'Modern Family' should have you laughing

On a night crammed with debuts of new and returning series, here's a plug for "Modern Family," a new comedy opening shop at 9 tonight.

This clever series about three quirky families is one of the funniest to come to broadcast TV since "30 Rock" and "The Office."

Unfortunately, it's on ABC, which has struggled to find any comedy more successful than the departed "According to Jim."

Sadly, "Modern Family" may go the way of "Arrested Development," a great comedy that critics loved and audiences ignored. But I could be wrong.

ABC is building a Wednesday comedy block with "Hank," starring Kelsey Grammer, debuting at 8 p.m. next week, followed by the debut of "The Middle," starring Patricia Heaton. Both are traditional joke-and-character-driven family sitcoms.

"Modern Family" and "Cougar Town" (9:30 tonight on ABC) are from the so-called "edgier" school of comedy.

"Cougar Town," from "Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence, stars Courteney Cox as a 40-plus Florida woman starting over on the dating scene after a divorce.

Lawrence says the character is not like the stereotype of a predatory "cougar" who dates younger men. The title is a reference to an unwelcome label she is given.

"Modern Family" is a "mockumentary" in the style of "The Office." A Belgian film crew is tracking three "typical" American families who have more than their share of dysfunctional mishaps.

Ed O'Neill plays an older man married to a much younger Colombian woman (Sofia Vergara).

There's a gay couple (Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet) who have just adopted a baby girl.

The "traditional" couple (Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell) have three kids and a chaotic home life. In this modern family, the goals have changed: "If my daughter never wakes up on a beach in Florida half-naked, I'll have done my job," says Bowen's character.

This is not your father's sitcom.

HAVE MERCY: NBC's new "Mercy" at 8 tonight is a medical drama that focuses on nurses instead of doctors. Taylor Schilling stars as a nurse back from a harrowing tour in Iraq. Suffering from burnout, she's a blunt, outspoken advocate for the patients. It's a mix of drama and a little unexpected comedy.

WITCHES BREW: "Eastwick" (10 p.m. on ABC) is about three women who want more out of their mundane lives. They become witches after a mysterious stranger (Paul Gross) comes to town.

Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price and Jaime Ray Newman are the ladies. Sadly, it's nowhere near as good as the 1987 film "Witches of Eastwick," inspired by John Updike's 1984 novel.

COMING BACK: NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" sets up shop at 9 tonight for its 11th season.

CBS comedies "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (8 tonight) and "Gary Unmarried" (8:30 tonight) also return. "Christine" amazingly has survived four seasons. A fifth season debut of CBS's "Criminal Minds" follows at 9 tonight, and "CSI: New York" returns for a sixth season at 10.

GLEEFUL NEWS: Despite falling ratings since an impressive debut three weeks ago, "Glee" has been picked up for a full 22-episode season. The musical comedy set in a high school is one of my top five new shows to watch this fall.