Just last week, Modern Family swept the comedy category at the annual Emmy awards, taking home five trophies, including Best Comedy. I watched the telecast and my response was very neutral, as I haven't changed by tune on Modern Family -- It's good, with flourishes of great, but it's not the best comedy on television. (That honor should go to Parks and Recreation.) Do I enjoy Modern Family ? Of course, I do. Going into my review of Season One, I was very wary, but I found myself laughing at every episode and enjoying the clever dialogue. This continues with Season Two, as the writing has stayed very sharp. The situations presented on the show fall somewhere between real life and the absurd and that's part of what makes show appealing. (I loved it when Phil said, "I'm not getting caught in a game of 'Good Cop and Mom'." Why is that funny? Because it's true.) Some of the storylines get a little "out there", but most are grounded in reality and this helps to increase the humor. The comedy comes from a mixture of lightning quick one-liners and clever jokes, mixed with physical comedy, which usually has to do with Phil or Cameron falling down.

Yes, I consistently laugh at Modern Family, but the show is missing one key ingredient which I feel is necessary to be a truly classic television comedy -- continuity. Every episode is a stand-alone story. Sure, that's a great marketing tool if you're ABC and you want viewers to feel that they can jump into the series at any time. But, I feel that it shows laziness on the part of the writers. Yes, there are recurring characters and some callbacks (such as Phil's greatest enemy -- the loose stair), but for the most part, most storylines act as if others don't exist. I prefer shows which roll out a story arc which continues over several episodes. As these stories evolve, the characters do as well. The characters on Modern Family remain stagnant and see little change. This approach works for The Simpsons, but it's an odd way to go for a live-action program.

So, I hope that I'm getting my point across. Modern Family is a very good show which is funny and entertaining. It's certainly amongst the best comedies on TV and displays clever writing and spirited acting. However, it's not the best comedy on TV. This may change with Season 3 however, as the plot from the premiere spilled over into the second episode. There may be hope yet.

Modern Family: The Complete Second Season throws a wet blanket on my dreams on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The three-disc set contains all 24 episodes of the show's second season. The show has been letterboxed at 1.78:1 and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 22 Mbps. The image is very sharp and clear, showing no grain and no defects from the source material. The colors look very good and the image is never overly dark or bright. The level of detail is good, as if the depth. This transfer rivals HD broadcast quality. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which runs 48 kHz and an average of 3.0 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. The stereo effects are noticeable, especially during crowd scenes. We get minor surround sound effects during these same scenes, and occasionally off-screen sounds come from the rear speakers.

The Modern Family: The Complete Second Season DVD set contains several extras. Each Disc contains a series of "Deleted Family Interviews" -- Disc 1 - 4 minutes, Disc 2 - 5 minutes , and Disc 3 - 2 minutes. Each Disc also contains a reel of DELETED AND EXTENDED SCENES -- Disc 1 - 10 minutes, Disc 2 - 11 minutes, and Disc 3 - 1 minute. There is some great stuff here, especially the many on-camera confessionals from Phil. These includes some multiple takes which show alternate line readings. Disc 1 offers "Strangers on a Treadmill - Table Read" (38 minutes) which shows the cast doing a dry run of the episode in front of a live audience. "Mitch's Flash Mob" (3 minutes) takes us behind-the-scenes for the dance number, as Jesse Tyler Ferguson discusses the experience. Disc 2 has the MUSIC VIDEO for the song "Imagine Me Naked" by Dylan (Reid Ewing). Disc 3 offers an 8-minute GAG REEL. "Modern Family Holidays" (13 minutes) is a featurette which explores, through clips and interviews with the actors and creators, how the show capitalizes on holidays for its gags. "Waiting for Oprah" (4 minutes) shows the cast on-set as they are followed by a crew from The Oprah Winfrey Show. "Chatting with Steve Levitan" (4 minutes) is an interview with the show's co-creator. "At Home with Modern Family" (6 minutes) has Production Designer Richard Berg giving a tour of the set of Mitchell and Cameron's house.