The Middle (TV series)
The Middle is an American situation comedy television series that premiered on ABC on September 30, 2009.[1] The show features Frances "Frankie" Heck (née Spence, Patricia Heaton), a working-class, Midwestern woman married to Mike Heck (Neil Flynn) who resides in the small fictional town of Orson, Indiana. They are the parents of three children, Axl (Charlie McDermott), Sue (Eden Sher), and Brick (Atticus Shaffer).[2] The show was picked up for a full season of 22 episodes after airing just two episodes.[3] On January 10, 2011, the series was renewed for a third season by ABC.[4] The season premiered with a 1-hour episode on September 21, 2011.
Premise
Frankie Heck and her husband Mike, a manager at a quarry, have lived their whole lives in Orson, a fictitious small town in Indiana. Frankie is so far the least successful salesperson at the local car dealership, a job she explains she took only after the dentist office she worked in had closed down.
Axl, the oldest, is her rebellious teenage son and was conceived with Guns N' Roses playing a significant role. He usually appears at home wearing only boxer shorts and regards any task or chore asked of him to be an enormous imposition. A handsome and confident teen, he is a school star athlete but struggles academically. Sue, the middle child and only daughter, wears braces, part of the reason for her almost neurotic self-consciousness. She attempts to cure this by frequently trying to join school organizations, but consistently fails. Because of this she has developed formidable resilience. Brick, the youngest child, is a very bright but socially awkward and quirky nine-year-old who was given an unusual name in the vain hope that he would develop into an equally cool kid.
Cast
Main cast
- Patricia Heaton as Frankie Heck, née Spence, a wife and mother of three. Frankie is the central character in the show and provides the voice-over narration. She is a devoted wife and mother and sees family as the most important thing in her life. Her motto, "You do for family," guides her daily routine, despite the frustrations she encounters with her three kids and her older, ailing relatives who depend on her for their needs. She currently works as a saleswoman at Ehlert Motors, a job she took after losing her position at a dentist's office that closed down. As of the end of season one, we know that Frankie attended college but did not finish. She has a mother, Pat (Marsha Mason), and a sister named Janet (Molly Shannon). Her father, Tag, is played by Jerry Van Dyke.
- Neil Flynn as Mike Heck, Frankie's husband, known for his straightforward manner and emotional stability. Mike works at the quarry as the manager, and despite his no-nonsense approach to work and family, he is a devoted husband and father who always seems to come through for Frankie and the kids. From what has been said in the show so far, we know Mike pursued Frankie when they were younger and that at first she did not like him and even lied about what her name was to avoid him. Despite a short period where they broke up while dating, they have been together since their first date. It has been said on several occasions that Mike's favorite film is Reservoir Dogs, and he only asked Frankie out on a second date because she lied and said she liked the film. Mike's father, "Big Mike" (John Cullum), and Mike's brother, Rusty (Norm Macdonald), both live in Orson. In the middle of season 2, the two move in together, as "Big Mike" recovers from a broken hip and Rusty needs a roof over his head after his house burns down.
- Atticus Shaffer as Brick Heck, youngest child and an unusual boy who loves to read and has a habit of repeating words from his previous sentence to himself in a whisper. In one episode, it is revealed that he possesses an eidetic memory. He is exceptionally intelligent but easily distracted, leading him to procrastinate on – or just forget – his homework assignments and projects. Brick is a known gephyrophobiac and also has a fascination with fonts. Due to his awkwardness, he struggles to make friends, however in Season 2 he befriends an equally awkward boy named Arlo (Cat Boy), whom Brick himself struggles to deal with.
- Charlie McDermott as Axl Heck, athletic teenage son of Frankie and Mike, who cannot be bothered to put on more than boxer shorts most of the time at home. He is the stereotypical older brother: sarcastic, lazy, and mean to his siblings. However, he has shown flashes of kindness to his family occasionally and is good at heart, which he shows when he deliberately loses a basketball game in an attempt to win back his ex-girlfriend, Morgan. He is a trial for Frankie, who wishes he would be more open with her, as he was apparently a very loving "momma's boy" when he was a child, something Frankie seems to want to re-capture. It is revealed in Season 3 that Axl is two years older than Sue as he starts his Junior year at high school while Sue starts her first.
- Eden Sher as Sue Sue Heck, socially awkward early-teen middle daughter of Frankie and Mike whose genuine nature, bubbly personality, and persistent optimism tend to make her an object of ridicule, especially by her older brother. Despite her best efforts to get noticed, she is often unrecognized by her teachers and snubbed by her peers. She was born on a leap day (Specifically, Feb. 29, 1996), and therefore only has a "real" birthday every four years. Her first and middle names are "Sue", as it was mistakenly written down twice on her birth certificate. Like many others her age, she wears braces on her teeth (according to Mike, Frankie was too soft trying to get sue to get rid of her pacifier, and Sue had it until she was six).
