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‘Modern Family’ New Season To Be Last? Cast Member Confirms ABC Sitcom Could Be Coming To An End

By Josh Moorcroft
Published on: 01:39 PST, Dec 12, 2016

Modern Family is in its twilight years, according to cast member Eric Stonestreet. The sitcom, which is currently in its eighth season on ABC, could be coming to an end in the very near future in light of falling ratings. Stonestreet confirmed that the cast is now looking to a future post-Modern Family, saying “We’ve shot more than we’re going to shoot in the future. We’re at the end of the series, in a sense, and I think what keeps us going now is that we want to go out as strong, and positive, and great as we possibly can.”

According to People, Stonestreet was promoting the upcoming release of his animated film The Secret Lives of Pets, when quizzed about the future of Modern Family. Whilst Stonestreet didn’t confirm how many seasons Modern Family has left in it, he hinted that plans to bring the show to a close are being drawn up. Modern Family’s imminent departure from our TV screens isn’t all that surprising, however, considering the show has already racked up more seasons than most sitcoms before it.

Stonestreet was also keen to address concerns that Modern Family has slipped in quality over recent seasons. He said that in his opinion, the writers continue to do a fantastic job at coming up with episode ideas despite Modern Family running for 200 episodes across seven years, saying, “I’m just proud of the work that they do every week”.

Part of the reason sitcoms like Modern Family rarely make it past 10 seasons is because they become increasingly costly to produce. According to Cinema Blend, back in 2012, the adult members of the Modern Family cast renegotiated a contract that would see their salaries increase to $350,000 per episode by Season 8, which is currently airing. Of course, this is an issue for networks, because as it pays more to cast members, ABC’s profit margin with Modern Family is closing drastically, making it difficult to maintain.

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That being said, Stonestreet’s comments don’t mean that Modern Family will end next week. The show is currently in the middle of its eighth season, which is actually performing better in the ratings than Seasons 7 and 6. What’s more, Stonestreet also appeared optimistic that ABC will renew the show for at least another season in 2017.

Modern Family has arguably made the careers of many of its stars, including Stonestreet himself, who had primarily worked on television procedurals before landing the role of Cam in Modern Family. Stonestreet has also gained major roles in HBO’s television film Confirmation and as aforementioned, The Secret Lives of Pets. In the interview, Stonestreet also said that he and Modern Family’s other cast members are already looking to a future without Modern Family, suggesting that he already has other roles lined up.

Modern Family, which first hit television screens in 2009 has also been imperative in launching the acting careers of many of its younger stars. Sarah Hyland, 24, and Ariel Winter, 18, who are onscreen siblings in Modern Family have both recently appeared in a number of movie releases. Many of the shows younger stars have also grown up in the public eye, which has particularly affected Winter, who has been at the heart of a number of very public stories about her private life.

The show is set to air one final episode before the holidays on December 14. Season 8 will then resume in January 2017, when ABC is expected to confirm future plans for the show.

[Featured Image by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images]

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