Modern Family

Jay Winer says he knew his son Jason had found his passion in 1987, after a weekend of watching the teenager play Puck in a Friends School of Baltimore production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." In attendance for each of four performances, Winer and his wife, Sharyn, noticed that their son's speech and movements became slower with each staging of the play. The slowdown reached the point where after the final night's curtain, Winer asked his son if he was OK. "And you know what he said?"

Baltimore native Jason Winer will deliver the commencement address May 10 at Stevenson University, the school announced this week. Here's the release: Baltimore-born actor and Hollywood director Jason Winer will give the keynote address at Stevenson University's 60th Commencement on Friday, May 10, 2013. Winner of the 2010 Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award for Outstanding Direction of a Comedy Series for the pilot of ABC's Modern Family, Winer was named one of Variety's 2011 “10 Directors to Watch.” A graduate of Baltimore's Friends School and of Northwestern University, Winer is an alumnus of Chicago's Improv Olympic Theatre and began his career as an actor, improvisor, and photographer before making the transition to directing with the short film The Adventures of Big Handsome Guy and His Little Friend in 2005.

Natalie Graham's first meeting a year ago with "Modern Family" actress Ariel Winter could have been a disaster. Graham, owner of The Doll House, a Mount Vernon boutique featuring Graham's Ragdolls Clothing Line, didn't recognize the waifish, chestnut-haired tween combing through the racks of Graham's vibrant, funky garments. To make it worse, at first, Graham and Winter's mother didn't see eye to eye on outfits. "Her mother was saying no to garments that were still on the hanger," Graham said with a laugh.

NBC is promoting "1600 Penn," a midseason sitcom from Baltimore native Jason Winer, as " 'Modern Family' meets 'The West Wing.' " Forget "The West Wing" part. After seeing three episodes, including the pilot that premieres with a sneak preview at 9:30 p.m. Monday, after "The Voice," I can tell you that this series is going to sink or swim as a family sitcom. And how much viewers like or don't like it as a family series is mainly going to depend on their reaction to Josh Gad, the Broadway star of "The Book of Mormon" who plays the screw-up son of the president of the United States (Bill Pullman)

At first glance, it might not seem like much, two men calling ABC's “Modern Family” one of their favorite TV shows. But when one is the Democratic president of the United States and the other his Republican challenger, you have to wonder if there isn't something special about the show that recently finished its third season as the most popular in prime time among young adult viewers. Last week, The New York Times reported that President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both like iPads, grilled chicken, process-driven decisions and “Modern Family.” The shared sitcom is the item on the list that intrigues me. Everyone knows “Modern Family” is funny, winning and wise.

The Carroll Players will open the fall dinner theater production, "Social Security," tonight at Frock's Sunnybrook Farm.The play, set in New York City, focuses on David and Barbara Kahn, an upscale couple forced by Barbara's sister Trudy and her husband, Martin, to take in Sophie, the family matriarch.Written by Andrew Bergman, who has worked on many movies, including "Blazing Saddles," "Oh God, You Devil" and "Fletch," the play offers a humorous look at the dynamics of a modern family."It's the epitome of a good script when it touches you as well as makes you laugh," said Kathy Schnorr, who plays an uptight Trudy.

The reality of 21st century life is that it's difficult to define a family with children. Most people understand this. The most practical is a "know it when you see it" definition: One adult - or two adults in a loving and committed relationship - raising one or more kids. Leave aside matters of genetics, gender or marital status. But somehow this widespread social change has eluded the Maryland Court of Appeals, which this week has decided that there is no such thing as a de facto parent.

Baltimore native Julie Bowen, of ABC's "Modern Family," grabbed the first headline of the night at the 63rd Emmy Awards — winning for best supporting actress in a comedy. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Are you kidding me? I don't know what I'm going to talk about in therapy next week. I actually won something," Bowen said as she accepted the award onstage. She offered special thanks to her "two husbands — Ty Burrell, my TV husband, and my real husband, Scott Phillips. Happy anniversary, honey.

Performers and directors with strong Baltimore ties had a field day as Emmy nominations were announced Thursday in Los Angeles. The nominees included actor Julie Bowen and writer Robin Veith, as well as two generations of Baltimore-bred directors in Barry Levinson and Jason Winer. Bowen and Winer were at the heart of one of the biggest stories of the nominations: a major shift in TV comedy represented by "Glee" and "Modern Family" leading the comedy field with 19 and 14 nominations, respectively.

During the 20th century, the core unit of society evolved, producing endless variations on the concept of family. Describe the "modern" family: Tradition is no longer necessarily what society dictates, but what individuals who define themselves as a family dictate.It was only a matter of time before changes within the family spilled over into the community and culture at large. As women marched off to work and civic activism, convenience at home became a necessity.Technology and communications advanced, creating goods and services that we needed -- and a market for everything that we didn't need.

