I’ve been a fan of ABC’s “Modern Family” since the show’s 2009 premiere.
I’ve also been waiting for the moment when it would jump the proverbial shark and get too cutesy.
Part of Wednesday night’s episode did the trick.
I’m alluding specifically to the storyline in which Phil (Ty Burrell) knocks over and breaks Jay’s (Ed O’Neill) scale model of Apollo 13 — with the accompanying scenario choreographed a la the real-life 1970 Apollo 13 situation as a sweaty Phil tries piecing the model back together, aided by son Luke (Nolan Gould) and Manny (Rico Rodriguez) — just like the three Apollo 13 astronauts, get it? Manny and Luke, of course, were wearing early-’70s-era white shirts and skinny ties (ostensibly for their school photos), with Phil getting a Skype assist from his dad (played by Fred Willard) while Gloria (Sofia Vergara), Hailey (Sarah Hyland) and Alex (Ariel Winter) watched on a (black and white) monitor. Oh, and when Phil breaks the model, Gloria calls the restaurant to cancel dinner plans (“Houston’s, we have a problem”). A bit too precious. But that’s me.