The Modern Family cast have been seeking to move on to different ventures since the long-running comedy series wrapped its 11-season run on ABC in 2020. Eric Stonestreet – the Emmy-winning actor who portrayed Cameron Tucker on the show – has been doing just that. While the actor has landed a few notable gigs since the mockumentary romp wrapped up, he's now secured what seems to be his biggest post-MF role yet. And what you should know straight-up is that this new small-screen venture won’t be on network TV.
Eric Stonestreet is taking his talents to Amazon Prime Video (one of the best streaming services), where he’s set up a deal to star in and executive-produce a new show called Home Team. According to Deadline, there are a number of creatives involved in the project, including Peyton Manning. The NFL legend is reportedly set to serve as an EP and perform those duties under his Omaha Productions banner. After the news broke, Stonestreet himself took to social media to share his reaction. The humorous star shared a screenshot of the news outlet’s headline on Instagram and, in his caption, he made a playful joke aimed at Manning:
Very excited to work with the great team we’ve assembled here with me as the QB, obvi. And per my contract, my head is bigger than Peyton’s in this picture.
Home Team, which counts Jason Belville as its showrunner, is reportedly inspired by the relationships that Eric Stonestreet and Peyton Manning have with their own fathers. The half-hour, single-camera comedy will see Stonestreet play Scott Hansen, a man seeking to make some changes in his life after putting his father into a retirement home. While it’s only a brief synopsis, it suggests that prospective viewers are in for an upbeat show and, even based on the few details we have, I can imagine the kinds of laughs this series might generate.
Since taking his final bow on Modern Family, the veteran actor has appeared on the likes of American Auto and Madagascar: A Little Wild. He even hosted the short-lived Fox game show Domino Masters back in 2022. His most notable job since the end of the hit ABC sitcom, though, may be his stint as a member of the Santa Clauses cast. During Season 2 of the legacy sequel series (which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription), he played Magnus Antas or “Mad Santa,” who clashed with Tim Allen’s Santa on the show. In the role of Mad Santa, the Secret Life of Pets star was truly able to chew some scenery.
There are still a number of questions regarding what viewers might be able to expect from Home Team. One of the biggest, at this point, is in regard to what other actors might be joining Eric Stonestreet on the series. It’s fair to assume that the casting producers may seek out stars who are able to match the comedic actor’s energy and timing. And, who knows, maybe, a Modern Family alum or two might pop in for a guest appearance. That may be a bit on the nose but, considering how close the stars still are, it could happen.
As of right now, a release window has yet to be announced for the upcoming show, but it seems unlikely that it’ll appear on the 2024 TV schedule. Regardless of when it drops, though, I’m just excited that the delightful Eric Stonestreet is headed back to the small screen to lead a show of his own. Make sure you have a Prime Video subscription so that you can stream the series when it does finally arrive on the platform.
