Written by on Feb 18, 2014. Posted in On Location

Modern Family TV comedy to film holiday show in Queensland and Sydney

Hit US sitcom Modern Family will film in Queensland and Sydney for a special holiday episode in Australia. The Los Angeles-based show is one of the top-rated comedies in the US and producers will film scenes at iconic spots like the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

“We just had to go to Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef since, like Sofia Vergara (one of the show’s stars), it's one of the natural wonders of the world,” said series Co-Creator and Executive Producer Steven Levitan.

Added Queensland Arts Minister Ian Walker: “Modern Family is a hugely popular show and it’s very exciting for our tourism industry to know that places like the Great Barrier Reef and Hayman Island will be seen by millions of people right round the world.

“We’ve been working hard to make Queensland a great place to do business and this deal was made possible through Screen Queensland’s Production Incentive Programme.”

The Australia shoot marks the first time Modern Family has filmed on location outside the US.

We just had to go to Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef since, like Sofia Vergara, it's one of the natural wonders of the world.

Steven Levitan, Co-Creator/Executive Producer

Australian airline Qantas is bringing the production team to the country, having had great success in the past organising visits from Oprah Winfrey’s talk show and also current daytime star Ellen DeGeneres, both of whom have huge TV audiences in the US, meaning invaluable promotion for Australia.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Queensland’s destinations and encourage the show’s fans to visit our state,” said Queensland’s Tourism Minister Jann Stuckey.

“Tourism and Events Queensland will work with Qantas to maximise exposure for the state’s tourism industry, leveraging the opportunity to further grow the US market and deliver a real benefit for tourism operators across Queensland.”

(Images: ABC)