After over a decade of success, the iconic ABC sitcom Modern Family came to an end with season 11 but it was for a good reason.
Modern Family season 11 brought the popular sitcom to an end after over a decade leaving many viewers to question why Modern Family season 12 never happened. Filmed in the single-camera, mockumentary style made famous by The Office, Modern Family showcased a large, diverse cast of related characters. In the beginning, there was the head of the family Jay Pritchett, his wife Gloria, their son Manny, and then two subfamilies springing off from Jay's kids Claire and Mitch. By the end, the next generation of Dunphy/Pritchett's had arrived and the kids from season 1 were adults, so why did Modern Family end?
Over the course of its long run, Modern Family's titular clan grew and grew, adding spouses, as well as multiple kids both adopted and biological. While Modern Family season 11 certainly wasn't as sharp as earlier seasons, the show never really wore out its welcome. When Modern Family season 11 ended, it was still a consistent ratings performer for ABC, even if far from what it used to draw before broadcast TV as a whole started to dip in viewership thanks to streaming. Considering all this, it's strange that Modern Family season 12 never got the green light from ABC. Why did Modern Family end?
Why Modern Family Didn't Return for Season 12
While Modern Family co-creators and showrunners Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan never offered a single conclusive reason for why did Modern Family end, it had already been apparent for a while that the show was probably going to sign off soon. When Modern Family was renewed for season 10, Lloyd and Levitan indicated that it would likely be the final year, although a formal announcement was never made. That came after season 9 had seen Modern Family take a significant hit in critical favor.
Interestingly, the fact that Lloyd, Levitan, and the writing staff went into season 10 believing it would likely be the last of Modern Family gave them the urge to try and shake things up, incorporating major life-altering events like the sudden and surprising death of DeDe Pritchett, Jay's ex-wife and Claire and Mitch's mom. Season 10 also saw Haley fall back in love with old flame Dylan, get married, and have twins.
Season 10 saw Modern Family's review scores shoot back upward, and the writers/producers were so interested in seeing where these events would lead the family that they decided Modern Family season 11 would be worth making. For their part, ABC was more than happy to oblige that request, although Modern Family was definitely not canceled. So, when Modern Family was renewed for season 11, and it was quickly dubbed the final season, that was more of a delayed proclamation than anything, giving fans one more year with their favorite characters. So why did Modern Family end? Narratively, at that point, the show's main storyline had reached its natural endpoint.
Modern Family Spin-Off Mitch And Cam Script Updates
The Modern Family series finale saw many members of the combined Pritchett and Dunphy family head off to new adventures, with all three Dunphy children moving out of their parent's house, Manny going off on a trip with his dad, and Mitch, Cam, and Lily moving to Missouri so Cam can coach college football. This perfectly lays the groundwork for the planned Modern Family spinoff centered around Mitch, Cam, and their daughter Lily, as the three embark on new adventures in Missouri.
Unfortunately, Jesse Tyler Ferguson has confirmed that the network has decided against developing the series, which Ferguson says is a pity because the script is already so good. That said, this also confirms that a script already exists for the spinoff, and if a script exists, there's always a chance that the Mitch and Cam spin-off can be picked up by a different network. Though it spanned 11 whole seasons, audiences still couldn't get enough of Modern Family. Whichever network picks up Mitch and Cam is bound to at least get stellar pilot episode ratings.
While it doesn't look likely that fans will be seeing the return of any of these characters in any spinoff shows in the near future, fans can take solace in the fact that the cast of Modern Family seems to have stayed incredibly close over the years. Several Modern Family cast members reunited for Sarah Hyland's wedding. Of course, if the cast stays in touch like this over the years, it might make it more likely that they will be open to an official television reunion at some point down the road.
What Has The Modern Family Cast Done Since?
Though many are still asking why did Modern Family end, the rest of the cast has since moved on to their own projects. Ariel Winters (Alex) left LA altogether and has only recently appeared doing voice acting work for the game The Quarry. However, she'll be taking over for Demi Lovato in the series Hungry. Sofia Vergara (Gloria) has been a judge on America's Got Talent for two seasons and will star as the lead in the upcoming Netflix series Griselda. Ty Burrell (Phil) has also dipped his toes in some voice acting work, recently playing the father Jack in Duncanville. Sarah Hyland (Hayley) hosted the US spinoff of Love Island since leaving Modern Family. Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitch) wrote a cookbook after Modern Family, and also won a Tony for his role in the Broadway renewal of Take Me Out.
Julie Bowen (Clare) hasn't done a ton since Modern Family ended, but she did star opposite Adam Sandler in his Netflix movie Hubie Halloween. Eric Stonestreet (Cam) also hasn't done much since Modern Family ended, but has appeared as a guest judge on America's Got Talent alongside co-star Vergara. Nolan Gould (Luke) hasn't appeared in anything since the ABC show, but was recently signed with A3 Artists Agency. Ed O'Neill (Jay) also seems to be taking a well-deserved break from acting. Rico Rodriguez (Manny) also hasn't returned to acting since Modern Family. Aubrey Anderson-Emmons (Lily), who basically grew up on the set of Modern Family, has turned to YouTube and TikTok, where she creates plenty of content.
Will There Be A Modern Family Reunion?
While there are no plans for a Modern Family season 12, and the Mitch and Cam spinoff looks to be dead in the water, there are still hopes that the cast will return for a Modern Family reunion special. Many sitcoms over the last few years, from Friends to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, have reunited the cast for a one-off reunion episode. There's no reason why Modern Family couldn't do the same though there's nothing planned yet. This is somewhat unsurprising in a way — Modern Family ended in 2020, still less than five years ago. This means that 2025 would be the earliest a reunion special could happen if it were tied to a significant milestone.
That doesn't mean there isn't already talk and speculation about the Modern Family cast returning for a reunion though, which speaks volumes for the popularity of the show. Ariel Winter was open about the cast's feelings on a reunion during a 2022 interview (via PopCulture), and her insight was a positive sign for those who hope Modern Family will return. "Obviously, we'd all love to get back to work and work together again, that would be awesome, but I do think that where the story ended was perfect for the show," she revealed, before adding, "I think that it would need to be a spinoff of the show, like where the characters are now."
The cast has also come together in other ways, specifically for Sarah Hyland's wedding which seven saw Jesse Tyler Ferguson officiate the event. It seems that Modern Family ended on season 11, and if the cast is seen again it will have to be in a new show, or some kind of reunion special down the line. While this may disappoint fans hoping for Modern Family season 12, Ariel Winter's reasoning is sound. Modern Family ended on a satisfying note, telling a story that spanned multiple generations of the same family across an entire decade. While that could go on indefinitely, it made sense to end Modern Family when it did.
