PHOTO | ABC.COM

The days of sitting around the T.V. when the clock strikes seven are long gone.

DVR and Tivo have made sitting down to watch your show, when it comes on, a thing of the past. Now we watch episodes on Hulu or stations’ websites, almost commercial free and on our time. This has created a market that makes it nearly impossible for new shows to thrive in. However, when a gem comes along, you stand up and take notice.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Modern Family.

Modern Family is a new show on ABC this fall. It chronicles three very different families and their everyday lives. The show dovetails off of niche shows like The Office in its faux-documentary style, but brings its own flair with different characters and settings. The Office takes place in one setting, and though it is hilarious for those who work in an office like that, it doesn’t resonate with everyone.

Almost everyone can relate to this show as they know their family or have seen others like the ones featured.

This makes for moments of hilarity that are hard to come by in this watered-down age of comedy shows we live in.

Meet the families

The first is the cradle-robber, which features a husband named Jay, played by Ed O’Neil. O’Neil is best known for his role as Al Bundy from Married with Children and he brings the same anger and sarcasm to this role. He is the older man who married a much younger Latina woman and must try to force a relationship with her younger son.

The second family features Phil and Claire, a regular suburban couple with three young children. Phil likes to think of himself as the cool dad and the man of the house, both of which he constantly proves he is not. His actions constantly get him in hot water with his wife. This family seems to be the most normal of the three and provides a ton of laughs, as they are the most relatable.

The final family consists of two gay men, Mitchell and Cameron, and their baby Lily. This situation brings up some hilarious moments, like in the first episode when they want to take their daughter to baby playtime. Mitchell does not want to look too flamboyant in front of the mothers, so he spends the entire episode stifling his partner Cameron’s colorful nature. They come to find out, the group has another couple of gay men, and the women love their flashy ways.

Critics have raved about this show, and it has begun to create quite the following. It airs on ABC’s Comedy Wednesday at 8 p.m. Some may not deem it worthy of rushing home to catch at its airtime, but it is definitely worthy of a season pass on your Tivo. For those who can’t record it, watch full episodes on ABC.com. The beauty of this show is that it just started, so there’s still time to get caught up on all the hilarity.