Modern Family, ABC’s longest-running comedy, has been on the air for nine seasons. The series celebrated its 200th episode on Jan. 10, and it could be one of the last comedies to ever reach that number.
“I often joke to cast members as we introduce our 198th episode that if we were on Netflix, we would be in our 25th season and Manny would be in his early 40s by this point,” co-creator Christopher Lloyd told The Hollywood Reporter at the cake-cutting ceremony for the landmark episode.
Co-creators and showrunners, Christopher Lloyd and Steve Levitan confirmed that the show will be ending after it’s upcoming 10th season. To extend the comedy series past a 10th season would require the cast to negotiate expensive, new deals with ABC and 20th Century Fox Television as all the contracts for the ensemble cast come to an end then.
“If we can leave with most of our audience wanting more, I think that’s the right way to do it,” Levitan told THR. “Never say never, but I just can’t imagine that we’d go past that.”
At the show’s peak, the Pritchett family family attracted over 14 million views and won Outstanding Comedy Series at the Emmys for five straight years– a dramatic difference with it’s 200th episode earning only 5.8 million in viewership.
But the charm and likability of Modern Family has propelled it’s cast members, such as Sophia Vergara and Sarah Hyland, to new heights. Three members of the ensemble– Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, and Eric Stonestreet– have earned Emmys for their roles. The show has won 22 Emmy wins in total for its crew and cast.
Modern Family airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.