This Hit ABC Sitcom Was Banned in Multiple Countries
Modern Family was one of the most popular TV shows of the late 2000s and the early 2010s. It won five consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, and it became ABC's signature sitcom for much of the decade.
Who knew that a show that was such a phenomenon could be upsetting in some parts of the world? Modern Family was banned in Iran and Turkey, and it was remade in Chile. Let's dig into the details.
Modern Family Banned in Iran
The show was remade as Haft Sang in Iran. This version of the show changes the same-sex couple, Cam and Mitchell, into an opposite-sex couple, Behrooz and Elham. Iran has strict rules forbidding any television program to show LGBTQ couples or interactions. Basically, this version of the show pretends that Cam and Mitchell don't even exist. This takes a lot of the humor out of the series as they were one of funniest and most popular pairings in the American version of the series.
Modern Family Banned in Turkey
Turkey banned Modern Family for a variety of reasons, such as "using profane language, allowing coverage of a child born out of wedlock and contradicting with national and sentimental values".
The decision was made by Turkey's Radio and Television Supreme Council. The last part about the show cotradicting the nation's values is a little vague, and once again probably has to do with homophobia. Gay marriage is illegal in Turkey and the country has a long history of bigotry towards same-sex relations.
Modern Family Remade in Chile
The series was remade in Chile to fit the political views of the country, again to specifically eliminate a lot of the LGBTQ themes in the show. Cam and Mitchell's characters are rewritten so that one of them fathers a child with a woman. This avoids the storyline of two gay men adopting a baby. Instead, the couple in this version takes care of the baby that was reproduced from a straight relationship. The characters also can't get married in Chile as same-sex marriage isn't allowed.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 5:59 PM.