Comparisons to The Office and Arrested Development are probably inevitable, but I think this might owe something to the "Real Families" episode of WKRP in Cincinnati.

I thought that Parks and Recreation had already filled the quota for bad ripoffs of The Office.

Comedy is either built on making fun of stereotypes, or around improbable characters. When you go for the stereotype, you must make sure that the jokes are original. That there is an original point of view on the stereotype. Not the case in this show, where we have seen the stereotypes, and the jokes before. Done better, too.

Probably be an buzz hit due to the loud, militant support of the gay community that will stand behind a gay couple shown adopting a child, independent of the quality of the show. All the Goode Family kind of people will also claim loving the show. ABC will be accused of discrimination when it cancels it by mid-season.

Because that worked so well for shows like It's All Relative and The Book Of Daniel. IMO, any early cancellation will more likely be the result of some right wingnut mobilizing his fanbase to bombard ABC with outrage-filled letters - independent of the quality of the show. If the show is good, it will deserve to stay on the air - if not, it will deserve to be cancelled. Any pre-airing conjecture at this point just politicizes one of the upcoming entertainment options of the new television season. If people don't like it, they'll watch something else.

My initial reaction is: somewhat obnoxious with the stereotypes, but mildly interesting towards the end. I was surprised that they were all one family, because that wasn't the impression I got from the commercials I've seen. But, I don't watch ABC often, so maybe I missed that. (Spoiler tags in case I'm wrong and it's not a well-known plot detail.)

Honestly, I don't know if I'll be tuning in once the season starts - I have school and work, and not a lot of time left over, and I'd rather stick with my established shows than try to make room for a new one. I'd give it a chance if I had a TiVo, though.

I was not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised. I will try to make room for it on the DVR (no more U-verse for me unfortunately so I am at the mercy of Time Warner), but if there isn't something else I DVR on, I will give it a shot. I honestly don't expect it to last past the mid-season point (look at ABC's track record with new comedies), but I will enjoy it while it lasts. I was happy to see Ed O'Neill in the cast. Gotta love some Al Bundy!

It's so impossible to be completely objective. I wasn't expecting much, and therefore, was pretty entertained easily. At the beginning, I thought it would just be one of those shows that tried a little too hard.. and maybe it is... but I laughed a couple of times, and will definitely watch at least one more episode.

Same as FaithW & chris93 : I had absolutely no expectations for this, considering I have yet to find anything worth my time in the upcoming new shows that have leaked so far, but this one kinda worked.

At the very least i'll be there for a couple more episodes.

Echoing on FaithW & chris93...I had no expectations of the show...however I laughed often with this premiere.
My only complaint is the Anal Wife and "Hip" Father. Is he trying to be sterotypical of a African-American or other culture with his talk and "Son" verbage. "Dad" can be hip without trying to be "black". Why is it that main stream execs see "hip" as in acting black or pants sagging down, or the bejewelled hat.

I absoultely LOVED the gay couple especially the Lion King addage. I was laughing so hard at work, my co-workers were wondering what I was watching. LOVE LOVE LOVE them.

Ed Bundy and his young wife...eh ok...

I'll give this show another watch...but don't see this lasting longer then the first season.

I'm going to join the chorus of having no expectations but I rather enjoyed this and actually had a couple of laugh out loud moments which is unusual for me for the recent comedies I've seen. I was also thoroughly surprised that they are all part of the same family so that was a fun moment for me as well.

I'll give it another shot but it's got a tough road to hoe with the recent ratings ABC has been getting with their comedies. Still this is better than some of the comedies they've tried in the last few years.

Ed Norton's going to be guessed starring, so that should get them some attention.

I liked the pilot a lot. Definitely going to keep watching.

I'm very confused. Everything I've read says that the first showing of the pilot is scheduled for September 23rd on ABC. Has it aired already? Or has everyone already found it through "other means?"

giovannif7 I received a TWOP newsletter in my e-mail with a watch link to ABC and a password. I would love to PM it to you but I deleted it after watching. I think you might be able to access it somehow by clicking on one of the "watch now" links on the Modern Family adverts that have been gracing some of the TWOP pages this evening while I've been browsing.

