- Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson played Mitch and Cam through all 11 seasons of Modern Family
- The spin-off would have focused on Mitch and Cam’s new life in Missouri
- Stonestreet said the rejection of the idea was ‘hurtful’
While they may have been one of modern television’s most popular couples, Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson were not popular enough with ABC executives to warrant a spin-off, according to Stonestreet, who played Cameron Tucker on Modern Family throughout the show’s 11 season run.
As Mitch and Cam, Stonestreet and Ferguson received eight collective nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the Primetime Emmys, with Stonestreet twice scooping the award. However, when a spin-off about the on-screen married couple was pitched to ABC upon the completion of Modern Family in 2020, it turned out the network were not interested in pursuing the project.
The spin-off had been reported on for several years, but during a recent interview with Graham Bensinger, Stonestreet confirmed that the network had passed on the idea.
The 53-year-old said there was a “really great” script for the show, but also added, “They said no. They just said, ‘We don’t want to do it.’ I think it hurt Jesse and I’s feelings. I think it hurt (co-creator) Chris Lloyd’s feelings.”
The season finale of Modern Family, which aired in 2020, focused around the family gathering at the Dunphy house to say goodbye to Mitchell and Cameron, as they embarked upon a new life with their adopted children Lily and Rexford, in Missouri, where Cam originally hails from.
Given the mammoth success of the Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan helmed show, with its 22 Emmy wins, widespread critical acclaim and consistently huge TV ratings, it is surprising that no spin-offs have been forthcoming from Modern Family since it left the airwaves. ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke even discussed a Mitch and Cam inspired spin-off in 2020, based off an idea by Steven Levitan, with Ferguson revealing that a script for the show had been completed in 2022.
It’s not too late to change your minds, ABC. Cam’s college football coaching career taking off and leading to him getting a gig with Stonestreet’s beloved Kansas City Chiefs? Sign us all the way up for that storyline arc.
