Wednesdays, 9:00 PM, ABC

Just last Sunday, the creators of “Modern Family” won their second straight Emmy Award for Best Original Comedy Series, solidifying its place among the elite comedies of the 21^st Century.

If you haven’t yet fallen in love with this family, now’s your chance.

The show returned this Wednesday, back for a third season of hilarity. This mockumentary explores the many different types of a modern family through the stories of a gay couple, comprised of Mitchell and Cameron, and their daughter Lily, a straight couple, comprised of Phil and Claire, and their three kids, Haley, Alex, and Luke, and a multicultural couple, which is comprised of Jay and Gloria, and their son Manny.

The show is known for its plentiful comic variations, from subtle wordplay to big-laugh slapstick to everything in between. It employs an ensemble cast, and often explores the hysterical relationships between kids and adults.

Many elements of the show are similar to those from other television programs. Like “Frasier” or “Scrubs,” the show blends comedy and heart together seamlessly by the end of the episode. Like “The Office,” it is shot in a mockumentary format with a fake Dutch television crew that interviews the characters in between scenes.

But here’s what makes it special.

The show’s diverse cast, with actors ages 10 to 65, makes it relatable to so many types of people; with a gay couple, they appeal to homosexual partners who are in a monogamous relationship. With a multicultural, May-December marriage, the show appeals to couples who face cultural differences and age differences. And finally, the show’s heterosexual couple and their children appeals to the vast majority of married Americans and their families. All the characters are different: Some are retired, some are in middle school, some are gay, some are Colombian, and all are hilarious.

This show is known for playing to adults and kids alike. It helps to know the characters, but after a few episodes it’s easy to follow and hilarious regardless. Of the different families, there is at least one that Staples students can surely identify with. So next Wednesday at 9:00 on ABC, sit down and watch “Modern Family” with your own modern family.