ABC Scrapped a Modern Family Spinoff Series

After the end of Modern Family, ABC almost launched a spinoff — but apparently, the network got cold feet before a pilot was ever made. That’s according to series star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who revealed the bit of TV trivia on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen this week. Speaking about his decade or so on the hit sitcom, Ferguson revealed some of the items he took from the set, talked about the cast’s current level of communication (like every big cast, they have a pretty active text message thread, apparently).

The spinoff would reportedly have centered Mitchel and Cam, their daughter Lily, and their new baby, as they started a new chapter of their life in Missouri, where they moved after Cam accepted a position as a college football coach in the show’s final season. Some fans had assumed this was coming, given how the spinoff was somewhat telegraphed in the finale.

“There were discussions,” Ferguson told Cohen. “I think the network decided against it. That’s the first time I’ve ever said that.”

You can see the clip below.

Ferguson said that he didn’t really know why the spinoff did not go forward, other than the fact that the network may have felt like it was time to take a break. 

“I think they just wondering if this is the right family to tell this story,” Ferguson explained. “I think they were – you know, we’d been on for 11 years and I think they were ready to move in a different direction.”

Don’t be too surprised if there’s a How I Met Your Father-style spinoff that comes around after a short break, then.

Modern Family is currently streaming in its entirety on Hulu and Peacock.

“Peacock is home to a massive catalog of iconic movies and shows, so a groundbreaking comedy like Modern Family is a perfect addition and representative of the quality entertainment our free and premium customers enjoy on the service,” said Val Boreland, Executive Vice President, Content Acquisitions, NBCUniversal Entertainment, Television & Streaming, back when they first acquired the series in 2021. “Because viewers of all ages love Modern Family, we are creating a fan experience on Peacock that goes beyond just episodes of the series to include curated collections, bonus content, and more.”