Modern Family ratings slipped to the lowest they have been all season after Wednesday's episode, reports Entertainment Weekly's James Hibberd. The celebrated ABC series, which is in its fourth season, was the highest-rated comedy on TV at the beginning of this season.
"But," Hibberd says, "CBS's Thursday king The Big Bang Theory has since climbed to top the weekly chart hitting recent season highs, and Modern Family has slipped to No. 2 and relinquished its crown."
What happened?
"Perhaps it's that Modern Family is rather ambitious and creatively complex with a large cast that seeks to work as a comedy with tinges of deeply heartfelt drama," Hibberd says. "Pulling all that off week after week is a huge juggling act."
He also speculates that Modern Family is facing stiffer competition from other ABC shows, such as the science fiction sitcom The Neighbors, which airs right beforehand. And ABC must now compete with Fox's American Idol.
In any case, Hibberd points out that "Modern Family tends to hit its low point around this time of year."
Modern Family has received numerous awards since it debuted in 2009. Most recently, it won the award for ensemble in a comedy series at the 19th Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2012, it received 14 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series, as well as nominations for each of its six adult actors. The show also won a Golden Globe award in 2012 for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy.
See also: Sarah Hyland Looks Pretty in Purple at the SAG Awards
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