TMC
01-03-2023, 09:05 PM
https://www.looper.com/1154219/how-modern-family-could-have-been-a-completely-different-show/
The show could have had another title and some very different stories and actors
While "Modern Family" became a well-known viewing destination for audiences, the familiar show could have undergone a few canon-tweaking changes during its early development.
As noted in a 2020 USA Today review (https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2020/05/19/modern-family-book-what-we-learned-sarah-hyland-fred-willard/3109163001/) of Marc Freeman's book "Modern Family: The Untold Oral History of One of Television's Groundbreaking Sitcoms," it was initially uncertain how many families would be involved, with three separate households spanning the same extended family finally getting the nod. The show's title also changed, evolving from "My American Family" to the final version. A few other potential alterations to the series involved storylines that eventually got axed. Among the discarded pitches was one that sees Haley Dunphy (Sarah Hyland) getting pregnant in Season 5 instead of the tenth season, as well as an arc that involves Claire having another child in Season 4.
Also revealed in the USA Today article are a number of famous faces who might have been cast in the show instead of the actors we eventually came to know. For instance, Craig T. Nelson was up for the part of Jay Pritchett. Likewise, Lisa Kudrow and Leah Remini, among others, were considered for Claire, with David Harbour looked at for Phil. Another casting pick that would've changed "Modern Family" (https://www.looper.com/294929/heres-how-you-can-watch-every-season-of-modern-family/) big time: Matt LeBlanc as Phil. But, as reported in another USA Today piece (https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2017/08/18/matt-leblanc-modern-family-friends-cast/576087001/), the actor bowed out, saying simply, "I'm not the guy for this."
The show could have had another title and some very different stories and actors
While "Modern Family" became a well-known viewing destination for audiences, the familiar show could have undergone a few canon-tweaking changes during its early development.
As noted in a 2020 USA Today review (https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2020/05/19/modern-family-book-what-we-learned-sarah-hyland-fred-willard/3109163001/) of Marc Freeman's book "Modern Family: The Untold Oral History of One of Television's Groundbreaking Sitcoms," it was initially uncertain how many families would be involved, with three separate households spanning the same extended family finally getting the nod. The show's title also changed, evolving from "My American Family" to the final version. A few other potential alterations to the series involved storylines that eventually got axed. Among the discarded pitches was one that sees Haley Dunphy (Sarah Hyland) getting pregnant in Season 5 instead of the tenth season, as well as an arc that involves Claire having another child in Season 4.
Also revealed in the USA Today article are a number of famous faces who might have been cast in the show instead of the actors we eventually came to know. For instance, Craig T. Nelson was up for the part of Jay Pritchett. Likewise, Lisa Kudrow and Leah Remini, among others, were considered for Claire, with David Harbour looked at for Phil. Another casting pick that would've changed "Modern Family" (https://www.looper.com/294929/heres-how-you-can-watch-every-season-of-modern-family/) big time: Matt LeBlanc as Phil. But, as reported in another USA Today piece (https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2017/08/18/matt-leblanc-modern-family-friends-cast/576087001/), the actor bowed out, saying simply, "I'm not the guy for this."