Rachel Mercer

(This is my weekly TV piece which I write over at InputOutcast)

With my entire family packed into my apartment for the general gorge-fest that is the Mercer Thanksgiving, the main complaint was (surprisingly) not the company -- but rather the fact that my sister and I don't have cable television. Of course, being the technologically savvy girls that we are, I managed to entertain my dad with a couple of seasons of Numbers on Netflix and hooked up the computer to the tv for some full HD viewing of Dancing with the Stars (my grandmother's personal favorite program). Well, with a lack of "family friendly" shows to choose from (my parents don't share my love of sci-fi thrillers and the Office) I decided to introduce them to my favorite new sitcom: Modern Family.I was surprised, it went better than I initially anticipated. After one episode (unfortunately, it wasn't the pilot -- which was what certainly got me hooked) they demanded another, and another until lo and behold we'd consumed every episode that had been released. Beyond that -- they'd been laughing their butts off at each turn of events. My dad found the grumpy grandfathers quips to be comedy gold, while my mom laughed when the awkward husband bumbled in covering up his golfing excursions, and my grandmother seemed to be the most entertained by the gays.

Personally, I'd been hooked from the beginning because I noticed some key events that happened in my life being played out here on the silver screen (namely, getting my head stuck in a staircase and my parent's penchant for an eye-for-an-eye punishment methods). But the nature of the show I think could make anyone giggle a little bit. If you think about it, the show packages all of the awkwardness of family reunions without having to actually be there. These are the stories that are playing out which would take many of us 6 months to be able to laugh about over drinks and dinner (heck, I'm still bitter when my parents tell the bologna sandwich story). Not only does this show cause laughs amongst all ages, the warm message at the end (yes, those fuzzy family messages where perhaps someone has "learned a lesson") leaves everyone feeling just a bit closer. This, coupled with it's distinct sense of reality in a world filled with all-too-fake reality TV and overly dramatic releases like Trauma make it the most appealing new family comedy on the circuit. I know that my family for sure has signed on board.