Here's everything we know about Modern Family season 12, should it ever happen. The Modern Family season 11 finale brings to a close one of the most acclaimed sitcoms of recent years. Having started its run back in September 2009, Modern Family chronicled a trio of families with a documentary-style of filming. The couples headlining the program were Phil (Ty Burrell) & Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen), Jay (Ed O'Neill) & Gloria Pritchett (Sofia Vergara), and Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) & Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet).
Over the course of 11 seasons, the individual families went through a myriad of comedic adventures but never lost their trust and love for one another. It's a premise that made Modern Family a revelation when it first started airing, particularly with regards to how it handled storylines centered on same-sex couple Mitchell & Cameron. But no TV show, no matter how revered, can last forever.
Related: Every TV Show Ending in 2020
Despite its accomplishments, Modern Family was always going to come to an end. Yet, many dead TV shows like Will & Grace have managed to get resurrected in recent years. Is there hope for a similar turn of events for Modern Family? Unfortunately, Modern Family season 12 doesn't seem to be in the cards right now.
Modern Family Season 11 Is Definitely The End
The Modern Family producers have made it apparent that they always saw the show having a finite life. In fact, their commitment to this idea meant that initial plans for the Modern Family's ending saw it wrapping up a whole season earlier. Back in January 2018, Modern Family creators Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd told THR that they planned to end the series with season 10. Those plans eventually changed once it was decided to give Modern Family more room to lay out closure for its expansive cast. Though season 11 was eventually ordered, Levitan's insistence on the show not staying past its welcome means that there won't be any more episodes after this.
Why Modern Family Season 12 Isn't Happening
Beyond Levitan's personals desires, there are other critical reasons Modern Family is drawing to a close at this particular time. For one thing, contracts for the cast were up at the end of season 10. Keeping them around for more than one final season would need costly pay increases. Also, Modern Family's ratings have been in a steady decline in recent years. For example, the season 11 premiere drew less than half of the viewership seen by the season 8 premiere. That severe reduction in its ratings in just three years is the clearest sign that it's time to wrap up Modern Family.
What Modern Family Season 12's Story Could've Been About
Modern Family season 11 has been full of big developments, with Mitchell and Cam having committed to adopting a new baby as well as moving into a new house. Hayley is adjusting to motherhood, and Claire and Phil are grappling with being grandparents. Modern Family and its character dynamics are wholly different compared to season 1. A potential season 12 would have expanded on those changes even further, particularly with regards to the household run by Mitchell & Cam. Seeing the duo actually having to take on the responsibilities of raising two children at once would have been a prominent fixture of Modern Family season 12. Also likely to have played a notable role would have been Mitchell & Cam's oldest daughter, Lily. Having already gone on her first date in season 11, further storylines with Lily first encountering teenage experiences would've been the natural next step for Modern Family.