15 Best TV Shows Like Modern Family

The acclaimed sitcom “Modern Family” was an enormous hit with audiences and influential on contemporary American television. Running for 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020, the ABC comedy took the mockumentary format, popularized by sitcoms like “The Office,” out of the workplace and into a domestic context. And while the conclusion of “Modern Family” left a void in network television, there are plenty of similar comedies that fans can connect with.

From other family-based network sitcoms to shows that adopt a similar mockumentary style, “Modern Family” has a growing number of like-minded counterparts. These shows offer hilarious perspectives on the ever-evolving state of the American family, reflecting the times that we live in. The types of families examined range from lower-middle-class families struggling to make ends meet to the ultra-rich who are brought down a few pegs to comical effect. For those looking to keep the laughs coming in a similar sitcom vein, here are the 15 best TV shows like “Modern Family.”

Long before “Schitt’s Creek,” there was “Arrested Development,” which follows the dysfunctional Bluth family in Southern California. After real estate mogul and family patriarch George Bluth (Jeffrey Tambor) is arrested on fraud and embezzlement, the rest of the family flounders without his lead. Neglected son Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) steps in to guide what’s left of the family business and deal with his family’s various misguided delusions. “Arrested Development” received two revival seasons on Netflix after its 3rd season on Fox, as the Bluth family became involved in politics.

“Arrested Development” offers a postmodern approach to the usual sitcom formula, from its playful narrator (Ron Howard) to its satirical sense of self-awareness. The show completely revitalized Bateman, Tambor, and Jessica Walters’ careers, while propelling the rest of its ensemble to new heights. But at its core, “Arrested Development” really is the story of a family, as uncompromisingly wacky as they are self-centered but still together despite the dysfunction. While the revival seasons remain divisive years after their debut, the show’s first three seasons are among the best sitcoms had to offer in the early 2000s.

At first glance, “Parks and Recreation” looks and feels like a civil service-oriented offshoot of “The Office,” right down to its talking head mockumentary style. However, over the course of its seven-season run, the show brought together its main cast as a found family to an extent that “The Office” never did. The 2009 sitcom follows the parks department working for the municipal government of the fictional Pawnee, Indiana. Leading the office is its deputy director, Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), a cheerful bureaucrat looking to inspire her staff to improve their community.

While starting out very much as a workplace comedy, “Parks and Recreation” gradually grows into forming a literal and surrogate family for its main characters. Numerous characters in the ensemble, including Leslie, eventually marry their coworkers and begin having children together. The professional focus on improving public parks in Pawnee remains a narrative constant, but the show steadily builds and deepens its personal bonds. While retaining the mockumentary format, the change in tone and scope distinguishes and arguably elevates “Parks and Recreation” above “The Office” in the sitcom space.

Sitcom veterans Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn teamed up for the long-running ABC comedy series “The Middle.” Running for nine seasons from 2009 to 2018, the series follows the lower-middle-class Heck family living in small town Indiana. Frankie (Heaton) and Mike (Flynn) raise their three children while making ends meet, with each of their kids wildly different from each other. As Frankie and Mike balance work, parenting, and their attempts at maintaining social lives, the family is bound by a genuine love for one another.

Like its protagonists, there is a workman-like reliability and unassuming quality at the heart of “The Middle.” Its characters, and the scenarios they find themselves in, often feel authentic instead of cloying, while still maintaining clear sight of the show’s slice-of-life humor. Heaton and Flynn were both seasoned comedic pros by the series premiere, and their natural chemistry keeps the show moving steadily along. Something of a sleeper success, “The Middle” never garnered much buzz but stood as a consistently strong comedy throughout its entire run.

The 1989 dramedy “Parenthood” spawned two separate television adaptations, with the latter running for six seasons from 2010 to 2015. This version follows three generations of the Braverman family as they live in suburbia around the San Francisco Bay Area. The extended family endures everything from health scares to issues around marital fidelity and parenting their rapidly growing children. Heading the family are Zeek Braverman (Craig T. Nelson) and his beloved wife Camille (Bonnie Bedelia), who look after their children and grandchildren together.

Admittedly the most serious series on this list, “Parenthood” finds subtle humor in the nuances of domestic life. The show has an excellent sense of balance to it, knowing when to dial up the melodrama and ease the tension with well-earned, off-hand jokes and quirks. Given the sheer size of the ensemble cast, this is no easy feat, but “Parenthood” makes us grow invested in each Braverman family member. A show that grows stronger with each season, “Parenthood” provides a masterclass in television family dramedy.

Having built up an impressive body of dramatic work in film, television, and stage, award-winning actor Allison Janney dove into the world of sitcoms with “Mom.” The long-running CBS series paired her with Anna Faris, with the two playing estranged mother and daughter, Bonnie and Christy Plunkett, respectively. Both Plunkett women help each other recover from addiction as they reconcile and raise Christy’s children. As the two women get a fresh start to their lives through their sobriety, Christy looks to change careers while Bonnie finds love again.

