Go Fox yourself
‘Modern Family’ big rips his studio over news bias
The co-creator of “Modern Family” said Tuesday that he is “disgusted” with Fox News’ outdated views and plans to cut ties with the parent network when the show comes to an end.
Steve Levitan, the executive producer, said on Twitter that he will stick with 20th Century Fox until the end of the critically acclaimed series, but will not renew his contract.
“Fox Studio has been a wonderful home for most of my career,” Levitan tweeted. “So many amazing people there who share the concerns about Fox News but aren’t in the position to speak out. I have no problem with factbased conservatism (such as WSJ), but Fox News’ 23-houra-day support of the NRA, conspiracy theories and Trump’s lies gets harder to swallow every day as I drive onto that lot to make a show about inclusion.”
“Modern Family,” a sitcom about an eccentric extended family living in California, has aired on ABC since its 2009 debut, although it is produced by 20th Century Fox TV.
The producer elaborated on his decision in a statement released through his agent.
“I have great respect and admiration for Dana Walden, Gary Newman, Peter Rice and everyone at 20th Century Fox TV studio who have treated me so well for almost two decades,” he said in the statement. “For now, I will take some time to see where these people land, and at that point I will make a decision about my future.”
Levitan made reference to a potential sale that could see Disney or Comcast acquire Fox’s TV and film production assets. Any future sale would not include Fox News.
Levitan had earlier condemned the network in a series of tweets, noting he was “disgusted to work at a company that has anything to do with Fox News.”
“This bulls--t is the opposite of what #Modern Family stands for,” he wrote, retweeting a quote from Fox News host Laura Ingraham in which she compared child detention centers to “summer camps” or “boarding schools.”
Levitan also called out Ann Coulter — who called the migrant kids “child actors” on Fox News — as the “face of pure evil.”
His harsh criticism of Fox echoed digs by Seth MacFarlane, Judd Apatow and Paul Feig.
“I haven’t worked with Fox since 2002. That family promotes evil ideas and greed and corruption,” Apatow wrote on Twitter on Monday. “We all choose who to work with. I understand why that is easier for some than others but many powerful people are powerful enough to speak up to their bosses at a moment like this. If EVERY Fox Star and showrunner said this policy was evil and protested to the Murdoch family it would make a huge difference in this national debate.”