MODERN FAMILY

In his first book, journalist Freeman assembles excerpts from interviews with the show's cast, writers, directors, production team, guest stars, and two showrunners into brief chapters that roughly follow the show from conception to conclusion, leaving plenty of room for detours along the way. Those looking for dirt or gossipy details won't find them here: Most of the interviewees are polite and cautious, happy to offer up amusing anecdotes but seemingly eager to leave professional bridges unburned. However, that doesn't mean that dramatic tension is lacking. Most of it comes from the long-simmering conflict between showrunners Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, who, a few episodes into the series, realized that their narrative styles and goals were so incompatible that their only solution was to take turns masterminding the episodes, which they continued to do—not without resentment and writerly feedback—for the duration of the series. While the focus is squarely on Modern Family and its cast and crew, readers curious about the making of TV shows in general, and network sitcoms in particular, will find plenty to interest them, including the process of casting a show, the mechanics of a “table read,” the construction of a temporary set, and the designing of a title sequence. Freeman occasionally dips a toe into controversy, as in a chapter featuring some of the show's female writers, who made up a very small percentage of the writing staff, reflecting on their less-than-ideal experiences. As Freeman notes, the show “gained an industry reputation…for letting women writers go or not asking them back.” Though some might wish for a stronger editing hand in chapters in which the same point is made by several different interviewees, true aficionados may be happy for the excess.

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