''The Middle'' (stylized as ''the middle.'') is an American television
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
that aired on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
from September 30, 2009, to May 22, 2018. The series, set in
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, follows a
lower middle class
In developed nations around the world, the lower middle class is a subdivision of the greater middle class. Universally, the term refers to the group of middle class households or individuals who have not attained the status of the upper middle ...
family living and facing the day-to-day struggles of home life, work, and raising children. Starring
Patricia Heaton
Patricia Helen Heaton (born March 4, 1958) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her work on sitcoms, having played Debra Barone on ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' (1996–2005) as well as Frances "Frankie" Heck on '' The Middl ...
and
Neil Flynn
Neil Richard Flynn (born November 13, 1960) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles as Janitor on '' Scrubs'' and Mike Heck in the ABC comedy series '' The Middle''. He has had notable appearances in television series ...
,
the show was created by former ''
Roseanne'' and ''
Murphy Brown'' writers Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline, and produced by
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...
and Blackie and Blondie Productions. It was praised by television critics and earned numerous award nominations.
A spin-off of the series, centered around
Eden Sher
Eden Rebecca Sher (born December 26, 1991) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Sue Heck from the family sitcom series '' The Middle'' (2009–2018) and as Star Butterfly from the Disney Channel animated fantasy dramedy series ...
's character, Sue Heck, was set to launch in 2019.
However, ABC passed on the project. It was shopped to other networks but was never picked up.
Premise
The series features Frances "Frankie" Heck (
Patricia Heaton
Patricia Helen Heaton (born March 4, 1958) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her work on sitcoms, having played Debra Barone on ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' (1996–2005) as well as Frances "Frankie" Heck on '' The Middl ...
), a
middle class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...
,
middle age
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
d,
Midwestern woman and her husband Mike (
Neil Flynn
Neil Richard Flynn (born November 13, 1960) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles as Janitor on '' Scrubs'' and Mike Heck in the ABC comedy series '' The Middle''. He has had notable appearances in television series ...
), who reside in the small fictional town of Orson,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, based on the real town of
Jasper, Indiana
Jasper is a city in, and the county seat of, Dubois County, Indiana, United States, located along the Patoka River. The population was 16,703 at the 2020 census making it the 48th largest city in Indiana. On November 4, 2007, Dubois County retur ...
. They are the parents of three children, Axl (
Charlie McDermott
Charles Joseph McDermott Jr. (born April 6, 1990) is an American television and film actor, and musician, best known for his role as Axl Heck on ABC's '' The Middle''. He was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male ...
), Sue (
Eden Sher
Eden Rebecca Sher (born December 26, 1991) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Sue Heck from the family sitcom series '' The Middle'' (2009–2018) and as Star Butterfly from the Disney Channel animated fantasy dramedy series ...
), and Brick (
Atticus Shaffer
Atticus Ronald Shaffer (born June 19, 1998) is an American actor known for playing Brick Heck on the ABC sitcom '' The Middle'' (2009–2018), as well as for voicing Edgar in the film '' Frankenweenie'' (2012) and Ono on the Disney Junior seri ...
).
The series is narrated by Frankie, initially an under-performing
salesperson
Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale.
The seller, or the provider of the goods or services, completes a sale in r ...
at a used-car dealership and later a
dental assistant
Dental assistants are members of the dental team. They support a dental operator (such as a dentist or other treating dental auxiliary) in providing more efficient dental treatment. ''Dental assistants'' are distinguished from other groups of de ...
. Her stoic husband Mike manages a local
quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envi ...
and serves as a stabilizing influence in the family, though Frankie complains about his lack of affection at times. The kids are quite different from one another: oldest son Axl, a popular but lazy teenager, does well in sports but not in academics; daughter Sue is an enthusiastic young teen but chronically unsuccessful and socially awkward; and youngest son Brick is an intelligent but
introvert
The traits of extraversion (also spelled extroversion Retrieved 2018-02-21.) and introversion are a central dimension in some human personality theories. The terms ''introversion'' and ''extraversion'' were introduced into psychology by Carl J ...
ed compulsive reader with odd behavioral traits loosely hinted to derive from
autism. Other characters include Frankie's co-worker Bob (main character in the first two seasons), Frankie's elderly Aunt Edie, Sue's first boyfriend Brad, and Mike's brother Rusty.