It was okay. But...why settle for okay when there's other comedies that have proven you don't have to? Arrested Development, Seinfeld, Friends, etc.

Thanks SanLynn - I guess it doesn't always pay to click the "no newsletter or email" buttons when signing up on a website. Or to ignore the banner ads completely. I'll see if I can track down a link.

I liked it. The older daughter is going to grate on me for sure though. I know it. I got upset from the moment she asked why didn't the parents just text her and it didn't get any better.

I enjoyed it. I'll definitely try to catch more episodes, especially with Edward Norton popping in. The pilot of Arrested Development was okay for me (same as this show), but little did I know of the greatness that lie ahead. I hope it's the same here. I think I like the gays the best.

I remember I saw a promo a while back and found it laugh out loud funny. So I had somewhat high expectations due to the major praise it had been getting from critics and the giant-ass banner here with the Variety quote calling it the "best comedy pilot in ages" or something to that effect. So fancy my surprise when I checked my e-mail to see TWOP had some hook-up that let us watch it online for free (And that was kind of awesome. So thanks TWOP and ABC.)

Basically I didn't hate it, but I wasn't blown away either. A lot of the jokes were predictable or not-that-funny within the full context of the show. Nothing really blew me away about it. I'm also kind of stretched to see how it would be sustainable as a series without constantly hitting the same notes/jokes over and over again. Anyway, I guess the rest needs to be spoiler barred.

I did laugh at the Lion King though, which was hilariously timed. I also found the throw-away line "You called her Lily? Won't that be a little hard for her to pronounce" funny. The BB gun joke made me laugh as well, I'm easy like that. I also liked the Father/Grandfather laughing at his step-son's letter/paying it out towards the end. The reveal that they were all one family surprised me too. And I laughed at it because it struck me as cleverly done. Julie Bowen didn't make me laugh once in this though, but it's nice to see her getting work.

So I'm not sure if I'll check it out. I personally found Community funnier.

I had no expectations and ended up laughing out loud quite a bit, which surprised me. I plan to watch this one. Thanks for the preview TWoP.

So, Shelley Long is going to show up (according to the latest EW) as the ex-wife of Ed O'Neill.

Loved it. I'm still chuckling to myself at the intro of the baby to the Lion King music.

I had no interest in the show whatsoever, but the pilot was very good. I laughed and was interested to see what happens next. The actors were all excellent and I thought the writing had some nice throw away bits. Pilots by their nature can be less than clear about how the show will evolve, but this had enough good bits to make me want to watch.

I found it fairly entertaining, though the family w/ the 'cool' dad was a low point imo.

Saw the pilot and wasn't too impressed. I had to force myself to continue watching all the way through.

I had attended a taping of a pilot for ABC starring Leah Remini and frankly, I am shocked ABC picked this show up, but not the one with Leah.

Missed the online "Special Invitation Sneak Preview," but from the ABC.com promos, MODERN FAMILY looks suspiciously like a live action version of THE GOODE FAMILY, an animated summer filler. It didn't exactly scream, "Must See TV," but it does have Julie Bowen, who was wonderful on BOSTON LEGAL.

I loved the pilot. Will definitely be DVRing this.

I didn't really have any expectations going in, but I enjoyed myself. Pilots are always a little rough, but I thought it was pretty good. The Lion King baby reveal made me spit soda all over my carpet. Thank God it was sprite.

Very funny!

The dad trying to be cool was getting a little much but I did love the throwaway segment while the credits rolled. Found that entertaining!

Totally laughed at the Lion King bit. The gay couple were very funny! Loved the horrible painting in the baby's bedroom!

Ed O Neil was great as well was the step son. He was too cute.

Hope ratings are good based on the praise of the show or this could be a short series! Hope not!

Def be tuning in next week!

Jesse Tyler Ferguson aka Leaf Coneybear! Fantastic.
Ed O'Neill's stepson is unbelievably adorable.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this show, particularly the connection between them all which I somehow missed during the promotional barrage. The cool dad and Al Bundy look to bring a lot of laughs.

