ABC In Talks For ‘Modern Family’ Spinoff
ABC is in early talks for a Modern Family spinoff.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, producers met Friday to discuss a potential spinoff series, which would be overseen and written by co-creator/co-show runner Steve Levitan and co-executive producers Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh.
The spinoff could potentially revolve around Rob Riggle’s character Gil Thorpe, Southern California’s most successful real estate agent who was Phil Dunphy’s (Ty Burrell) in season four. Gil also hit on Phil’s wife, Claire (Julie Bowen) during her brief employment.
No deal is in place yet, and ABC declined to comment on the potential spinoff.
Modern Family returned for its fifth season on September 25, drawing 11.68 million viewers, down from the previous season premiere of 14.44 million viewers. Prior to its fifth season premiere, the series won two Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for “Arrested.” The series was also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor and Actress in a Comedy Series (Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Ed O’Neill and Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara, respectively).
A Modern Family spinoff would be the second for the network. ABC’s Once Upon a Time spinoff, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, premieres October 10. The series is based on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but takes place in the same place as Once Upon a Time in present-day Wonderland. Similar to its parent series, the show will feature flashbacks to pre-Curse Wonderland.
It was initially reported that the spinoff would focus on the Mad Hatter (Sebastian Stan), but it’s likely ABC scrapped the idea because the lead would have be to recast. Stan recently starred in the Roundabout Theater Company’s production of Picnic at the American Airlines Theater in New York. He also reprised his role as James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which is scheduled for an April 4, 2014.
Instead, the series will be set in Victorian London and focus on Alice (Sophie Lowe). Once Upon a Time in Wonderland also stars Michael Socha, Peter Gadiot, Emmy Rigby, John Lithgow, Naveen Andrews, Keith David, and Iggy Pop.