When casting an acting heavyweight like Janney, one expects her to excel in a show’s dramatic moments, but she’s a natural comedic talent as well. Along with Faris, the two leads know when to lean into sitcom-friendly gags and when to get serious on a dime. This is bolstered by a superb supporting cast, especially William Fichtner, playing Bonnie’s main love interest Adam. Running for eight seasons, from 2013 to 2021, “Mom” proved there was no genre beyond Janney’s immense acting range.

Years before “Stranger Things” popularized ’80s pop culture nostalgia on television, there was the ABC sitcom “The Goldbergs.” Set in the Philadelphia suburbs, Murray (Jeff Garlin) and Beverly Goldberg (Wendi McLendon-Covey) raise their three children throughout the ’80s. The show unfolds from the perspective of their youngest child, Adam (Sean Giambrone), an enormous pop culture geek of the era. As the series progresses, all three Goldberg children graduate from high school, with Adam following his dream of working in the entertainment industry.

While strong out the gate, “The Goldbergs” noticeably and significantly improves by its 2nd season, maintaining that higher quality for much of its run. The family ensemble gels well together quickly, particularly McLendon-Covey and Garlin as the Goldberg parents. In a world where shows are lucky to get three seasons, “The Goldbergs” running for 10 seasons gave it the rare room to breathe and grow. This makes a show about growing up actually get the chance to explore this with its younger cast as they come-of-age on-screen.

Actors Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross headlined the enormously successful ABC sitcom “Black-ish” for its entire eight-season run. Anderson and Ross play Dre and Bow Johnson, respectively, who live in an affluent and predominantly white neighborhood with their family. While enduring casual racism in their community and respective workplaces, the Johnsons raise their children and maintain their cultural identity. The Johnsons are joined by Dre’s father, Pops (Laurence Fishburne), bringing his own eccentricities and mischief as he lives with them.

Though Ross had steadily been working in television comedy for well over decade before starring in “Black-ish,” her performance on the ABC series took her career to another level. More than just being an effective foil for Anderson, Ross elevates the already strong writing, both comedically and dramatically. The rest of the ensemble, especially Anderson and Fishburne, start strong and grow more confident over time, with the show’s final seasons being an absolute masterclass in television comedy. In addition to running for eight seasons, “Black-ish” spawned two spinoffs, “Grown-ish” and “Mixed-ish,” expanding the saga of the Johnson family.

The biggest sitcom to come out of Canada to date, “Schitt’s Creek” features virtually every major face in contemporary Canadian television comedy. The show follows the formerly wealthy Rose family, who are defrauded by their business manager and forced to relocate to the small town of Schitt’s Creek. The family gradually rebuild their lives, albeit learning the hard way how to overcome the pampered privilege that they enjoyed for years. The Rose family runs a local motel, integrating themselves with the community who are initially set aback by their self-centered behavior.

“Schitt’s Creek” is one of those shows where every actor in the ensemble understands their role perfectly and works seamlessly together to create truly great comedy. Canadian comedy legends Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara play the heads of the Rose family with gusto, while Dan Levy delivers a star-making turn as their son David. The jokes come in fast and furious, poking fun at the well-to-do Roses, but also the nuances of small town Canadian life. One of the funniest shows on TV in the past several years, “Schitt’s Creek” is an all-around comedic masterpiece.

The upbringing of chef and food personality Eddie Huang serves as the basis for the ABC sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat.” Set in the ’90s, the 2015 series follows the Huang family as they relocate to Orlando to open a Western-themed steakhouse. The Huang family maintains their Taiwanese heritage as they assimilate into their new community, particularly their oldest son Eddie (Hudson Yang). Eddie’s dismissal of his parental culture places him at odds with his mother Jessica (Constance Wu) as he progresses through secondary school.

Initially centered on Eddie’s story, “Fresh Off the Boat” wisely expands its focus to the entire Huang family after the 1st season, particularly parents Jessica and Louis (Randall Park). Wu and Park both deliver star-making performances and they take full advantage of their increased profile. “Fresh Off the Boat” deftly features a relatively authentic-feeling East Asian American family experience with well-crafted sitcom stakes and gags. “Fresh Off the Boat” quietly opened the doors for greater East Asian representation in American media while being its own entertaining comedy all the while.

Thirty-five years after working together in “9 to 5,” legendary actors Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin reunited for the Netflix original sitcom “Grace and Frankie.” As longtime friends Grace (Fonda) and Frankie (Tomlin) enter their twilight years in San Diego, their husbands announce they’ve been having a homosexual affair together. In the wake of their spouses leaving them, Grace and Frankie decide to move in with each other, forming a tighter friendship. Together, the two women take their lives in new directions as they care for their respective children and find love again.