Cast and characters
*
Patricia Heaton
Patricia Helen Heaton (born March 4, 1958) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her work on sitcoms, having played Debra Barone on ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' (1996–2005) as well as Frances "Frankie" Heck on '' The Middl ...
as Frances Patricia "Frankie" Heck (née Spence)
*
Neil Flynn
Neil Richard Flynn (born November 13, 1960) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles as Janitor on '' Scrubs'' and Mike Heck in the ABC comedy series '' The Middle''. He has had notable appearances in television series ...
as Michael Bartholomew "Mike" Heck Jr.
*
Charlie McDermott
Charles Joseph McDermott Jr. (born April 6, 1990) is an American television and film actor, and musician, best known for his role as Axl Heck on ABC's '' The Middle''. He was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male ...
as Axl Redford Heck
*
Eden Sher
Eden Rebecca Sher (born December 26, 1991) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Sue Heck from the family sitcom series '' The Middle'' (2009–2018) and as Star Butterfly from the Disney Channel animated fantasy dramedy series ...
as Sue Sue Heck
*
Atticus Shaffer
Atticus Ronald Shaffer (born June 19, 1998) is an American actor known for playing Brick Heck on the ABC sitcom '' The Middle'' (2009–2018), as well as for voicing Edgar in the film '' Frankenweenie'' (2012) and Ono on the Disney Junior seri ...
as Brick Ishmail Heck
*
Chris Kattan as Bob Weaver (main, seasons 1–2; recurring, season 3; special guest, seasons 4–5)
Episodes
Development and production
The series was originally developed in the 2006–07 development cycle for ABC and was to star
Ricki Lake
Ricki Pamela Lake (born September 21, 1968) is an American television host and actress. She is known for her lead role as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film ''Hairspray'', for which she received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for B ...
as Frankie.
Atticus Shaffer
Atticus Ronald Shaffer (born June 19, 1998) is an American actor known for playing Brick Heck on the ABC sitcom '' The Middle'' (2009–2018), as well as for voicing Edgar in the film '' Frankenweenie'' (2012) and Ono on the Disney Junior seri ...
was the only actor to retain his role when the show was re-developed. ABC later ordered a second pilot tied to Patricia Heaton being cast in the leading role for the 2008-09 development cycle. the middle was announced On January 17, 2008 for the pilot Episode de taping The series was created by Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline (who is from
Muncie, Indiana)
and the pilot was directed by
Julie Anne Robinson
Julie Anne Robinson is a British theatre, television, film director and producer based in the United States and United Kingdom. She is known for her work on '' The Catch,'' which she developed and executive produced with Shonda Rhimes, as well a ...
.
The show was originally set to take place in
Jasper, Indiana
Jasper is a city in, and the county seat of, Dubois County, Indiana, United States, located along the Patoka River. The population was 16,703 at the 2020 census making it the 48th largest city in Indiana. On November 4, 2007, Dubois County retur ...
, though the setting was changed to the fictional Orson, Indiana, on the advice of attorneys. However, Orson is based on and presumed to be located near Jasper. The show was filmed in Stage 31 at the
Warner Bros. Ranch
The Warner Bros. Ranch is located at 411 North Hollywood Way in Burbank, California and was formerly called the Columbia Ranch. It was the backdrop for many Columbia Pictures films and Screen Gems/Columbia Pictures Television shows, including ...
, with the house's exterior and Elhert Motors on the ranch's Blondie Street. Set director Julie Fanton shops at traditionally mid-western places, such as
Target
Target may refer to:
Physical items
* Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports
** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports
** Aiming point, in field artillery, f ...
and
Kohl's
Kohl's (stylized in all caps) is an American department store retail chain, operated by Kohl's Corporation. it is the largest department store chain in the United States, with 1,165 locations, operating stores in every U.S. state except Haw ...
, so the show appears to have a realistic middle-class look.
The series was picked up for a full season of 24 episodes after airing just two episodes.
On January 12, 2010,
ABC Entertainment
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Calif ...
President Steve McPherson announced that he was renewing ''The Middle'' for a second season.