I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. Quite a few laugh out loud moments. Phil reminds me of Michael Scott. A lot.

I thought it was pretty good. I found myself smiling a lot more than I was laughing, and some of the jokes felt a bit flat, but this show definitely has a lot of potential and I can't wait to see the next episode.

I really enjoyed Ed O'Neill and Sofia Vergara (I'm still a little pissed that ABC canceled "The Knights of Prosperity" a couple of seasons back which I thought she was hilarious on) and I liked the gay couple too.

The only thing I outright hated from this pilot was the cool dad. I have a feeling this character is going to really get on my nerves if the writers don't tone him down a little more in future episodes. Also, Julie Bowen's character didn't make much of an impression on me. All I could focus on during her scenes were the different ways they were trying to hide her real-life pregnancy from the camera.

I liked the gay family but i found myself distracted by the decor of the show. I absolutely loved the green paint on the walls in the gay couple's home, loved the backsplash on the kitchen in Julie's house and absolutely adored the striped pillows on the sofa for the husband/wife interview.
Don't know if that's bad or good lol.

Why must networks continue to force white, suburban family angst on me? It's like the people who think the families on commercials are so true-to-life, why not a show dedicated to them?

I cannot remember their names, but I would swear there have been between 5-10 similar shows about upwardly-mobile white people, living in the suburbs, with no real problems, just whining about trying to relate to their kids and "what happened to my life" crap. I can't remember the others, because they all get cancelled after 6 episodes (if they make it that long). I'm not even talking about dramas - just the same 30 minute, single-camera, no laugh track, angst fest. Plus, I would swear that 2 of those other shows starred the "trying to be hip" dad from this one.

The pilot was interesting enough - not great, mind you. But I just cannot care less about any of these boring people, living their humdrum lives of nothing.

• "Oh, my 15 year old might be too slutty, but I'm too afraid to really lay the law on her".
• "See how cool I am? I'm not like the other old fogey dads - watch me relate."

...and so on, but I am too tired to care.

And even if I did care, there were so many commercials during this show, I had to strain to watch. Is it just me, or are the commercial beds on ABC ridiculous (at least during this show)? I just don't know if I will be sticking around.

I really liked this. Al Bundy lives! That being said, ABC has a history of rolling out these great, quirky shows with interesting characters and cancelling them. Off the top of my head - The Knights of Prosperity, Carpoolers, In Case of Emergency, The Job, The Naked Truth (yeah, still bitter after all these years). I hope this show doesn't follow them to the tv show scrap yard. I'm gonna do all I can not to fall in love just in case.

Cool Dad is funny just because he ain't cool. I love it.

The Lion King scene was perfectly timed and hilarious.

"Mall-walkers stay to the right". Hee.

I found lots to like about it. I give it: Two snaps! with a twist.

Count me in on really enjoying the pilot and finding all the characters very funny. For some reason the whole bee-bee gun payback scheduling made me laugh the most. "Nope, sorry buddy, it's on the schedule." So deliciously disturbing. I want to pinch Manuels chubby cheeks. What a cutie.

Seeing Ed O'Neil, who just makes me laugh with the way he looks in a new show definitely helps. Those hip-hop clothes...wow. *giggle*

I didn't really know what to expect but I LOVED it. I found myself laughing out loud many times. I will for sure be DVR'ing this show every week. I seriously had to pause it when the Lion King song came on, I had to catch my breath.

LOVED it. I LOL'd a lot!
I already can't wait for more eps :)

I may be the only one, but was anyone else bothered by the "cool parents" daughter laying on her bed with her boyfriend watching a movie with her door closed. Who knows what was on the computer? Also the way the girl INsisted that the bedroom door be shut when her mother left.

I know this is only a sitcom, but I am so tired of seeing the parents be ordered around by their children and parents allowin this kind of disrespect and behavior.

Agreed. I thought the writing on this was better than similarly themed shows I've seen in the past, and there were some clever lines and genuinely funny bits, but ultimately there was nothing unique about the premise that hooked me. Also, the cool dad made me cringe. And not in a trainwreck kind of way, but more like an "I'm turning the channel until this obnoxious man is off the screen" kind of way.

