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I'm Stephen Metcalf, and this is the Slate CultureGabfest, Good Breeding Edition.

This is also the daily podcast from slate.com for Wednesday, November 4th, 2009.

On today's program, the ABC comedy hit, maybe hit, could be hit, modern family,

the very not modern family of New Yorker writer Tad Friend, as described in his new memoir, cheerful money. And finally, a hundred things a restaurant staffer should never do. Joining us today are Slate's deputy editor, Julia Turner. Hello, Julia. Hi, Steve. Great to see you. And our film critic, Dana Stevens, also great to see you, Hannah. You too, Stephen?

Not coincidentally. And as great as it is to see Dana and Julia, there is a way in which it's unsurpassably great to see June Thomas. June is joining us to talk about TV. Hi, June. Hello, Stephen. Laying it on a little bit thick there, I think. Oh, sorry. I can walk it back if you like. No, no, no.

Carry on.

Say more.

The truth is, there's though Stephen Laney on a little bit thick there, I think. Oh, sorry. I can walk it back if you like.

No, no, no.

Carry on.

Say more.

The truth is, there's consensus around the table that the new ABC comedy show,

Modern Family, is funny and possibly even delightful.

Dana and I have only seen one episode, The Bicycle Thief, but it was clever.

It seems to me the show, June, correct me if I'm wrong, is a Hick-Aliant synthesis.

Not really, but it does seem to me that it weds the documentary style of the office, which has gotten popular, both the American and British office, which gotten popular recently,

with the very tight storylines of Seinfeld and Kirby enthusiasm.

And something about the, the great thing about Kirby enthusiasm was the tight storyline was somehow wedded to the wickedness of intent in a wonderful way.

So there was a biting irony to the way that the story, the modular pieces of the crazy modular pieces of the story all fit together finally in the 22-minute format. All that said, modern family, why are we talking about it and why do we like it so much? Well, I think it's interesting that you bring up curb your enthusiasm because clearly it has the mockumentary style of the office. But unlike

curb your enthusiasm, unlike the office, it's not horribly excruciating. I mean, the funniness

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