ABC’s new show Modern Family premiered last night, and I'm happy to say it did what so many other shows have attempted over the past few years: restored my faith in the family sitcom.

I admit it. I don’t like family shows all that much. Often they’re too precious, too scripted, try too hard to be hip and edgy, or a combination of all three. With equal doses of political incorrectness, great dialogue and heart, Modern Family manages to avoid all the pitfalls of other programs in its genre.

Ed O’Neill (Married With Children) stars as Jay Pritchett, patriarch of a blended, unconventional family. Recently remarried to the beautiful, much younger Gloria (Sofia Vergara), O’Neill brings the laughs by striking the perfect balance of cranky and endearing. We watch as he tries in vain to bond with his stepson Rico (the adorable Manny Delgado) and accept the lifestyle of Mitchell, his gay son and partner, Cameron (Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet).

Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell round out the adult cast as Jay’s daughter Claire and her husband Phil, upper-middle class parents of three tween and teenaged children. Some of the show’s funniest moments are delivered by Burrell, spot on in his portrayal of the dad who tries way too hard to bond with his kids and their friends. In one laugh out bit, Phil proudly shares with us just how cool he is. “I text,” he says. “LOL: laugh out loud, OMG: Oh, my god, WTF: Why the face?”

The premiere focuses on several concurrent storylines, from Mitchell and Cameron’s trip to Vietnam to adopt a baby girl to Claire and Phil debating a fitting punishment for young son Luke accidently shooting his sister with a beebee gun. (Their solution? Shoot him back.) The writers could have chosen to handle either situation with broad comedy and heavy-handed writing. Instead they developed quick, witty dialogue to keep the plot moving and keep the viewer laughing.

While I was consistently entertained throughout the program, I reserved judgment until I got through the whole episode. A part of me was nervous the story would end in A Very Special Episode territory, landing it in the pile of family comedies that try to teach me something about myself in the end. Modern Family didn’t disappoint.

Cementing my decision to add this to a permanent spot on my DVR is the final scene, the introduction of adopted baby Lily to the rest of the family. Clad in a kimono, Cameron emerges to dramatic lighting and Elton John’s “Circle of Life”, holding the child above his head a la Lion King. The scene added just enough irreverence and camp to keep me watching in the future.

Modern Family truly has something for everyone, including a promise to consistently bring the funny. ABC hit it out of the park with this one. It airs Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. on ABC.