When Modern Family debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009, you'd be forgiven for not expecting a lot. Ed O'Neill from Married… With Children was the biggest name attached, but he'd always be Al Bundy, and there was no way we could see him as anyone else. Also, the sitcom trope of character confessionals to some unseen documentary crew had already been done, most notably in The Office. Still, it didn't take long for fans to see that Modern Family was something different. There was originality alongside the familiar, and over 11 seasons and 250 episodes, the series won a plethora of awards, including five straight Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series, tying Frasier's record.
