Hidden Details You May Have Missed in “Modern Family”

For 11 seasons, “Modern Family” pushed the envelope for sitcoms and opened viewers’ minds to the untraditional types of families that are becoming more and more common in the world today.

And with 250 episodes under the show’s belt, it’s no surprise that there is a ton of hilarious stuff that fans might have missed the first time they watched the show.

Some of the behind-the-scenes details on the show may shock even the most loyal viewers of the popular comedy series. So, here are a few hidden details that will make this show even more enjoyable to watch the second time around.

The Cast’s Actual Baby Photos Were Used as Decor

Viewers probably wondered if the various photos framed on the wall were real or not. It turns out that they were! The show actually used the younger cast’s baby photos, which in the Dunphy’s case, was featured heavily by the staircase.

In this shot, you can see a baby photo of Ariel Winter, who portrays Alex Dunphy on the show.

The Hidden Message in Alex’s Essay

In the episode “Connection Lost,” Alex asked her mom Claire to read her essay, which she did. But she lost interest after a couple of lines and just skimmed through the document. But fans noticed that Alex had set a trap for Claire that read “and I know you’re not reading this, mom.”

Since Claire didn’t react to this, it was safe to assume that she just skimmed through the essay.

The Dunphy’s Kitchen Island Changed

The Dunphy’s kitchen island was a bit more Bohemian at the beginning of the series. It also had two large cabinets at either end of it in the first few seasons of the show.

But somewhere down the line, the production team changed the Dunphy’s island table to modernize the set, which no longer had the large cabinets.

Phil’s Not-So-Dead Friend Ling

In the episode “Message Received,” the Dunphy kids find a message in Phil’s old answering machine from his friend Ling who was about to go on a helicopter ride. Phil later explained that Ling died in that crash. But in the episode “Lifetime Supply,”

Phil wishes Ling good luck with flying his new chopper.