Definitely not worthy of all the praise I've seen heaped on it the past several weeks, IMO. I actually liked Cougar Town a lot more.

I loved this. I thought everyone was hilarious and actually has potential storylines that will be funny.

ABC + an actual funny sitcom? Who knew they had it in them!

I enjoyed it. Modern Family/Cougartown/Eastwick make for a very nice night of television. I liked the cool dad--him singing a song from High School Musical was really funny.

i almost fell out my chair laughing when the uncool dad said "Lily? Isnt she gonna have a hard time saying that."

That and "Come here you little potsticker". This show had a lot of one-liners that cracked me up. I like that they're all related, I didn't see that coming. When the gay son said something along the line of "let me take your colorful jacket and bejeweled hat" to Al Bundy I bust a gut because that is exactly how I make fun of people. "Mall walkers to the right" was also hilarious. And when did those little beach chairs get so hard to get out of??? I have the same problem!

Really great pilot. The cool dad did seem a little too "Michael Scott-ish" as someone else said, so I hope the character tones down a bit. Ed O'neill is definitely my favorite by far. I'll watch him in anything.

I liked it a lot as well. Only quibble is that the Ed O'Neil with young hot Latina wife seems a bridge too far in believability unless we get more backstory.

I did burst out laughing at the "Lily" comment

Agreed. I realize the humor lies in the fact that "cool Dad" is anything but, however they sort of forced it down our throats. I think a better character would be "out of touch Dad".

Hardly recognized Ed O'Neill (except for his voice). Eat a salad dude.

Lion King, hilarious.

"Why the face?" indeed. This was a good pilot, though not a great one. Phil reminds me of Michael Scott a lot, too. This is not a good thing. I'm hoping they tone down some of the over-the-top quality in both Wannabe Hip Dad and Sophia Vergara's (note to Angel Cohn, our Friendly Neighbourhood Recapper: Vergara, not Veraga) character - it sounds like Vergara's working on a Charo impression. (Although I did laugh at "Pheeel" and at Phil's shooting everyone in sight with a hair-trigger BB gun.)

I really believe these people are a family, and I laughed out loud a couple of times. (Not as often as I laughed at Cougartown, which surprised me, but that's for another thread.) Nice to see Jesse Tyler Ferguson back on my tv. He's great. Cameron's "Circle of Lily" introduction was waaaay OTT, but I still laughed. I'll tune in next week.

My partner and I watched it this morning and we both found it pretty amusing. I, for one, am glad the gay couple looks more like the other gay couples we know, rather than like a couple you might see in an ad in Out magazine. I think there's more comic potential in the 'cool dad' once we start seeing how he relates to the world outside of his family. I love the actress that plays Gloria and am racking my brain to think what sitcom she was in that I enjoyed so much but didn't last long. Thank goodness for imdb.

I hope audiences and ABC give this one a chance to develop. I am a rabid Golden Girls fanatic. But I didn't become one until the show started its strip syndication in the late 1980's and had I seen the pilot before getting to know the show, I don't know if I would become such a huge fan because I find the GG pilot all kinds of ragged and trying too hard.

And welcome back, Ed O'Neill. I don't know why but I really like that actor in comedies.

I don't consider this at all to be a typical white suburbia mainstream suburbia that's been done a thousand times. Unless I've missed all the shows in white suburbia that have an average looking gay couple with a Vietnamese adopted daughter and an old white dude married to a hot Colombian chick with an adorable Colombian son.

I think the weak link for me is going to be the mother of the "typical" family that can't stand up to her kids as someone else mentioned. Although I know actual families like that in real life, I find it unbelievable that people let their 15 year old daughters spend time with their brand new senior boyfriends in her bedroom with the door closed. But I guess all that makes me is old.

This show put me in a good mood for the half hour it was on so I will continue to watch it. I loved all the characters except for the teen daughter who seemed a little too alienated and bratty for my taste. But she redeemed herself in the end when she and everyone else bonded over the new baby. I didn't expect the show to end on such a fuzzy note, but it worked for me.