Take the relationship between Cam and Mitchell for example. They are a married, gay couple that has an adorable adopted daughter, Lilly. They often run into comedic situations, as Cam is an amateur clown and stay at home dad, and Mitchell is a high-powered, uptight attorney. However, looking past their outward appearance, there is so much conflict hidden in their relationship, it would fit perfectly into any other television drama program. Cam and Mitchell’s marriage is portrayed as anything but happy. Even others I discuss the show with see that the characters do nothing but fight. They fight about how their daughter should be raised, how to keep the house, even their life goals. When one looks past the comedy, therein lies a very troubled and turbulent relationship.

Mitchell and his sister Claire, a loving and quirky housewife, also have issues with their parents that would send any person in the real world into intensive therapy. Their father, Jay, and their mother are long-divorced after what is portrayed as a mentally abusive and unhappy marriage. On top of this, Jay is remarried to Gloria, a woman who looks like a supermodel and is younger than her stepdaughter. On top of this, it is often explained that when Mitchell was a child, he was severely harassed by his father for being obviously gay, and often wanted to run away because he was treated so terribly. Although many of the story lines poke fun at this issue, there are still moments when the viewer can sense that Mitchell is still devastated inside.

Claire has transferred many of her father’s demeaning ways onto her own three children. The oldest is often ostracized for being pretty, and her parents look down on her intelligence level. The middle child is a certified genius, but again, is constantly put down by her mother for liking books rather than makeup. The youngest child is an energetic kid who is portrayed as clearly having some sort of mental handicap, as it is impossible for him to complete any task without extreme difficulty. Again, this is buried under flawless humor.

I understand that Modern Family is supposed to be a comedy that is true to real life, but sometimes the underlying drama is just too blatant not to notice. My advice, take it at face value and laugh, but do not ignore the important underlying messages. What do you think?

Just as the title suggests, this sitcom is about a extended family that defies traditional expectations. The patriarch, Jay, is remarried to a young, sassy Colombian woman, Gloria, and is acting father to her son, Manny. Jay’s son, Mitchell, lives with his boyfriend, Cam, and their adopted  Vietnamese daughter, Lily. Jay’s daughter, Claire, has the most “traditional” home life with her husband, Phil, and three children, Haley, Alex, and Luke, but their dynamics are anything but ordinary. With this diverse group of characters, nearly everyone can find someone to identify with, making it popular among a large crowd. It’s one of the few shows I can watch with my parents and siblings that we all enjoy equally, although we might laugh at different parts for different reasons!

The show is filmed in a mockumentary style, similar to The Office, but doesn’t come off as quite as awkward to me. There are “confessional” scenes where the actors speak directly to a camera, but they don’t distract from the action. While some of the humor is at the expense of the characters (when is it not?), it’s done in a way that’s actually comical, and not embarrassing to watch. The creators say they have based a lot of the writing on antics of their own families, and the realism really shows.

Even with such a large cast (ten actors if you don’t count Lily, who I’m thoroughly convinced was played by a doll for the first two seasons. She’s been recast and has certainly has had her moments this season!), the individual personalities of each character shine through. Even more extraordinary are the dynamics between the seasoned adult actors and the young newcomers. It’s definitely a talented bunch of kids, and they continue to impress.

If you’ve never seen Modern Family, don’t think it’s too late — any episode is a great time to jump in, although I would highly recommend watching the past seasons for some classic moments! New episodes air Wednesdays at 9.

1. V

V is a re-imagining of the 1983 miniseries of the same name. Starring Elizabeth Mitchell, Morena Baccarin and Scott Wolf, V is about an alien species who have come in peace to Earth but actually have dangerous plans that do not include taking care of humans. It premiered on November 3, 2009, on ABC and is currently on hiatus. It will resume its schedule on March 30, 2010.

2. Modern Family

Modern Family is an American mockumentary comedy, which premiered on September 23, 2009, on ABC. It follows the lives of Jay Pritchett (played by Ed O’Neill),  his new wife, his son Mitchell (played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson), who has adopted a Vietnamese baby with his partner, and his daughter Claire (played by Julie Bowen), who is determined to have a normal and rebel-free family.

3. Glee

Glee is a very confident show. They aired their pilot episode over the summer but did not show the rest of the season until its premiere in the Fall 2009 season. Glee is a musical comedy from Ryan Murphy (Popular) about the members of a high school glee club. Will Schuester (played by Matthew Morrison) is determined to bring them to the top and lose their loser status forever. Rounding up the cast are Lea Michele, Jayma Mays and Jane Lynch, as the evil cheerleading coach determined to stop Will from succeeding. Season 1 ended December 9, 2009, but is now out on DVD. Season 2 will premiere this April on Fox.

Stay tuned for more! Up next: Flashforward, The Good Wife and Community.