Modern Family ran from 2009 to 2020 and it remains one of the best family sitcoms of all time. The show focused on one extended family made up of three smaller ones: the Dunphys, the Pritchetts, and the Tuckers. It was ahead of its time not only for putting a same-sex couple front and center, but also for exploring dynamics like an older man in a functioning relationship with a younger woman and for featuring three different kinds of families ⏤ blended, same-sex, and nuclear ⏤ all at once. Fans of the show loved it for its laugh-out-loud humor and extreme relatability, which were some of the many reasons why it went on to become an award-winning television phenomenon.
After 250 episodes and 11 brilliant seasons, the show came to an end in 2020, leaving fans heartbroken to have to say goodbye to their favorite funny family. Fortunately, there are many other comedies out there that are similar enough to Modern Family that you’ll be able to continue your laugh-inducing binges with no problem. Here are 10 that are guaranteed to make you laugh almost as hard (because let’s be real, nothing is ever going to beat Modern Family).
Life in Pieces
Every great show has its cheap copy, and on the surface Life in Pieces seems like just that for Modern Family. That said, Life in Pieces, which starred Colin Hanks, Betsy Brandt, and James Brolin, was actually pretty good. It ran for four seasons from 2015 to 2019 and suffered from being aired during the same years as Modern Family.
The comedy had a similar structure, but most episodes were even more structured, opting to tell stories with each separate part of the three smaller families to bring them all together at the end. The show is quite funny and also hits the sometimes melancholy notes that Modern Family tended to, which is why Life in Pieces would be a great fit for any Modern Family fan. All four seasons are available to stream on Hulu and Amazon Prime.
The Simpsons
Even though The Simpsons is an animated television series, it still has many things in common with Modern Family. The series wasn’t the first show to present a dysfunctional family on prime-time television, but it certainly did it well. It of course follows the adventures of everyone’s favorite yellow family, the Simpsons, in the town of Springfield.
The Simpsons shares some of the same archetypes as Modern Family. For example, Homer is the dumb father, as is Phil Dunphy, Lisa is the smart daughter, just like Alex Dunphy, and so on. While not as extreme, Modern Family tended to get a little far-fetched with some of its scenarios as well. There are more than 30 seasons of The Simpsons to choose from and they’re all streaming on Disney Plus, so if you’re missing the sort of dysfunctional family fun you usually got from Modern Family, be sure to check it out.
Friends
Friends is one of, if not the, most popular sitcoms of the ’90s and ran from 1994 to 2004. The show could be considered unlike Modern Family since it’s a sitcom about friends, but as anyone who has watched the show knows, these ones are more like family. It’s always a good time to join Rachel, Ross, Joey, Monica, Chandler, and Phoebe as they navigate the ups and downs of their ’20s in New York City.
Most of the storylines in Friends revolve around who the title characters are currently dating as well as what’s happening at work. The show is also famous for the high caliber of guest stars it invited on, including Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and George Clooney. Its excellent comedy stems from the amazing chemistry among its main cast, who make you feel like you’re watching a group of extremely tight-knit pals. That’s why fans of Modern Family will enjoy Friends ⏤ the sense of closeness between the characters is apparent in both shows. All 10 seasons are now streaming on HBO Max.
Frasier
A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier follows Frasier Crane, a psychiatrist who moves back to Seattle to be the host of a radio show and ends up living with his father. The brilliance of Frasier comes from the interactions between the title character, played by Kelsey Grammer, and his friends and family, particularly his brother Niles, played by the hilarious David Hyde Pierce. The rapport between Grammar and Pierce is truly one for the books and their comedic timing is one of the many reasons why Frasier has stood the test of time.
Where the show differs from Modern Family is that Modern Family has its fair share of physical comedy and wacky storylines whereas Frasier is more subdued, opting for witty banter and insults as the baseline for its humor. That said, the jokes in Frasier still hold up and the relationships between the characters are as good if not better than the ones in Modern Family, so it’s more than worth watching. All 264 episodes are available to stream on Peacock, Paramount Plus, and Hulu.
Full House
Full House ran from 1987 to 1995, with its sequel series Fuller House running from 2016 to 2020. The original show starred the late comedian Bob Saget as Danny Tanner, the widowed father of three girls. The story followed him, his brother-in-law Jesse (John Stamos), and his best friend Joey (Dave Coulier) as they all pitched in to help raise the girls. It was the leader of the TGIF lineup on ABC and the pinnacle of family sitcoms in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
As it is a family sitcom, Full House has a fair amount in common with Modern Family. Both shows feature an unconventional family unit compared to others that were on television at the time. It’s also one of the only sitcoms with a family that isn’t primarily focused on the parents, which is also something it shares with Modern Family. Full House had more of a kid-friendly tone but snuck in some adult humor as well. All eight seasons are available to stream on HBO Max.
