Modern Family Named Best TV Show By Catholic Group

Modern Family, ABC's hit sitcom which features a loving and realistic gay family among its main characters, has a 2012 award as best television program by the group Catholics in Media Associates, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Despite being well-received by audiences and critics alike, the series is obviously a surprising choice for the religious organization's award. Besides gay couple Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) having emerged as breakout fan favorites, an episode in January an episode of the comedy drew the ire of the Parents Television Council. In it the couple's pre-schoolage daughter Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) uttered the F-word, which caused the PTC to issue a statement saying, "It's not suitable language for a child that young in the real world, and it's not suitable language for a child that young on television, either." Ferguson quickly acknowledged the positive side of controversy. When people find anything to nit-pick about, it's a good thing I think," he said.

CIMA president Haskell Vaughn Anderson III says the group's mission is "not to criticize what we don't like, but to praise what we do."

Approximately 300 professionals from the entertainment industry attended the April 29 event at the Crystal Ballroom at the Beverly Hills Hotel, which followed a pre-brunch Mass.

The non-profit was founded in 1992 by Father Tony Scannel and other Catholics working in the entertainment industry. For more information go to CatholicsInMedia.org.