reached its natural endpoint.

Modern Family Spin-Off Mitch And Cam Script Updates

The family hugging in the Modern Family series finale

The Modern Family series finale saw many members of the combined Pritchett and Dunphy family head off to new adventures, with all three Dunphy children moving out of their parent's house, Manny going off on a trip with his dad, and Mitch, Cam, and Lily moving to Missouri so Cam can coach college football. This perfectly lays the groundwork for the planned Modern Family spinoff centered around Mitch, Cam, and their daughter Lily, as the three embark on new adventures in Missouri.

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Unfortunately, Jesse Tyler Ferguson has confirmed that the network has decided against developing the series, which Ferguson says is a pity because the script is already so good. That said, this also confirms that a script already exists for the spinoff, and if a script exists, there's always a chance that the Mitch and Cam spin-off can be picked up by a different network. Though it spanned 11 whole seasons, audiences still couldn't get enough of Modern Family. Whichever network picks up Mitch and Cam is bound to at least get stellar pilot episode ratings.

What Have The Modern Family Cast Done Since?

Reid Ewing; Sarah Hyland

Though many are still asking why did Modern Family end, the rest of the cast has since moved on to their own projects. Ariel Winters (Alex) left LA altogether and has only recently appeared doing voice acting work for the game The Quarry. However, she'll be taking over for Demi Lovato in the series Hungry. Sofia Vergara (Gloria) has been a judge on America's Got Talent for two seasons and will star as the lead in the upcoming Netflix series Griselda. Ty Burrell (Phil) has also dipped his toes in some voice acting work, recently playing the father Jack in Duncanville. Sarah Hyland (Hayley) hosted the US spinoff of Love Island since leaving Modern Family. Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitch) wrote a cookbook after Modern Family, and also won a Tony for his role in the Broadway renewal of Take Me Out.

Julie Bowen (Clare) hasn't done a ton since Modern Family ended, but she did star opposite Adam Sandler in his Netflix movie Hubie Halloween. Eric Stonestreet (Cam) also hasn't done much since Modern Family ended, but has appeared as a guest judge on America's Got Talent alongside co-star Vergara. Nolan Gould (Luke) hasn't appeared in anything since the ABC show, but was recently signed with A3 Artists Agency. Ed O'Neill (Jay) also seems to be taking a well-deserved break from acting. Rico Rodriguez (Manny) also hasn't returned to acting since Modern Family. Aubrey Anderson-Emmons (Lily), who basically grew up on the set of Modern Family, has turned to YouTube and TikTok, where she creates plenty of content.

How old was Haley in Modern Family season 1?

Sarah Hyland as Haley Dunphy Her character, however, was only 16 in the first season and later celebrated her 21st birthday in Season 6, making the age gap between her and her character one of the most significant in the series.

Why did they stop making Modern Family?

According to the network though, it was time. Originally, Modern Family was supposed to wrap up after season 10. But creators Steve Levitan and Chris Lloyd found themselves excited to continue exploring characters after a death and a pregnancy happened back to back.

When was Modern Family cancelled?

8 April 2020Modern Family / Final episode datenull

Why is there no season 12 of Modern Family?

Unfortunately, Jesse Tyler Ferguson has confirmed that the network has decided against developing the series, which Ferguson says is a pity because the script is already so good.