| "Pilot" | |
|---|---|
| Modern Family episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Jason Winer |
| Written by | |
| Cinematography by | David Hennings |
| Editing by | Ryan Case |
| Production code | 1ARG79 |
| Original air date | September 23, 2009 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Pilot"[1][2][3] is the first episode of the American family sitcom television series Modern Family. Written by series creators Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd and directed by Jason Winer, it premiered on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on September 23, 2009. The episode introduces viewers to three sets of people who make up a single family. The episode is shot in a mockumentary style, with a cameraman following the characters around their everyday lives and interviewing them at various intervals. It cuts between the experiences of the three separate units before they all come together at the end of the episode.
In the episode, Jay's family tries to function despite the age difference between himself and his second wife, Gloria. Claire and Phil try to punish their son and watch over their elder daughter and her new boyfriend. Mitchell tries to hide the fact that he and his partner Cameron have adopted a daughter in Vietnam from his family until Cameron invites Mitchell's family without consulting him (which is revealed to be the other two families). Reviews for the pilot episode compared Modern Family to shows such as Married... with Children (which starred Ed O'Neill), Frasier (which the creators of Modern Family worked on), Malcolm in the Middle and, most strongly, Arrested Development.[4][5] In the United Kingdom, reviewers saw similarities between Modern Family and Outnumbered.[6] The episode has received multiple nominations and has won Episodic Comedy at the Writers Guild of America Awards 2009 and also a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.