So, ABC has this new comedy, Modern Family, and it is amazing. The lead is played by Ed O'Neill, best known as Al Bundy on Married With Children, and his character doesn't really seem like that much of a reach. He sorta plays the same character in everything he does. Even Little Giants. Regardless, he is the core of this show and not just because he is the father, stepfather, father-in-law, grandfather and husband of all the other characters.

The show works by somehow over-saturating and exploiting some of the easiest target demographics in modern society. All of the characters seem to embody a stereotype and no two characters seem to be like one another. Yet they're technically (and legally) a family and thus the premise of the show is born. The Modern Family.

It may be a bit of reach, but this is the kind of thing that might actually open some eyes and lead to more understanding in society. No effort is made to rub your nose into the message of the show. You're allowed to laugh at things that would normally conjure guilt. Yes, there are gay people. Yes, there are Latinos. Yes, there is a grouchy old man. Yes, there is a trophy wife. Yes, there is a teenage diva. Yes, there is a foil in the vein of Lisa Simpson. Yes, there is a geeky dad trying to be hip. Yes, there is a little boy that puts a box on his head and jumps on a trampoline in nothing but his underwear. The jokes are often very suggestive and the interactions are often very awkward. It really feels like watching a comedy on HBO or maybe Comedy Central, but it's ABC. On a Wednesday. At 8pm.

So basically, this show has the potential, based on it's first few episodes, to be the next big thing. It would be so refreshing to hear people standing around talking about how funny something was on primetime network TV the night before, not just how freaky Lost was or how lame American Idol was.

And the best part? No vampires.