Modern Family: The Complete Second Season

The second season of this hit sitcom was the reigning champ at the 2011 Emmy Awards, nabbing five wins, including Outstanding Comedy Series. A warm and witty updating of the classic sitcom formula, Modern Family's extended brood includes working dad Phil (Ty Burrell), soccer mom Claire (Julie Bowen), and their three kids (Nolan Gould, Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter); gay partners Mitchell and Cameron (Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet), who have an adopted baby daughter; and patriarch Jay (Ed O'Neill), who's on his second marriage to a lively (and hot!) younger woman, Gloria (Sofía Vergara), whose school-age son Manny (Rico Rodriguez) hails from a previous marriage. The three households are connected through Jay, who is the father of Claire and Mitchell. The format combines the mockumentary approach of The Office (with interview-style character commentary added for both punch lines and tender observations) and classic comic situations, all springing from the stresses and responsibilities of modern life. The sophomore season—which includes Halloween antics, a coitus interruptus incident, and a backyard construction project gone awry—ends with a graduation and a birthday for Jay, and manages to come up with happy endings for all. Compiling all 24 episodes from the 2010–11 second season, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)