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The Middle (TV series)

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The Middle
Genre
Created by
  • Eileen Heisler
  • DeAnn Heline
Starring
Narrated byPatricia Heaton
ComposerJoey Newman
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons9
No. of episodes215 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • DeAnn Heline
  • Eileen Heisler
Producers
  • Werner Walian
  • Vijal Patel
  • Roy Brown
  • Robin Shorr
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 30, 2009 (2009-09-30) –
May 22, 2018 (2018-05-22)

The Middle (stylized as the middle.) is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 30, 2009 to May 22, 2018. The series, set in the fictional town of Orson in Indiana, follows a lower-middle-class family living and facing the day-to-day struggles of home life, work, and raising children. Starring Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn,[1] the show was created by former Roseanne and Murphy Brown writers Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline, and produced by Warner Bros. Television and Blackie and Blondie Productions. It was praised by television critics and earned numerous award nominations.

A spin-off of the series, centered on Eden Sher's character, Sue Heck, was set to launch in 2019.[2] However, ABC passed on the project. It was shopped to other networks but was never picked up.[3]

Premise

[edit]

The series features Frances "Frankie" Heck (Patricia Heaton), a middle-class, middle-aged, Midwestern woman and her husband Mike (Neil Flynn), who reside in the small fictional town of Orson, Indiana, based on the real town of Jasper, Indiana.[4] They are the parents of three children, Axl (Charlie McDermott), Sue (Eden Sher), and Brick (Atticus Shaffer).[5]

The series is narrated by Frankie, initially an under-performing salesperson at a used-car dealership and later a dental assistant. Her stoic husband Mike manages a local quarry 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, introverted 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, Mike's brother Rusty, and Axl's friends Sean and Darrin, who both had a relationship with Sue.

Cast and characters

[edit]

Episodes

[edit]
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
124September 30, 2009 (2009-09-30)May 19, 2010 (2010-05-19)
224September 22, 2010 (2010-09-22)May 25, 2011 (2011-05-25)
324September 21, 2011 (2011-09-21)May 23, 2012 (2012-05-23)
424September 26, 2012 (2012-09-26)May 22, 2013 (2013-05-22)
524September 25, 2013 (2013-09-25)May 21, 2014 (2014-05-21)
624September 24, 2014 (2014-09-24)May 13, 2015 (2015-05-13)
724September 23, 2015 (2015-09-23)May 18, 2016 (2016-05-18)
823October 11, 2016 (2016-10-11)May 16, 2017 (2017-05-16)
924October 3, 2017 (2017-10-03)May 22, 2018 (2018-05-22)

Development and production

[edit]

The series was originally developed in the 2006–07 development cycle for ABC and was to star Ricki Lake as Frankie.[5] Atticus Shaffer was the only actor to retain his role when the show was re-developed.[6] ABC later ordered a second pilot tied to Patricia Heaton being cast in the leading role for the 2008-09 development cycle.[7] The series was created by Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline (who is from Muncie, Indiana)[8] and the pilot was directed by Julie Anne Robinson.[9]

The show was originally set to take place in Jasper, Indiana, though the setting was changed to the fictional Orson, Indiana, on the advice of attorneys.[10] However, Orson is based on and presumed to be located near Jasper. The show was filmed in Stage 31 at the Warner Bros. Ranch,[11] with the house's exterior and Elhert Motors on the ranch's Blondie Street. Set director Julie Fanton shops at stores that families are familiar with, such as Target and Kohl's, so the show appears to have a realistic middle-class look.[8]

The series was picked up for a full season of 24 episodes after airing just two episodes.[12] On January 12, 2010, ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson announced that he was renewing The Middle for a second season.[13][14] 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,[15] 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,[16] 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.[17]

The series was renewed for a ninth season on January 25, 2017,[18] with filming beginning on August 15, 2017.[19] On August 2, 2017, it was announced that the series would end after its ninth season, at the request of the series' creators.[20] The one-hour series finale aired on May 22, 2018.[21]

Release

[edit]

Broadcast

[edit]

The Middle premiered on ABC in the United States on September 30, 2009. The series aired on City (formerly Citytv) in Canada from the third to ninth season.[22] Previously, the show aired on A (now CTV Two) during its first season.[23] 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. In the UK, it premiered on August 29, 2010, on Sky1. Season 5 premiered on Comedy Central UK on January 21, 2014, and in Ireland on April 16, 2014, on TV3. It has been adapted in Hindi on Reliance Broadcast Network comedy channel BIG MAGIC as Tedi Medi Family. It is also broadcast on the Neox Channel in Spain[24] and Warner Channel in Latin America and Brazil.[25][26] 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

[edit]

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.[27]

Also, the series debuted in local syndication on September 16, 2013.[28] As of September 2017, the show is no longer available for local syndication.[29]

Hallmark Channel also acquired The Middle for syndication, which began airing in March 2014.[30] 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.[31] 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

[edit]

The series began streaming on HBO Max in the US on December 1, 2020. The series is no longer streaming on HBO Max as of December 1, 2023. The series was streaming on IMDB TV, but has since left and returned. 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 also streams on Peacock in the United States. In Latin America the series is available to stream on HBO Max since December 13, 2023 with audios and subtitles in English, Brazilian Portuguese and Latin Spanish. In the UK, the show is able to be streamed on ITVX.

