ABC Cancels Modern Family Spinoff After Ferguson's Opt-Out

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who played Mitchell Pritchett on the long-running sitcom Modern Family, recently revealed that he ultimately decided against participating in a proposed spinoff centered on his character's family, contributing to the project's cancellation by ABC. The discussions emerged shortly after the series concluded its 11-season run in 2020, with producers developing ideas during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ferguson shared his reflections on the March 3 episode of his podcast, Dinners on Me, while speaking with guest Wendi McLendon-Covey. He described the timing as challenging, noting that the end of Modern Family had left him eager for new opportunities just as lockdowns began. "Modern Family ended, and then we had a pandemic, you know. I was so excited for this next chapter of my life, and then it was like, everyone go inside," Ferguson said. Producers soon approached him and co-star Eric Stonestreet, who portrayed Cameron Tucker, about reviving their characters in a new series set in Missouri, where the couple would raise their adopted daughter Lily Tucker-Pritchett, played by Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, and their infant son Rex.

Initially intrigued, Ferguson expressed...