of the series initially had lost the part to Craig T. Nelson although he was eventually cast after Nelson turned down the part due to money problems. It was also difficult for Julie Bowen as she was pregnant with twins while filming the pilot episode. Eric Stonestreet had to try harder for the part of Cameron Tucker, due to him being an unknown actor at the time. Jesse Tyler Ferguson initially auditioned for the role of Cameron, but the producers thought he was better suited for Mitchell. The season also featured multiple guest stars. The season featured the first appearance of Fred Willard as Phil's father as Frank Dunphy in two episodes, "Undeck the Halls" and "Travels with Scout". He later went on to be nominated at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, but lost to Neil Patrick Harris's performance on Glee. Other guest spots included Elizabeth Banks and Edward Norton who appeared in the eighth episode, "Great Expectations" with both performances receiving positive reviews. Shelley Long appeared in the fourth episode of the season as DeDe Pritchett, Claire and Mitchell's mother and Jay's ex-wife. Many critics gave her casting positive reviews, with Entertainment Weekly writer Michael Slezak calling it a "stroke of genius". Episodes Reception Ratings The season ranked 21st in the seasonal 18–49 demographic ratings with an average of 3.9 rating/10% share in the demographic meaning that the season was watched by an average of 3.9% of households and 10% average of all televisions were tuned to the season when it was broadcast. The season also ranked 36th in the seasonal total viewers with an average of 9.48 million households. The season became the third highest-rated new series, the second highest-rated new scripted show, and the highest-rated new sitcom that season. The penultimate episode, "Hawaii", was the highest-rated episode of the season with a 4.3 rating/11% share in the Nielsen ratings and at the time was the highest-rated episode of the series. The lowest-rated episode was "Fizbo", which was viewed in 7.12 million households with a 2.4 rating/7% share in the 18–49 demographic although this is might have been caused by the episode airing on Thanksgiving Eve. The ratings later went up mid-season despite competition against American Idol with two episodes ("My Funky Valentine" and "Fifteen Percent") tying with the pilot as the second highest-rated episode of the season. Reviews The