ABC is finally making a pressing Modern Family matter official: The Emmy-winning sitcom has been renewed for an 11th and final season.
The network’s newly installed entertainment president, Karey Burke, announced the news Tuesday at the Television Critics Assoc. winter press tour, promising that the final season will feature “more milestone events” that long-standing fans of the series “won’t want to miss.”
Modern Family this season is averaging 5.1 million total viewers and a 1.4 demo rating, down 10 and 15 percent from Season 9 but still ranking as ABC’s No. 2 comedy (behind The Conners) and No. 4 series overall. In Live+7 DVR playback, it enjoys the largest gains of any ABC comedy, rising 59 percent in audience and 82 percent in the demo.
“For 10 years, our characters have bravely faced turning points in life and moved through them to great personal enrichment,” remarked co-creator and executive producer Christopher Lloyd in a statement, before adding in jest, “We have chosen a different path by doing one more season of ‘Modern Family.” Added fellow co-creator and EP Steve Levitan (also with tongue firmly planted in cheek): “Even after 10 years together, we realized there are still some things our writers don’t yet know about each other’s sex lives.”
Modern Family will leave behind a rich awards legacy. The series won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series for five consecutive years, tying the record set by Frasier.
TVLine’s 2019 Renewal Scorecard has been updated to reflect Modern Family‘s swan song-themed pickup.
