The stratospheric success of ABC's
sophomore comedy Modern Family is hinting at a spinoff for its
gay couple.
In
speaking about the show's success with Variety,
Fred Silverman, producer and former ABC, CBS and NBC programming
head, compared Modern Family's DNA to that of NBC's The
Cosby Show, which transformed the network into a comedy
powerhouse.
“If it's a Cosby Show or an
All in the Family, it can make a very big difference,” he
said. “It creates an adjacency to a time period where you can
develop other comedies, if it's the right kind of a show.”
The show is already providing valuable
support for other Wednesday night properties, including Cougar
Town and The Middle.
Silverman also suggested that the
network would benefit from a Modern Family spinoff starring
its popular gay couple, Mitchell, played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and
Cameron, played by Eric Stonestreet.
“It's a big enough cast,” he said.
“They probably could take the gay couple and move 'em into an
adjacent time period and have crossovers and basically have an hour
show. I'm sure they've thought of it.”