The show was renewed for a third season. The third season premiered with a one-hour episode on September 21, 2011. On May 10, 2012, ABC renewed the show for a fourth season, which premiered with a one-hour special on September 26, 2012. The show was renewed for a fifth season on May 10, 2013. ABC confirmed on May 9, 2014, that the series was picked up for a sixth season of 22 episodes, and officially ordered an additional two episodes in October of that year, bringing the season six total to 24.
On May 8, 2015, ABC officially picked up the series for a seventh season, renewing the contracts of the main cast at the same time. ABC renewed the series for season eight with a 22-episode order, later expanded to 23 episodes in December 2016.
The series was renewed for a ninth season on January 25, 2017,
with filming beginning on August 15, 2017. On August 2, 2017, it was announced that the series would end after its ninth season, at the request of the series' creators.
The two-hour series finale aired on May 22, 2018.
Release
Broadcast
''The Middle'' premiered in the U.S. on September 30, 2009, on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
. The series aired on
City
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
(formerly Citytv) in Canada from the third to ninth season. Previously, the show aired on
A (now CTV Two) during its first season. In Australia, the show premiered on December 7, 2009, on
Nine Network. The New Zealand premiere was on May 8, 2010, on
TV2. In India, the show premiered on January 5, 2015, on
Romedy Now
Romedy Now is an India based English language television channel showing romantic comedy Hollywood films and shows. The channel, owned by the Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd, went on air and began telecasting from 22 September 2013. Its tag line ...
. In the UK, it premiered on August 29, 2010, on
Sky1. Season 5 premiered on
Comedy Central UK
Comedy Central is a British pay television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated. This channel is specific to audiences within the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel is aligned with the original US versi ...
on January 21, 2014, and in Ireland on April 16, 2014, on
TV3. It has been adapted in Hindi on
Reliance Broadcast Network
Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL) is a subsidiary of the Indian Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. Reliance Broadcast Network operates Big FM Radio stations and BIG Magic Television stations in India.
Music Broadcast entered an a ...
comedy channel
BIG MAGIC as ''
Tedi Medi Family''. It is also broadcast on the Neox Channel in Spain and
Warner Channel
Warner TV is a pay television channel mainly airing in Latin America, Europe, parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery through its International unit that focuses on airing American series and films.
Most ...
in Latin America and Brazil. In Bulgaria the series premiered in late 2019 alongside Young Sheldon on the Bulgarian pay television channel bTV Comedy. It was dubbed by studio MediaLink.
Syndication
On March 6, 2012, it was announced that
ABC Family (now Freeform) obtained the rights to ''The Middle'', which began airing the series on September 9, 2013, until August 22, 2022.
Also, the series debuted in local syndication on September 16, 2013. As of September 2017, the show is no longer available for local syndication.
Hallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies a ...
also acquired ''The Middle'' for syndication, which began airing in March 2014. However, the series left the network in August 2018. On August 5, 2019, the series rejoined the Hallmark Channel's line-up, airing in a block from 6:00-8:00 A.M. As of October 2019, the series has once again left the schedule. On May 17, 2021, the series once again rejoined the Hallmark Channel's line-up, airing in a block from 1:00-3:00 P.M.
Streaming
The series began streaming on
HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
in the US on December 1, 2020. The series was streaming on IMDB TV, but has since left. The series is available to stream on HBO Max in Bulgaria on March 8, 2022, but only with English audio. As of 2022, the series streams on
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are r ...
in the United States.
Home media
In Region 1, seasons 1–4 had an official retail release. Seasons 5-9 were released as a
MOD
Mod, MOD or mods may refer to:
Places
* Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band
* M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US ...
DVD-R via the
Warner Archive Collection
The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inte ...
. The
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
releases continue to be traditionally manufactured and sold, but are otherwise identical to their American counterparts. Distribution for regions 2 and 4 ended after the fourth season.
Reception
Critical reception
''The Middle'' received positive reviews from critics, citing its unique and original characters, and praising the show's consistent standard and realistic portrayal of lower-middle-class families. It holds a score of 71 out of 100 on the review aggregator website
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
. Critics also praised the show's timing, writing, and acting; e.g., Robert Bianco of ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' wrote, "...This series seems to more assuredly offer a first-class version of what so many viewers say they want: a humorous, heartfelt, realistic look at middle-class, middle-America family life." ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
''s Ken Tucker observed in season 2 that ''The Middle'' continues to be "a rock-solid show, the saga of a family struggling to keep their heads above the choppy economic waters."