This is Us
Hear us out. This is Us focuses on two parents, played by Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore, and their three children. The show jumps back and forth between different time periods, showing the children as both kids and adults, and while it may be much more dramatic in tone than Modern Family, it delivers plenty of humorous moments that have the ability to produce similar laughs. It also makes family its core value, making it a must-watch for fans of the Dunphys and Pritchetts.
Easily the most heartfelt show on this list, This is Us’ underlying premise is that all families are different but are strong nonetheless, which is quite similar to the premise of Modern Family even if the shows differ in their executions of that idea. While you will undoubtedly cry watching the Pearsons navigate their complicated lives, the moments of humor sprinkled throughout are just as powerful. You can stream all six seasons in full on Hulu, NBC Plus, and Peacock.
Kim’s Convenience
Kim’s Convenience is a Canadian show starring Simu Liu, the star of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The show revolves around the Kim family, who runs a convenience store in Canada. This is easily one of the funniest, most wholesome family sitcoms produced in the last 10 years and is honestly severely underrated. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Jean Yoon play the father and mother of the family, respectively, and are standouts in the terrific cast.
The show encapsulates the essence of what Modern Family is all about, blending the average family sitcom with a family that would be considered different by audiences at large. The brilliance of that premise is that in the case of both Modern Family and Kim’s Convenience, the characters are so overwhelmingly relatable that you can’t help but see yourself in at least one of them, which makes for a funny show that’s able to tug on your heartstrings. Stream Kim’s Convenience now on Netflix or Prime Video.
Mom
Mom, starring Anna Faris and Allison Janney, is a great show to watch if you’re a Modern Family fan. The series ran for eight seasons from 2013 to 2021 and follows Christy, a single mother who attempts to remain sober while raising her daughter. Her disastrous mother Bonnie, also a recovering alcoholic, comes to live with them, and together they try to maintain their sobriety without killing each other.
Mom is a unique sitcom in that it tackles very difficult, unfunny themes like addiction, but it does so in a way that’s both entertaining and enlightening. Janney and Faris have excellent chemistry and do well handling the difficult subject matter. The series is geared more toward an adult audience than Modern Family, but Mom is still one of the better family sitcoms of the last 10 years. All eight seasons are streaming on Hulu and Paramount Plus.
Everybody Loves Raymond
The absolute pinnacle of family sitcoms, Everybody Loves Raymond ran between 1996 and 2005. Starring Ray Romano as Ray Barone and Patricia Heaton as his wife Debra, Everybody Loves Raymond had a simple premise: how do you live your life as a married couple and raise your kids when your parents/in-laws live right across the street? Marie and Frank Barone, played by Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle, are absolute standouts, playing their roles as the elderly parents to perfection. Debra and Marie’s feuds were highlights of the show.
Like Modern Family, the series deals with the idea of having an extended family that interferes with your own. It handles that premise expertly while also being a funny comedy about the trials and tribulations of a married couple. While basic in its plot, Modern Family fans will undoubtedly enjoy this classic series. All nine seasons are available to purchase on Prime Video.
Arrested Development
If you’re looking for a comedy about an oddball family, there is no family more oddball than the Bluths from Arrested Development. The show ran on and off from 2003 to 2019 for five seasons. The show sees Michael Bluth, played by Jason Bateman, take over his father’s company after his father is imprisoned. As the now impromptu head of the family, Michael deals with the other members of his family, who are spoiled, out of touch, and highly dysfunctional.
The comedy is also king when it comes to running gags, which is impressive when you consider the years between its seasons. Will Arnett as Gob Bluth, Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth, and David Cross as Tobias Fünke are absolute standouts, the three of them being some of the funniest characters on television in the last 20 years, which is why fans of family sitcoms like Modern Family would love it.
There you have it, 10 shows to check out if you love Modern Family. While some are funnier than others, all of them should help cure you of that Modern Family itch you might be feeling now that the show is off the air. Of course, whenever you’re in the mood to dive back into the family antics of the Dunphys, Pritchetts, and Tuckers, you can find out where to stream Modern Family here.
