It's amazing to do Married...
With Children for 11 seasons and then get another show
that's just as popular, for Modern Family to go 11 seasons.
Yeah, I mean, lucky.
It's incredible.
And you just wrapped a couple of weeks ago.
Right, yeah.
We've got four shows that haven't aired yet.
The finale is a two-parter, and then that's it.
And who was the most emotional on the last day?
Well, ha, I'd have to say Julie, Julie Bowen.
Yeah.
And I thought she was going to have
to be sedated and carried out.
But everybody was having their moments, you know?
And I'm like going, let's get it done, you know?
I'm more or less Youngstown, Ohio, steel mill,
let's get it done.
And then they said, but you don't cry.
You know, you're not emotional.
I said, four months from now, I'll be getting a massage,
I'll burst into tears.
No one will know why.
Right, exactly.
What was the difference between the end of this show
or Married...
With Children?
Well, you see, when Married...
With Children was canceled, it was
canceled in between seasons.
So we were all off doing our own thing.
You know, in fact, I found out, I
was back in my hometown, in Youngstown, Ohio,
coming out of a bed and breakfast, beautiful spring
day.
A car pulls in, just married, you know, with the thing,
just married, and the cans hanging off the back.
The bride gets out in the bridal dress.
The guy's in the tux.
And they go, my God, Married...
With Children.
And I said, oh, hi.
You just got married.
You know, wonderful.
And they said, oh, we love your show.
We're so sorry about it though.
They told--
Ah, what do you mean?
What are you talking about?
Well, he doesn't know.
It's all over the radio.
It was canceled.
We're sorry.
I said, I'd rather hear it from you.
That's hilarious.
So I took them in, got them a bottle of champagne,
and that was how-- that's how that went down.
Wow, the network didn't call and tell you all?
No, they never called me.
And when they called me, it was like--
I swear to God, it was like six weeks later.
Someone dropped the ball, Ed, on this.
I said, I have a question for you guys.
11 years we kept you in the black, no gifts for the cast?
You know, I'm kind of speaking for the cast.
Right.
Ed, do you actually think we'd let you go without gifts?
I said, a helpful hint?
I've got steak knives.
I know Golden Girls got Mercedes-Benzes or something.
You know, I never got a gift.
Wow, after 11 years.
But it makes a better story.
Yeah, sure.
And you did OK after that.
So now what will you do?
Because Sofía has America's Got Talent.
She's going on to that.
Oh, my God.
I mean, I'm so happy for her.
I texted her.
I said, we were always wanting scenes
where we're either sitting down or lying down.
And now you have a job where you sit the entire time and someone
else does the work.
Yeah.
And they're going to pay you a fortune.
It's a good gig.
She'll be great.
What are you going to do?
I'm going to finish this water and then--
Wow, big plans.
Big, big plans.
You know--
[APPLAUSE]
I, honestly, Ellen, I've never made a plan in my life.
You know, I'll just go along and see what happens.
All right.
I'm happy.
And I'm happy that we got the job done
and it was a wonderful job.
Well, I'm going to try to write something for you.
Thank you.
OK.
Because I think you need cash.
The final season of Modern Family
airs Wednesday at 9 on ABC.
We'll be right back.