Fonda and Tomlin’s strong rapport forms the effective backbone of “Grace and Frankie,” while Tomlin reminds audiences she’s still a comedic force to be reckoned with. Beyond its eponymous pair, “Grace and Frankie” has a solid ensemble, including Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston effortlessly leaning into the comical possibilities of their characters. “Grace and Frankie” ran for seven seasons, steadily advancing its blended families’ arcs while consistently delivering the laughs. The show is among Netflix’s more understated and successful original series, only improving in quality across its run before making its final bow.

From a narrative standpoint, the show closest to “Modern Family” is the CBS sitcom “Life in Pieces.” Running for four seasons from 2015 to 2019, the show followed three generations of the Short family living throughout Los Angeles County. Each episode of “Life in Pieces” contains a set of vignettes focused on different characters within the extended family, often tying together in some way. Heading the family are John Short (James Brolin) and his wife Joan (Dianne Wiest), looking after their three children and seven grandchildren.

Like many shows on this list, “Life in Pieces” is a series that grew and refined itself over its run, especially in balancing laughs with dramatic moments. The vignette-format helps the audience stay invested in all branches of the Short family, periodically checking in on each home with their own quirks and challenges. These shorter stories help fill out the larger narrative more subtly, organically building out the Short family saga. Canceled in its prime, “Life in Pieces” is well worth checking out if you missed it during its broadcast run.

After working with standup comedian and screenwriter Louis C.K. on the comedy series “Lucky Louie” and “Louie,” producer and writer Pamela Adlon co-created the series “Better Things” with him. Adlon stars as Sam Fox, a struggling actor and single mom trying to raise her three daughters while continuing her career in Los Angeles. Joining the ensemble is Sam’s mother, Phyllis Darby (Celia Imrie), and a parade of friends and would-be paramours in Sam’s personal life.

Following the sexual misconduct allegations surrounding Louis C.K., Adlon took full creative control of “Better Things” after its 2nd season. This included Adlon directing every single episode of the series for the remainder of its five-season run. This consistency and singularity in vision helped steer “Better Things” to new heights, with Adlon taking full advantage of her creative showcase. More focused and hilarious than Adlon’s past work, “Better Things” knows when to go bittersweet and laugh-out funny in equal measure.

The Canadian sitcom “Kim’s Convenience” was based on a play of the same name by series co-creator Ins Choi. Like its stage-based source material, the show follows the Kim family, who own and run a convenience store in Toronto. At the show’s emotional core is the strained relationship between patriarch Appa (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) and his son Jung (Simu Liu). As Appa and Jung reconcile, Jung’s younger sister Janet (Andrea Bang) bristles under their mother Umma (Jean Yoon) and her traditionalist views.

Smartly written and with the pacing of a screwball comedy, “Kim’s Convenience” focuses on hilarity first and its interpersonal growth second. This comical emphasis makes the show more accessible rather than coming out of the gate heavy-handed about the immigrant experience. Lee, Yoon, and Bang, in particular, elevate the comedy, fitting right into its dialog-driven humor with ease. After the show’s conclusion, Lee and Liu went on to more serious fare with Disney projects, though “Kim’s Convenience” remains a proof of their natural knack for comedy.

“Young Sheldon,” the prequel spinoff to “The Big Bang Theory,” not only found similar success but is arguably better than its parent sitcom. Starting in 1989, the show traces the upbringing of child genius Sheldon Cooper (Ian Armitage) as he grows up in small-town Texas. Though Sheldon’s family doesn’t quite understand the aspiring prodigy, they still care for and love him as he progresses through school at an accelerated rate. Jim Parsons reprises his “Big Bang Theory” role as the adult Sheldon, recounting his childhood as he writes his memoir.

Simply put, “Young Sheldon” feels more fully realized and well-rounded compared to “The Big Bang Theory.” The prequel’s jokes feel more earned, while centering the narrative on the Cooper family gives the show a tremendous amount of heart. Across the series’ seven-season run, Armitage beautifully grows into the role of Sheldon, while co-stars Annie Potts and Lance Barber also shine. A spinoff that subtly surpasses its source material, “Young Sheldon” spawned its own acclaimed spinoff, “George & Mandy’s First Marriage.”

If there was ever an heir apparent to the mockumentary sitcom crown following “Modern Family,” it’s the workplace comedy “Abbott Elementary.” Created by and starring Quinta Brunson, the show takes place in a public elementary school in inner-city Philadelphia. As teacher Janine Teagues (Brunson) and her colleagues endure the under-funding and poor management, they look for ways to inspire their respective students. This includes the recently hired Principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James), who makes Janine and her co-workers’ jobs even more difficult with her ineptitude.

Buoyed by Brunson’s sharp writing and its ensemble cast, “Abbott Elementary” is one of the funniest shows on television in years. At the emotional core is a classic will-they-or-won’t-they dynamic between Janine and her co-worker Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams), with both characters keeping their flirtatious rapport fresh and exciting. Beyond this engaging relationship, “Abbott Elementary” keeps the laughs coming amidst its incisive critique of the contemporary state of public education. Offering fully rounded characters while finding the humor in their thankless work, “Abbott Elementary” is a modern marvel of the medium.