Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet ‘hurt’ by ABC rejecting Cam and Mitch spin-off
Eric Stonestreet was ‘hurt’ by pitched Cam and Mitch spin-off being ditched. (ABC)
Modern Family star Eric Stonestreet has recalled feeling hurt by the decision not to give his character Cam Tucker and husband Mitch Pritchett, played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson, their own spin-off show.
A Cam and Mitch TV show could’ve been sort of like Costco: big, not fancy, and we’d have dared you not to like it. Alas, it seems bosses at network ABC had other ideas, as Stonestreet has confirmed that the idea is pretty much dead in the water.
Speaking to journalist Graham Bensinger on YouTube recently, Stonestreet reflected on how close the spin-off came to becoming a reality.
When ABC’s multi-Emmy-Award-winning hit came to an end in 2020 after 11 seasons, fans were left with one glimmer of hope: the Cam and Mitch spin-off had been pitched. By January of the following year, both Stonestreet and Ferguson had agreed to reprise their roles. In 2022, the latter revealed that “very good” script had been completed.
However, despite the Modern Family finale leaving the door open for Cam and Mitch’s life to continue – the pair moved to Missouri with their children – ABC decided not to proceed.
Several years on, Stonestreet has called the decision hurtful and shared his belief that the new show would have been another hit. But, he admitted: “I don’t think it’s potential any more.
“They had their chance. [Co-creator] Chris Lloyd and a couple of the writers wrote a really great script that spun Jesse and [me] off in our life in Missouri, [but executives] just said: ‘No, we don’t want to do it’. It hurt Jesse and [my] feelings. I think it hurt Chris Lloyd’s feelings.
“I love my character, I love the show, I love Jesse. We had a great working relationship, we had amazing chemistry.
“Jesse and I felt they thought of us as the old guys, or something like that, [who] didn’t seem worthy of keeping those characters going. It felt a little hurtful But people make business decisions.”
According to the actor, who won two Emmys for his role, Modern Family showrunner Steven Levitan was unsure about the idea and didn’t want to make a new series just for the sake of it.
“I think it would have been a slam dunk… I don’t think it would have not been successful Because you had one of the creators, who had taken such great care of making sure that show was great for so long, willing to do it.”
While he’s poured cold water on the idea of a new series, he shared his hope that the cast might reunite in the future for a Christmas special, as BBC’s Gavin & Stacey has done to great acclaim.
In June, Modern Family fans let out a collective groan as the show’s stars appeared to tease a reunion of sorts, only for it to turn out to be an advert for WhatsApp.
Stonestreet has, however, previously voiced his uncertainty about whether he, as a straight actor, would now be able to play Cam.
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