# Modern Family: Why is this show still on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 15, 2017, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215 "2017-01-15T08:03:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/1 "2017-01-15T08:03:14Z")
Just watched the most recent ep of Modern Family. “Boring” would be an understatement. No laughs, not even a chuckle. Didn’t even crack a smile. I have only a vague recollection of what the show was about. Everyone involved, especially the writers, seemed to have phoned it in. Why hasn’t this show been canceled? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/2 "2017-01-15T08:31:50Z")
I gather that some responses will agree with you and some will disagree with you, but I gather the main reason _Modern Family_ still gets airtime is that somebody is making money off it. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/3 "2017-01-15T10:59:21Z")
Yeah, the characters have all gone through their natural story arcs already. There’s nothing interesting left to explore with them. It needs to end. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/4 "2017-01-15T13:58:13Z")
I was a big proponent of this show in its early days. This most recent episode? I fell asleep halfway through and honestly don’t remember what it was about. mmm ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/5 "2017-01-15T15:04:56Z")
I’m not a fan of sitcoms so I’ve never seen it but it’s obviously still on because it’s profitable. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/6 "2017-01-15T15:20:41Z")
Says [here](http://www.medialifemagazine.com/this-weeks-broadcast-ratings/) that – well, they don’t yet have the latest week in, since it hasn’t yet finished; but the one _before_ that, looks like MODERN FAMILY was the 7th-highest rated show in the 18-49 demographic. (And three of the slots ahead of it were occupied by a football game, and a football game’s pregame show, and a football game’s postgame show.) ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/7 "2017-01-15T15:23:44Z")
Looking at TV by the numbers, it won in its time slot - solidly beating Serial Killer of the week in it’s 12th year and Rape of the week in it’s 18th. [http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/tv-ratings-wednesday-jan-11-2017/](http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/tv-ratings-wednesday-jan-11-2017/) Modern Family is one of those shows where people fall in love with the characters and with enough characters for everyone to have a favorite. Shows like that can often carry themselves past their “best before” date. Don’t follow the show much so I can’t really say how big a decline in quality it’s had. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/8 "2017-01-15T15:27:53Z")
I still watch but have deleted an episode or two midway out of boredom. It’s definitely tired but few shows on this long aren’t. Funny enough, they usually tend to rally in their last season should one get announced. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/9 "2017-01-15T15:50:40Z")
I’ve noticed that if a series makes it past its second season without being cancelled, it appears to effectively become immune from cancellation. It will just keep on the air until somebody in the series decides they’ve had enough and leaves the show. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/10 "2017-01-15T15:55:28Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Looking at TV by the numbers, it won in its time slot - solidly beating Serial Killer of the week in it’s 12th year and Rape of the week in it’s 18th. > [Private Site](http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/tv-ratings-wednesday-jan-11-2017/) Heck, if I’m reading that right, it was the top-rated program not just for its time slot, but for the entire night. ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/11 "2017-01-15T16:09:56Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’ve noticed that if a series makes it past its second season without being cancelled, it appears to effectively become immune from cancellation. It will just keep on the air until somebody in the series decides they’ve had enough and leaves the show. I have found that this depends on the network but is especially true on Fox, and apparently now ABC. > [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > Yeah, the characters have all gone through their natural story arcs already. There’s nothing interesting left to explore with them. It needs to end. Not only that, but by the time I stopped watching about 3 years ago, they had all become caricatures with no dimension. I assume it hasn’t gotten any better. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/12 "2017-01-15T17:56:49Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’ve noticed that if a series makes it past its second season without being cancelled, it appears to effectively become immune from cancellation. It will just keep on the air until somebody in the series decides they’ve had enough and leaves the show. Well, there is what I call the _Raising Hope_ rule; if a show (especially a sitcom) makes it into a third season, it will almost always get a fourth so it will have enough episodes for syndication. It helps if the show is on the same network as its main production company, which is probably why Fox gave _Raising Hope_, which was a 20th Century Fox show, a fourth season (hence the name of the rule) but not _The Mindy Project_, which was an NBC/Universal show. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/13 "2017-01-15T18:32:54Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I gather that some responses will agree with you and some will disagree with you, but I gather the main reason _Modern Family_ still gets airtime is that somebody is making money off it. > [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > Yeah, the characters have all gone through their natural story arcs already. There’s nothing interesting left to explore with them. It needs to end. > [@CarnalK](#): > > Looking at TV by the numbers, it won in its time slot - solidly beating Serial Killer of the week in it’s 12th year and Rape of the week in it’s 18th. > [Private Site](http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/tv-ratings-wednesday-jan-11-2017/) > > Modern Family is one of those shows where people fall in love with the characters and with enough characters for everyone to have a favorite. Shows like that can often carry themselves past their “best before” date. Don’t follow the show much so I can’t really say how big a decline in quality it’s had. Right. American network TV does not work on the basis of “natural story arcs” or “interesting paths to explore”, it works on the basis of “is it still making money for the network”. While at it, now I’ve got this image in my mind of anthology series titled outright “Serial Killer of the Week” and “Rape of the Week” but yes, same idea. How many new and different variations on “there is a sex psycho out there in Manhattan” can there be? ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/14 "2017-01-15T22:17:42Z")
_Modern Family_ falls into the same category for me as _My Name Is Earl_ and _Raising Hope_. I love, love, love the show until suddenly, I hate it. Other than my celeb crush on Julie Bowen I have no interest in watching. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/15 "2017-01-15T23:09:42Z")
Agreeing with the previous posters – if a show is still getting good ratings, and if the cast and producer are still enjoying it, the broadcast networks are unlikely to cancel it. The one exception to this is the fact that TV series get more expensive to make as they get renewed, as the cast and crew get raises, and a network may eventually decide that, despite the good ratings, they aren’t making enough money on it. For example, Supernatural – they’re on season 12, and I think they’ve already been picked up for next season. My wife is a huge fan, and she felt that the original story was played out by season 5 or 6 – she still keeps watching, even though the show now regularly makes her roll her eyes, or make her crazy. But, clearly, the network likes the show, the main cast members all seem to adore each other, and, so, they just keep pumping out episodes. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/16 "2017-01-16T05:11:57Z")
Even if the show still has good ratings, that doesn’t mean the audience is still awake at the end of the episode. In this case, I only have vague memories of Claire and Mitchell’s sibling rivalry (_again???)_, Phil and Luke up in some belfry, and Gloria playing cruel practical jokes on Manny. I want my half hour back. If the audience sleeps through the episode, how are the advertisers making money on it? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/17 "2017-01-16T06:31:30Z")
Nielsen boxes don’t care if you’re sleeping? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/18 "2017-01-16T06:36:28Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’ve noticed that if a series makes it past its second season without being cancelled, it appears to effectively become immune from cancellation. The Gray’s Anatomy Effect ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/19 "2017-01-16T08:08:03Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Even if the show still has good ratings, that doesn’t mean the audience is still awake at the end of the episode. In this case, I only have vague memories of Claire and Mitchell’s sibling rivalry (_again???)_, Phil and Luke up in some belfry, and Gloria playing cruel practical jokes on Manny. I want my half hour back. > > If the audience sleeps through the episode, how are the advertisers making money on it? Assuming you’re not being at least partially facetious: there’s no way to actually tell, I suppose. The main Nielsen TV ratings are done by automatic equipment attached to panelists’ TVs / cable boxes. But, in reality, most people who tune into a show and aren’t engaged or entertained by it are going to change the channel long before they fall asleep out of boredom. That’s the beauty of the remote control. We get it – you think the show sucks now. But, clearly, a lot of Americans disagree with you. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215/20 "2017-01-16T15:36:42Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > The Gray’s Anatomy Effect Every time we see a promo for Gray’s Anatomy, my wife and I look at each other and say “Is that still on?” It’s become something of a running joke with us. As for Modern Family, I complained in a thread a while back that it seemed like they were compensating for the lack of funny by over-acting and shouting all their lines. It’s still recording on my DVR, but I rarely watch it anymore and will gladly delete old episodes off the DVR to make room for something else. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-family-why-is-this-show-still-on/777215.md?page=2)