In the 2009–2010 season, ''The Middle'' ranked number six on Metacritic's "Best Reviewed New Network Show" list. Airing behind the quickly cancelled ''
'' during its first season, ratings were not initially impressive, averaging fewer than 7 million viewers. At the start of the 2010/2011 season, ABC moved the show to the beginning of its
prime time block (8:00 pm EDT), and ratings increased substantially, with the show usually ranking second in its time slot to CBS's ''
Survivor''.
In 2016, Bob Sassone of ''
Esquire'' published an article called "''The Middle'' Is the Best TV Show You're Not Watching", wherein he expresses the dissatisfaction of the series not having received nominations for several awards nor the deserved attention of the critics; he noted: "''The Middle'' is the finest American sitcom on TV right now". After ABC confirmed that the ninth season of The Middle would be the last, Devon Ivie of ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' wrote: "''The Middle'' Is One of TV’s Most Underrated Gems", sharing, "I’ll miss the midwestern comfort of The Middle tremendously", and enumerating five reasons why readers should give the show a chance to charm them.
Ratings
Season 3's "Halloween II" was the most watched episode of the series, viewed by 10.16 million viewers.
Awards and nominations
In 2011, ''The Middle'' received a Gracie Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. The
1st Critics' Choice Television Awards nominated the series for Best Comedy Series, Patricia Heaton for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, and Eden Sher for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Spin-off
Development
On May 30, 2018, ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' reported that a spin-off was being eyed following the cancellation of ''
Roseanne''. Almost two months later, on July 20, 2018, in an interview with
TVLine
''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs.
History
In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving ''EW'' after nearly two years in their employ to est ...
's Michael Ausiello, Sher revealed that ABC had ordered a pilot for the potential series.
It was noted that the potential spin-off would be set a few years after the parent series ended and follow Sue Heck as an adult.
The spin-off was officially ordered on August 13, 2018, and will follow "the twentysomething adventures of eternal optimist Sue Heck as she leaves the small town of Orson to navigate the ups and downs of a career and young adulthood in the big city of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
". As of October 5, 2018, the pilot was being filmed. The series was originally to be titled ''Sue Sue in the City'',
but this decision was later reversed, and the series remained untitled. On November 21, 2018, ''TVLine'' and Deadline reported that the proposed spin-off would not be moving forward at ABC; it is being shopped to other networks.
Casting
On October 5, 2018, it was announced that major recurring character Brad Bottig, played by Brock Ciarlleli, had joined the cast as a series regular.
A few days later on October 8, 2018, it was reported that
Kimberley Crossman
Kimberley Frances Crossman (born May 1990) is a New Zealand actress and presenter who is best known for her role as Sophie McKay on the New Zealand soap opera '' Shortland Street''. She is the co-founder of Joyable.
In August 2021, it was annou ...
would join the cast as Remi, a hotel chef still recovering from a messy breakup that ended with her boyfriend driving away with their food truck and taking all of her dreams with it. It was also revealed that Sue would find herself working at the same hotel as Remi. On October 10, 2018,
Finesse Mitchell
Alfred Langston "Finesse" Mitchell (born June 12, 1972) is an American actor, author and stand-up comedian. From 2003 to 2006, he was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live''.Jinelle Shengulette"Comedian Finesse Mitchell to perform at the Comedy ...
joined the cast as Hudson, a bartender with a big heart who works at the same hotel as Sue. The following day, it was announced that ''
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo County ...
s
Chris Diamantopoulos
Chris Diamantopoulos (born May 9, 1975) is a Canadian actor. He played Russ Hanneman in the HBO series '' Silicon Valley'' and starred in the film '' The Three Stooges'', and the TV series ''Good Girls Revolt''. He currently voices Mickey Mouse ...
would play Sue's “mercurial, charming and rich” boss Nick, with newcomer Aaron Branch playing Otis, the hotel's naïve but endearing bellhop.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Middle (Tv Series), The
2000s American single-camera sitcoms
2009 American television series debuts
2010s American single-camera sitcoms
2018 American television series endings
American Broadcasting Company original programming
English-language television shows
Mass media portrayals of the middle class
Television series about children
Television series about families
Television series about marriage
Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
Television shows featuring audio description
Television shows filmed in California
Television shows set in Indiana