Julie Bowen was on the set of the television show "Boston Legal" four years ago when she got the call from her husband, who was on his way to the hospital with their then-infant son Oliver. While hanging out in the backyard of their California home, Oliver's neck and face suddenly began to swell. Emergency room doctors treated him for anaphylaxis — a life-threatening allergic reaction to foods and other things in the environment. Peanut butter or a bee sting was probably the culprit in Oliver's case, said Bowen, best known for her role as a neurotic mom on the television show "Modern Family.

At first glance, it might not seem like much, two men calling ABC's “Modern Family” one of their favorite TV shows. But when one is the Democratic president of the United States and the other his Republican challenger, you have to wonder if there isn't something special about the show that recently finished its third season as the most popular in prime time among young adult viewers. Last week, The New York Times reported that President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both like iPads, grilled chicken, process-driven decisions and “Modern Family.” The shared sitcom is the item on the list that intrigues me. Everyone knows “Modern Family” is funny, winning and wise.

Talk about instant success. Baltimore native Jason Winer doesn't even have a name yet for his Hollywood production company. But he and his two co-creators, "The Book of Mormon" Broadway star Josh Gad and former White House speechwriter Jon Lovett, already have an order for 13 episodes of their first production, a new NBC sitcom titled "1600 Penn. " "I really don't know yet what it's going to be called," he says of the production company. "I'm mulling a number of names, but I honestly don't know.

It's pilot pickup time in Hollywood, and Baltimore's Jason Winer got some good news yesterday with an order from NBC for 13 episodes of "1600 Penn," a political comedy that he co-created, directs and executive produces. The series will introduced as a midseason replacement when NBC introduces its new fall lineup Monday in New York on the first day of the upfronts.   The other creators and executive producers are Jon Lovett, a former White House speech writer, and Josh Gad, from "The Book of Mormon, who also co-stars.

As we head into the sixth audition city, one wonders, "When is the freakin' Hollywood round?" Sorry to start on a negative note -- the auditions just seem never ending. What with the good ones just OK (I miss being blown away, i.e. Paris Bennett ), and the bad ones not as funny anymore … actually it stopped being funny in Season 4. Can we get to Hollywood now? Nope. Not yet, said the "Idol" producers. Patience is key as we milk ... err, head to Portland, Ore. And because I was inspired by last Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards (Yay "The Help!"

Jason Winer was directing Julie Bowen on first episode of "Modern Family" when inspiration struck. "In the initial draft, Julie's character was described as mildly controlling and neurotic," Winer says of the suburban sitcom mom. "But what she didn't have in that draft was this idea that she was formerly a bad girl who had kind of reformed herself. " Winer thought the extra history could add an important dimension to Bowen's Claire Dunphy — and make a difference to the story featuring her teenage daughter, Haley, who just starting dating.

As the television industry comes together Sunday night in Hollywood to honor the best work of last year, there will be few creative communities better represented than Baltimore. The nominees include two generations of Baltimore-born-and-bred directors in Barry Levinson and Jason Winer, and Hollywood insiders say both have excellent chances of leaving the Nokia Theatre, Emmys in hand. "You Don't Know Jack," an HBO docu-drama on the life of Dr. Jack Kevorkian that Levinson directed and executive-produced, is up for 15 Emmys alone.

If Baltimore had a pop-culture Mount Rushmore, Barry Levinson, John Waters and David Simon would be on it. In a few months, it might be time to start clearing room for one more filmmaker. On April 8, Pikesville-bred TV comedy whiz Jason Winer makes his big-screen debut with a star-studded production of a beloved old movie: "Arthur. " The trade journal Variety has already called him "One of the top ten directors to watch. " 2010 was a powerhouse year for Winer. He executive-produced the Emmy-winning ABC comedy "Modern Family" and directed every other episode in the first season.

Natalie Graham's first meeting a year ago with "Modern Family" actress Ariel Winter could have been a disaster. Graham, owner of The Doll House, a Mount Vernon boutique featuring Graham's Ragdolls Clothing Line, didn't recognize the waifish, chestnut-haired tween combing through the racks of Graham's vibrant, funky garments. To make it worse, at first, Graham and Winter's mother didn't see eye to eye on outfits. "Her mother was saying no to garments that were still on the hanger," Graham said with a laugh.

This week, we asked about your favorite new TV shows. Here's what you had to say. ••••  “Two Broke Girls”: How did such a raunchy show sneak into primetime? Love it. --D ylan Kates via Facebook ••••  “American Horror Story”! -- garrotsmith via Twitter ••••  “2 Broke Girls,” “Person of Interest” and “Ringer” are the ones I can't get enough of! --E mily Way Sizer via Facebook ••••  That show that comes on after “Modern Family” on ABC [“Happy Endings”]