‘Modern Family’ Executive Producer, Co-Creator Discusses The Show’s End; ‘We’d Like To Think We’re Still Maybe A Couple Years Away’

After seven long seasons, it looks like “Modern Family” may be gearing up for its conclusion. Fortunately for fans of the long-standing ABC sitcom, there will be plenty of time to prepare.

E! News correspondent Marc Malkin was able to get a moment with the show’s executive producer Christopher Lloyd before a recent screening of the Season 7 finale. During the interview, Lloyd assured Malkin that the show would be coming to an end eventually, he just wasn’t sure when.

“We’d like to think we’re still maybe a couple years away,” he said.

Co-creator Steven Levitan jumped in, revealing similar sentiments. He told Malkin the series’ end is something he thinks about “all the time,” but added that he and his crew are trying to “take it year by year.” The 53 year old said as much as he would like to keep the show on-air forever, he wouldn’t want to compromise its “legacy.”

“We want to keep it going for as long as possible,” he said. “But we very much also want to protect the show’s legacy. We want to go out strong.”

Cast members Julie Bowen and Ed O’Neill, who play father and daughter duo Claire Dunphy and Jay Pritchett on the show, are also very aware of “Modern Family’s” shelf life. The stars spoke candidly with Malkin about its impending end. O’Neill likened it to “Mad Men,” which aired it’s final episode on May 17, saying, "That’s just how it works. That’s all.”

This isn’t the first time the cast of the much-beloved show have confronted this topic. On April 27, actress Sofia Vergara admitted that she knew the series couldn’t last forever. Vergara, who plays O’Neill’s wife Gloria on the series, said she would be “very sad” when it ended as “It’s my favorite thing to do of work.”

The Season 7 finale of “Modern Family” airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. EDT on ABC. Check out the cast and crew’s full interview with Marc Malkin below.