http://www.emmytvlegends.org/blog/?p=3734
Click on: “On Modern Family’s mockumentary style and the “stolen camera” approach”
That Emmy TV Legends explanation is is just a Godawful mess. They had a documentarian character originally, then dropped him but kept the footage he was supposed to be shooting as an element in the show anyway?
The parallels he cites don’t make sense either. Modern Family’s direct-to-camera stuff is nothing like the casual aside an actor might offer in passing, but clearly staged as a formal documentary interview - characters sat directly facing the camera, having deliberately set that time aside for their interview.
The sloppy logic of this aspect of Modern Family has always irritated me, though not half as much as the show’s arrant gloopy sentimentality. It’s the antithesis of Seinfeld - a sitcom that’s nothing but hugs and learning.
Parks & Recreation, though, I like.
The problem with Parks and Rec is the character of Leslie almost always comes out on top. The other characters are so much better because they have to struggle with their issues. She just overcomes everything with the power of perkiness. The supporting characters are great but the main character holds the show back.
Modern Family is allowed to be politically incorrect because of the inclusion of the gay couple. They mine a lot of laughs out of subjects that would normally be taboo. I find a Straussian take on the program adds another level to the humor.