Rocio Mateos
Good news, everyone! ABC has renewed ‘Modern Family’ for seasons 9 and 10. That means two more years of America’s favorite family.
The network announced that it will be renewing ‘Modern Family’ for another two seasons, that will consist of 22 episodes each, just like season 7 and 8. With already 188 episodes aired after the season 8 finale, the series will hit episode 200 midway into the next season, for a total of 232 episodes, with the door left open for more.
The decision follows CBS’ two-year renewal for ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ the other big hit in comedy series.
“Modern Family has been the centerpiece of our comedy brand for 8 seasons and we are thrilled to have it on our schedule for two more years,” said Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment. “Steve and Chris have created such endearing characters, and the cast is second-to-none.”
New season means new – rich – contracts
The 10 stars of the five-time Emmy winning family show will be returning for the new episodes after a lengthy negotiating process with the show’s adult cast members since their contracts expire at the end of the current season.
Negotiations follow the 2012 drama when adult cast members decided to fill a lawsuit against 20th Century Fox Television – the show’s producer – to void their contracts. Soon enough, the cast and the producer reached a new agreement, dropping the suit and employing the cast through season 8.
According to sources, most of the show’s main actors – Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, and Ty Burrell – will be earning nearly $500,000 per episode for the next two seasons. That’s a $350,000 raise from their previous contracts. Not bad, right? As always, Ed O’Neill will be paid a little bit more than his co-stars given his higher profile at the time the series premiered in 2009.
It is being said that the studio will negotiate new contracts with the series’ younger cast as well.
“Modern Family remains one of the studio’s most prized assets and we are enormously grateful to ABC for this two-year pickup,” said Jonnie Davis and Howard Kurtzman, Presidents of 20th Century Fox Television. “Steve and Chris are genius producers who created nothing less than a television classic, and they would be the first to tell you that their cast and crew are the best there is.”
Reaching an agreement for the renewal was not easy
Talks about the two-year renewal had been going on for a while. 20th Century Fox Television originally sought the renewal, but ABC was not so convinced until both sides came to a deal. They reached an agreement in principle, which outlined what the license fee structure should look like predicated on making new salary agreements with the actors.
ABC was not willing to pay full freight cost above a certain point, so the studio was suggested to tap into its ‘Modern Family’s back-end revenue to build a gap between the license fee it is willing to pay and the season 9 budget – which increased because of the new salaries of the actors.
Apparently, the studios followed the advice. Yes, it may lose a lot, and hurt its bottom line, but in the end, it will all worth it because of the revenue more episodes could bring.
Everyone was so sure about getting the renewal that the upcoming season 8 finale was shot as a regular season closer, and not double as a series finale.
“We are beyond thrilled that we get to spend more time with these characters, these amazing actors, our ridiculously talented writers and our incredible crew – all of whom are like family to us. And the good kind of family, not the kind that argues with you all the time,” said co-creator Steve Levitan.
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