Steven Levitan
I once called the head of a network a liar. In hindsight, I should have called him an incompetent liar.
With drama, especially, it seems like the bigger the budgets and the edgier the characters, the more interesting they are. We're very lucky because 'Modern Family' wouldn't fit on cable: they'd want us to push it more and be edgier and turn it into something that it's not.
I believe 'Hollywood' is more like middle America than many people imagine.
I was raised Jewish, my wife was raised Catholic. Though we respect each other's heritage, and while many of our friends are deeply religious, we have chosen to focus on our similarities, not our differences. We teach our children compassion, charity, honesty and the benefits of hard work.
Friends in the Midwest often ask me what it's like to raise a family in Los Angeles. I say it's just like where they are, but warmer and with more traffic. I also tell them people here seem a bit more tolerant of those who are different.
What about the accusation that Hollywood is trying to advance its liberal agenda? Well, the fact is, while the creative community admittedly leans left, Hollywood has become a corporate town.
I think every time there's a show like 'Modern Family' or 'Will & Grace' that portray gay and lesbian characters and is successful, it just further opens the door.
At its core, 90 percent of my job is still sitting down in a room full of people, and breaking stories... and that requires virtually no technology.
I acknowledge that Hulu's easy accessibility probably keeps some people from pirating. But a respected industry analyst says less than 5% of TV content is being stolen today.
Right now the producers of 'Modern Family' have no idea how many people watch our show each week on all platforms, and nobody seems to want to tell us. If a disproportionate number of any show's viewers watch in alternative ways, then, under the current system, that show may not appear to be as strong as it actually is.
Some estimate Hulu IPO could bring in $2 billion. What will the content providers get? Zero. What is Hulu without content? An empty jukebox.
I think that people with differing points of view find common ground in 'Modern Family' is very flattering, and I'm appreciative of that.
None of us grew up feeling like winners. So thank you to the bullies, to the popular kids, to the gym teachers who taunted us, who rejected us and who made fun of the way we ran. Without you we never would have gone into comedy.Collection: Teacher
Sometimes you do have to scare people a little bit: if someone is not acting in the best interest of the show, then maybe you need to scream and yell a little bit, or let them know you're in charge.Collection: People
I'm a little bit in shock, to tell you the truth.Collection: Littles
Twitter is fun - I'm a tech guy, I love anything new, I'm big on all that stuff.Collection: Fun
But at its core, 90 percent of my job is still sitting down in a room full of people, and breaking storiesand that requires virtually no technology.Collection: Jobs