There’s a theory that all it takes to establish a successful comedy block is one solid half-hour offering that can then move into syndication, amass a huge following and eventually help launch several other series. ABC cracked that formula back in 2009 when it launched “Modern Family,” effectively establishing itself as the go-to network for a new wave of family comedies.
Yet rather than rely on tried-and-true fare, the network went a new way in soliciting diverse voices to round out the schedule. “Fresh Off the Boat,” “black-ish,” the period-comedy “The Goldbergs” and last season’s addition about a gay high school kid and his Christian family, “The Real O’Neals” – each brought something different to the schedule.