To be honest, when I first gave the show a chance (around '04) I didn't enjoy it. The general concept and characters seemed completely unbelievable. However, at the time I had never lived in any of the southern states and had only briefly passed through them on vacations as a child.
Then I moved to a southern state (Alabama) to work on my master's degree. Although I was only there for 2 years I gained a new appreciation for the show. People down there actually act like the characters for the most part.
While the southern based jokes are fresh and remind me of my time in 'bama, the show is not without it's flaws. The general concepts you see in all modern family shows are there (i.e. moody teenager, manipulative child, dumb child vs. smart child, etc.), those types of jokes are tired and predictable. In terms of general plot, the only difference is that instead of trying to make a marriage work through all of the common problems, the characters are trying to keep their family together post-divorce (and re-marriage) with all the same problems.
In the end, the show is above average for a family television show, but lacks the wit and creativity that a show like Roseanne (even toward the end) oozed on a weekly basis.
Then I moved to a southern state (Alabama) to work on my master's degree. Although I was only there for 2 years I gained a new appreciation for the show. People down there actually act like the characters for the most part.
While the southern based jokes are fresh and remind me of my time in 'bama, the show is not without it's flaws. The general concepts you see in all modern family shows are there (i.e. moody teenager, manipulative child, dumb child vs. smart child, etc.), those types of jokes are tired and predictable. In terms of general plot, the only difference is that instead of trying to make a marriage work through all of the common problems, the characters are trying to keep their family together post-divorce (and re-marriage) with all the same problems.
In the end, the show is above average for a family television show, but lacks the wit and creativity that a show like Roseanne (even toward the end) oozed on a weekly basis.