Home media

[edit]

In Region 1, seasons 1–4 had an official retail release. Seasons 5-9 were released as a MOD DVD-R via the Warner Archive Collection.[32] The Canadian releases continue to be traditionally manufactured and sold, but are otherwise identical to their American counterparts.[33] Distribution for regions 2 and 4 ended after the fourth season.

Reception

[edit]

Critical reception

[edit]
Critical response of The Middle
SeasonRotten TomatoesMetacritic
176% (21 reviews)70 (25 reviews)
2100% (5 reviews)
4100% (5 reviews)
9100% (8 reviews)

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. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 76% of 21 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "The Middle is a smart and engaging sitcom, able to exaggerate everyday situations to great comedic effect."[34] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 70 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[35]

Critics also praised the show's timing, writing, and acting; e.g., Robert Bianco of USA Today 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."[36] Entertainment Weekly'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."[37]

In the 2009–2010 season, The Middle ranked number six on Metacritic's "Best Reviewed New Network Show" list.[38] Airing behind the quickly cancelled Hank 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.

Season 2, 4, and 9 received critical acclaim on Rotten Tomatoes with a 100% based on 5 reviews with an average score of 8.4/10 (for season 2),[39] based on 5 reviews with an average score of 9/10 (for season 4),[40] and based on 8 reviews with an average score of 8.5/10.[41]

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".[42] After ABC confirmed that the ninth season of The Middle would be the last, Devon Ivie of Vulture 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.[43]

Podcast

[edit]

On July 31, 2024, a podcast about the show, Middling with Eden and Brock, hosted by stars Eden and Brock[clarification needed], was launched detailing every episode as well as its legacy along with one guest star about their personal experience of the show.[44]

Ratings

[edit]
Season Timeslot (ET) Episodes Premiered Ended TV season Rank (viewers) Rank (demo) Viewers
(in millions)
Demo (18-49)
Date Premiere viewers
(in millions)
18–49 rating Date Finale viewers
(in millions)
18–49 rating
1 Wednesday 8:30 pm 24 September 30, 2009 8.71[44] 2.6[44] May 19, 2010 7.55[45] 2.5[45] 2009–10 68[46] 63[46] 6.69[46] 2.3[46]
2 Wednesday 8:00 pm 24 September 22, 2010 8.81[47] 2.7[47] May 25, 2011 7.33[48] 2.2[48] 2010–11 51[49] 59[49] 8.08[49] 2.4[49]
3 24 September 21, 2011 9.74[50] 3.1[50] May 23, 2012 6.52[51] 2.0[51] 2011–12 60[52] 63[52] 8.08[52] 2.5 [52]
4 24 September 26, 2012 9.16[53] 2.9[53] May 22, 2013 7.70[54] 2.0[54] 2012–13 45[55] 44[55] 8.42[55] 2.5[55]
5 24 September 25, 2013 8.94[56] 2.5[56] May 21, 2014 7.85[57] 2.1[57] 2013–14 44[58] N/A 8.24[58] N/A
6 24 September 24, 2014 7.59[59] 2.2[59] May 13, 2015 7.03[60] 1.8[60] 2014–15 53[61] 41[61] 8.68[61] 2.4[61]
7 24 September 23, 2015 8.21[62] 2.1[62] May 18, 2016 6.73[63] 1.6[63] 2015–16 53[64] 34[65] 8.15[64] 2.2 [65]
8 Tuesday 8:00 pm 23 October 11, 2016 6.78[66] 1.8[66] May 16, 2017 5.27[67] 1.2[67] 2016–17 53[68] 43[68] 7.02[68] 1.8
9 Tuesday 8:00 pm (1-17)
Tuesday 8:30 pm (18-23)
Tuesday 9:00 pm (24)
24 October 3, 2017 6.21[69] 1.6[69] May 22, 2018 7.09[70] 1.7[70] 2017–18 55 34 7.28[71] 1.9

Season 3's "Halloween II" was the most watched episode of the series, viewed by 10.16 million viewers.[72]

Awards and nominations

[edit]

In 2011, The Middle received a Gracie Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.[73] 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.

Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
2010 Young Artist Award Best Recurring Young Actor 14 and Over Brock Ciarlelli Nominated [74]
Best Recurring Young Actress Eden Sher Nominated
Humanitas Prize 30 Minute Category Episode: "The Block Party" Nominated
2011 Gracie Award Outstanding Comedy Series The Middle Won [75]
1st Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Comedy Series The Middle Nominated [76]
Best Actress in a Comedy Series Patricia Heaton Nominated
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Eden Sher Nominated
Young Artist Award Best Guest Starring Young Actor Ten and Under Parker Contreras Won [77]
Mason Cook Nominated
Best Recurring Young Actor Brock Ciarlelli Won
Best Guest Starring Young Actress 11–15 Kelly Heyer Nominated
Best Recurring Young Actress 17–21 Blaine Saunders Nominated
Outstanding Young Ensemble in a TV Series Eden Sher, Atticus Shaffer, and Charlie McDermott Nominated
2012 2nd Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Eden Sher Nominated [78]
1st PAAFTJ Television Awards Best Comedy Series The Middle Nominated [79]
Best Actress in a Comedy Series Patricia Heaton (Episode: "Thanksgiving III") Won
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Eden Sher (Episode: "The Test") Nominated
Best Production Design in a Comedy Series Episode: "The Map" Nominated
Young Artist Award Best Recurring Young Actor 17–21 Brock Ciarlelli Won [80]
Best Guest Starring Young Actress 17–21 Katlin Mastandrea Nominated
Best Guest Starring Young Actress Ten and Under Marlowe Peyton Nominated
Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Episode: "The Play" Nominated [81]
Humanitas Prize 30 Minute Category Episode: "The Map" Nominated
TV Guide Award Favorite Comedy Series The Middle Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Award Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Whoopi Goldberg Nominated [82]
2013 Young Artist Award Best Recurring Young Actor 17–21 Brock Ciarlelli Won [83]
Best Recurring Young Actress 17–21 Katlin Mastandrea Nominated
3rd Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Comedy Series The Middle Nominated [84]
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Eden Sher Won
2013 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Female Scene Stealer Eden Sher Nominated [85]
TV Guide Award Favorite Comedy Series The Middle Nominated
2nd PAAFTJ Television Awards Best Comedy Series The Middle Nominated [86]
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Charlie McDermott Nominated
Best Artistic/Visual Achievement in a Comedy Series Episode: "Hallelujah Hoedown" Nominated
EWwy Awards Best Actor in a Comedy Series Neil Flynn Nominated [87]
2014 Young Artist Award Best Recurring Young Actor 17–21 Brock Ciarlelli Nominated [88]
Best Recurring Young Actress 17–21 Katlin Mastandrea Nominated
EWwy Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Eden Sher Won [89]
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top TV Series Joey Newman Won [90]
Humanitas Prize 30 Minute Category Episode: "Halloween IV: The Ghost Story" Nominated [91]
2014 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Scene Stealer: Female Eden Sher Nominated [92]
TV Guide Award Favorite Comedy Series The Middle Nominated
2015 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Eden Sher Nominated
Young Artist Award Best Recurring Young Actor 17–21 Brock Ciarlelli Won [93]
Best Guest Starring Young Actress 14–16 Ava Allan Nominated
Kids' Choice Awards Favorite TV Actor Charlie McDermott Nominated [94]
Online Film & Television Association Award Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Dick Van Dyke Nominated [95]
2016 6th Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Eden Sher Nominated [96]
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Neil Flynn Nominated
Humanitas Prize 30 Minute Category Episode: "The Graduate" Won [97]
Young Entertainer Awards Best Recurring Young Actress – Television Series Casey Burke Nominated [98]
Best Guest Starring Young Actor – Television Series Matt Cornett Won
2017 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top Television Series Joey Newman Won [99]
Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Series – Recurring Teen Actress Casey Burke Nominated [100]
2018 Young Entertainer Awards Best Recurring Young Actress – Television Series Casey Burke Won [101]
Movieguide Awards Faith and Freedom Award for TV Episode: "The 200th" Nominated [102]
2019 9th Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Comedy Series The Middle Nominated [103]

Spin-off

[edit]

Development

[edit]

On May 30, 2018, Variety reported that a spin-off was being eyed following the cancellation of Roseanne.[104] Almost two months later, on July 20, 2018, in an interview with TVLine's Michael Ausiello, Sher revealed that ABC had ordered a pilot for the potential series.[105] It was noted that the potential spin-off would be set a few years after The Middle ended and follow Sue Heck as an adult.[105] 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".[106] As of October 5, 2018, the pilot was being filmed.[107] The series was originally to be titled Sue Sue in the City,[2] but this decision was later reversed, and the series remained untitled.[108] On November 21, 2018, TVLine and Deadline reported that the spin-off would not be moving forward at ABC; it was shopped to other networks,[109][110] but ultimately was never picked up.

Casting

[edit]

On October 5, 2018, it was announced that major recurring character Brad Bottig, played by Brock Ciarlelli, had joined the cast as a series regular.[2] A few days later on October 8, 2018, it was reported that Kimberley Crossman 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.[111] On October 10, 2018, Finesse Mitchell joined the cast as Hudson, a bartender with a big heart who works at the same hotel as Sue.[112] The following day, it was announced that Silicon Valley's Chris Diamantopoulos would play Sue's “mercurial, charming and rich” boss Nick, with newcomer Aaron Branch playing Otis, the hotel's naïve but endearing bellhop.[113]

References

[edit]
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