Created by Christopher Lloyd, this six time Emmy winner is one of the funniest sitcoms on television, presenting the new nuclear family, complete with the step family with an age gap and the same sex family all tied together with love, acceptance and err… a lot (and I’m not kidding) a lot of sarcasm. We’re going to go down the reasons in a countdown style, you know, just because.
- The script
Is the main reason for all the Emmys they won. It has some of the snappiest lines, wittiest quips, expertly rolled around jokes, oodles of sarcasm and the perfect…est comebacks to be found on any comedy on TV today.
- It plays on all the clichés!
What clichés, you ask? Well, it’s got the trophy wife of a wealthy guy, the tired parents of teenagers, the nerd, the popular girl, the old soul trapped in the body of a 13 year old and the list goes on. Basically, the show presents the complicated family that we see today effortlessly and punny-ly. (Pun + funny-ly = punny-ly. You’ll get it when you watch the show.)
- It’s not a documentary, it’s a mockumentary
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Yes, you got that right. It revolves around a family being followed around by a documentary film crew. So we don’t have just the events, we also have the characters’ own opinions and views on it.
- The characters and situations
Realistic situations and troubles combined with brilliant acting, and voila! We have the recipe for a great show. Whether it’s control freak Claire, or funny dad Phil, Luke with his crazy ideas, Alex with her books, Hayley with her clothes or Mitch and Cam, the extremely likable gay couple, they’re all very, very natural in their roles and execute them perfectly.
- Manny: The little adult that could
This guy, honestly, is probably more mature than any of the other adults on the show. His mind far exceeds his age. I’m talking about heartfelt poetries and tuxedos at dinners and differentiating between teal and blue and talking about the human psychology, and all voluntarily too.
- Gloria’s accent
Gloria’s English is something out of this world. Literally. NOBODY gets it in the first go! “Dog eat dog world” becomes “Doggy dog world”. And to top that, she speaks at a volume that might be a little too loud…Just a little bit…
- Something for your sweet tooth
Amidst all the humour and sarcasm, there are those nice, absolutely heart warming moments where you can’t help but go aww, and the sentiment NEVER feels forced!
- The missing laugh
An important thing is that it lacks is the annoying laugh most shows have when something even remotely funny happens or is said. I, for one, find that laugh very irritating, sometimes unnecessary and definitely overused.
- Phil’s step
Yeah, this is probably the best and the longest running gags in the show, so much so that Phil’s step is now almost a member of the family, one that makes Claire and Phil fall every time they go upstairs. “Gotta fix that step!” Phil shouts each time. Well, seems like he’s still fixing it.
- The quotes!
I’m most excited to tell you about this one. Nothing need be said. You can read them for yourself.
Luke: “Manny’s the worst roommate! Everything he finds, he FOLDS!”
Phil: “I text. LOL: Laugh Out Loud. OMG: Oh My God. WTF: Why The Face?”
Mitchell: “I just stole a baby’s intellectual property.”
Jay: “When I heard Manny wanted to fence, I was like, sure. Uncoordinated kid, lethal weapon, how can this go wrong?”
Hayley: “Why are you guys yelling? We were way upstairs. Just text me!”
Alex: “I let down my mom and dad today. And even worse, I let down my teacher.”
And my favourite one,
Phil: “If life gives you lemonade, make lemons and life will be all like “whaaaaat?”
