10 best bets for a Modern Family spinoff (if it happens)

Will there be enough left in any member of the title clan for a Modern Family spinoff after 10 years? The co-creators have hinted at a wait-and-see approach, per Jean Bentley of the Hollywood Reporter.

As Bentley relayed this month, the ABC jewel will likely close up shop following the 2018-19 television season. The first order of business is determining the mockumentary saga’s finish. But Christopher Lloyd is implicitly open to continuing the chronicles of one family member or more.

In Bentley’s paraphrase, “audience interest in many members of the show’s ensemble cast” would likely drive the Modern Family spinoff vehicle. Even as fellow ABC sitcom Black-ish continues, it has already sent Zoey to Freeform on Grown-ish.

But Black-ish has been running for five seasons fewer. One can expect Yara Shahidi to have more to offer with Zoey than, say, Rico Rodriguez with Manny.

There are only so many Frasier Cranes in the sitcom universe. Even with an all-time great program, not everyone can double their character’s saga and fill another protracted series.

Fortunately, taking a risk on a Dunphy or Pritchett kid in this fashion is hardly the only option for a Modern Family spinoff. In fact, selecting from the sparkling vat of guest characters would be a safer approach.

Out of that realm, here are the 10 best bets to center a new sitcom stoking the Modern Family legacy. All filmography information is from the Internet Movie Database.

10. The LaFontaines
Not much burgeoned from the Dunphys’ complicated interactions with their white-trash neighbors. Those neighbors were in and out after four appearances within a 16-episode span during the sixth season.

Steve Zahn, who played Ronnie LaFontaine, Sr., has since kept plenty busy on the big screen. But at this point, his son (Finneas O’Connell) and daughter (Brooke Sorenson) are both college-aged. A change in geographic and generational focus would be the opportune way to cast a brighter light on the LaFontaines.

9. Shorty and Darlene
At 65 (66 by the end of this TV season), Chazz Palminteri may appear to be past his peak. His onscreen wife and fellow one-time Oscar nominee, Jennifer Tilly, may seem the same as she turns 60 this September.

But ABC is rolling the dice on a Roseanne reboot, is it not? Roseanne Barr will also turn 66 this calendar year. The same goes for her sitcom spouse, John Goodman.

With their seasoning and broad familiarity, Palminteri and Tilly would be a safe nucleus for another varied-branch family tree. The other upside is the limited exposure of their characters. Shorty has appeared five times, Darlene twice, and never more than once per season. That leaves ample room for creative character and storyline development.

8. Andre
It’s Kevin Hart. Need we say more?

Since appearing in two third-season episodes as a neighbor of the Dunphys, Hart has significantly raised his profile. That alone would sweeten the appeal of delving deeper into Andre’s life. But Hart’s smooth-running standup and movie mill also reduces the prospect’s likelihood.

If not for that realistic drawback, this proposition would rank higher. Either way, it is impossible to overlook when reviewing the all-time roster of Modern Family guest stars.

7. Pam and Susan
Wendi McLendon-Covey’s (Pam) preoccupation with The Goldbergs would be a chief roadblock to this proposal. Meanwhile, Micaela Watkins (Susan) has broken away from ABC and traditional TV altogether to star on Hulu’s Casual.

But no one is saying a spin-off must begin right on the heels of its predecessor’s closing. If the stars align in McLendon-Covey and Watkins’ career paths, Cam and Mitch’s lesbian frenemies can take the spotlight.

The same goes for Mason McNulty, who portrayed the couple’s son, Conor, in his one-off appearance. Although, he is now twice the age he was at the time. Any necessary recasting for that character would be fairly easy to pull off.

6. Dylan Marshall
While the show cannot seem to keep him away for good, Dylan has implicitly exhausted his Haley chapter. There were four flickers in Season 7, sandwiched by one apiece in the sixth and eighth seasons. Most recently, he reveals that he has married Dr. Elaine Kolchek, a mother of three.

Assuming that will last is not as risky an assumption as one might initially think. In a way, Dylan could be the next Phil Dunphy by trying to be the laid-back, cool stepdad. And his mere presence in the Kolchek household could elicit a stable, responsible side that only finding a spark with the likes of Elaine could.

The question of how that evolves, and how Reid Ewing and Jackie Seiden each handle first-time main roles, oozes intrigue.

5. Andy Bailey
There is no telling whether Andy will reenter the equation after vanishing from it following the seventh-season finale. Haley’s love life featured a brief eighth-season relationship with Rainer Shine, and is now up in the air.

While he was off Modern Family for the first time in four seasons, Adam DeVine spent 2016-17 wrapping up Workaholics. His six-year run of the Comedy Central series culminated in two noteworthy nominations. He was up for the 2017 People’s Choice prize for cable TV acting and a comedic performance award from MTV.

Barring Andy’s return in the implicit Season-10 swan song, DeVine would be a natural choice for a spinoff. Odds are ABC would want a proven gem with enough still to prove.

4. Donna Duncan
Jane Krakowski, of 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fame, has yet to receive top billing on a TV series. But she continues to pay her dues and reap rewards through supporting roles.

Moreover, her onscreen clashes with Sofia Vergara remind us that the four-time Emmy nominee can thrive independent of Tina Fey. They also make one wonder if she continues with her “mean-girl mom” streak as her kid moves on to college.

If so, how might regular mockumentary interviews impact the way audiences look at her? We will never know unless we see them.

3. Ronaldo and Pepper Saltzman
With Modern Family, we saw a May-December couple and a same-sex couple. Why not consider a combination of both for a Modern Family spinoff?

This approach would follow the original series’ playbook in another noteworthy fashion. Nathan Lane (Pepper), much like Ed O’Neill (Jay), will have been an established celebrity going in. Comparatively speaking, Christian Barillas (Ronaldo) has a fame disparity to match the age difference. Not a far cry from Vergara’s stature on the American celebrity landscape circa 2009.

Add the fact that Pepper and Ronaldo have followed the act of Cam and Mitch by adopting as of 2017. A third-generation representative in Cedric Joe (Lionel) could be poised to launch from this hypothetical vehicle as well.

2. Sal
While Elizabeth Banks is now stepping behind the camera more often, she shoulders the same what-if starring questions as Krakowski.

There is surely much more to Cam and Mitch’s longtime friend than ill-advised party habits and relationship moves. We caught a glimpse of that potential when the sixth-season “Fight or Flight” episode introduced her child. Although her only subsequent appearance saw her return to her old ways.

Then again, the old path could lead to a more fruitful resort. Why not use untapped young talent to present Sal, Cam and Mitch’s untapped young chronicles in a ’90s-set prequel series?

1. Gil Thorpe
Rumors of this idea started floating in 2013. Rob Riggle has since made four more appearances as Phil’s rival realtor. And through those appearances, he has all but obliterated any ambiguity on how Gil’s own show would present him.

Unlike Donna or Pam and Susan, Gil is clearly the kind of character we should view ironically. His boisterousness, immaturity and scheming put him in the same vicinity as “The Gang” from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

It is hard for a sitcom to lose under that dynamic. Sometimes the best comedic experience entails sitting on the edge, wondering how the antihero’s plan will crumble.