The Dunphys and the Pritchetts will be saying goodbye soon -- to a "significant" character, and possibly "Modern Family" entirely.

That's the scoop from the show's co-creator, Christopher Lloyd, who revealed in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly that a shocking death will rock the show sometime in the upcoming 10th season. According to Lloyd, "Modern Family" is set to tackle "some bigger life events" in upcoming episodes.

“We do deal with a death, which is certainly a topic that families have to deal with, and on television, it’s not easy to do because that’s a heavy subject," the creator explained. "But at the same time, it would seem unusual for a family not to go through it.”

According to EW, Lloyd declined to give any clues to the doomed character's identity, but did say that the person is a "significant character on the series" whose loss “will be a moving event — and an event that has repercussions across several episodes.”

And that's not all. Lloyd also teased that season 10 would feature "a significant change in the dynamics of the family that people maybe thought was going to happen at some point down the line that is happening sooner than expected." (Does that mean that the doomed character is Jay? Or perhaps one of the younger members of the blended family?)

As if that tease wasn't tantalizing enough, there's still the open question of whether or not "Modern Family" will be renewed for an 11th season, or if it will end after its contract expires with this 10th outing. Though he wasn't making any promises, Lloyd told EW that "there's goodwill on both sides" to secure a renewal, and he believes "there’s a decent chance we’ll see it happen."

Fans should keep their fingers crossed -- and may want to keep some tissues handy, too. Whether or not the show gets renewed, it sounds like they're in for an emotional roller coaster no matter what.

[via: Entertainment Weekly]