Recurring characters
- Aunt Edie (Jeanette Miller) and Aunt Ginny (Frances Bay) are Frankie's elderly great-aunts who are heavy smokers. Aunt Edie used to work in Mike's quarry as the bookkeeper, often showing signs of memory loss, while Aunt Ginny uses a wheelchair and rarely talks. They have a sickly Basset Hound named Doris.
- Brad Bottig (Brock Ciarlelli) is Sue's flamboyant ex-boyfriend. They dated during Thanksgiving but shortly broke up when Sue found out Brad is a smoker. Frankie and Mike both suspect that Brad is gay, but Sue is oblivious to this.
- Carly (Blaine Saunders) is Sue's best friend. She used to wear glasses and braces, but later took them off and became more popular than Sue. However, their friendship remains strong despite Carly's makeover.
- Nancy Donahue (Jen Ray) is the Hecks' neighbor and president of the booster club. The Donahues are usually portrayed as the idyllic family Frankie yearns for herself.
- Sean Donahue (Beau Wirick) is Axl's friend and teammate on the football team. He is helpful, polite, and friendly, which makes him outwardly the opposite of Axl.
- Darrin (John Gammon) Another of Axl's friends and teammates. Darrin comes across as the most passive and idiotic of Axl's friends - often landing himself, Sean and Axl in problematic situations.
- Ms. Rinsky (Doris Roberts) Brick's third grade teacher, who seems to be the bane of Frankie's life, in a reference to the previous relationship between Heaton and Roberts' characters on Everybody Loves Raymond. Frankie describes her as an "alcoholic Nazi" following a drunken letter of complaint. Despite his mother's opinion, Brick finds Ms. Rinsky a good teacher, because she designates reading time during tests.
- Jack Meenahan (Thomas F. Duffy) is the Heck family's next-door neighbor.
- Reverend Timothy Thomas aka Rev. Tim Tom (Paul Hipp) is a youth minister who Sue deeply admires. He surprised Sue by remembering her name after only having met her once, and always seems to appear just as Sue needs help the most. He is known for frequently playing his acoustic guitar and making almost anything into a song. He played Axl's electric guitar on one occasion when encouraging him to do the right thing.
- Derrick Glossner (David Chandler (VII)), Wade Glossner (Parker Bolek) and the littlest Glossner (Gibson Bobby Sjobeck) make up the dreaded Glossner boys. They are the neighborhood bullies and sons of Rita Glossner (Brooke Shields) that terrorize the Heck kids.
- Zack (Andrew J. Fishman) is Brick's friend from the socially challenged class. He has a tendency to behave like a cat.
- Pete (Peter Breitmayer) is Ehlert Motors' best salesman and star employee, and he is not afraid to tell everyone about it. Pete often brags about his success at Frankie's and Bob's expense, putting them down about how little they contribute to the business whilst attempting to impress Mr. Ehlert.
- Bob (Chris Kattan) (starring seasons 1-2, recurring afterward), Frankie's best friend at work, who fares only slightly better than she does at car sales. He is often depicted as a lonely person. He has a not-so-subtle way of trying to help out with the Heck's problems when Frankie confides in him, which tends to rub Mike the wrong way.
- Don Ehlert (Brian Doyle-Murray) (recurring seasons 1-3), owner of the car dealership where Frankie and Bob work. Ehlert is a crass, self-absorbed, rather sleazy man. Frankie and Bob both constantly worry he is going to fire them both.
- The receptionist at Ehlert Motors is a recurring unseen character voiced by (Bob Clendenin). His voice is regularly heard over the loudspeaker, usually informing Frankie that someone is on the phone for her. His trademark is making an exaggerated sigh whenever Frankie makes a request (such as to ask what the caller wants).
Development and production
The series was originally developed in the 2006–07 development cycle and was to star Ricki Lake.[2]
The series was created by Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline and the pilot was directed by Julie Anne Robinson. On October 8, 2009, the show was picked up for a full season.[3] On January 12, 2010, ABC entertainment President Steve McPherson announced that he was renewing The Middle for a second season.[5][6]
Reception
The show has received positive reviews from critics. It holds a score of 71 on the review aggregator website Metacritic as of April 1, 2011.[7] Critics praise the show's realistic look at the middle class, its good timing, writing, and acting, with Robert Bianco of USA Today saying, "...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."[8] The praise has been, so far, consistent, with Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker saying that, in season two, The Middle continues to be "...a rock-solid show, the saga of a family struggling to keep their heads above the choppy economic waters..."[9] In the 2009-2010 season, The Middle ranked number six on Metacritic's "Best Reviewed New Network Show" list.[10] Airing behind the quickly cancelled Hank during its first season, ratings were not impressive at first. At the beginning of the 2010/2011 season, ABC moved to show to 8:00pm and ratings increased substantially, with the show usually ranking second in its time slot to CBS' Survivor. In 2011, the series received a Gracie Award for Outstanding Comedy.[11] 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.[12]
Seasonal ratings
| Season |
Timeslot (ET) |
Season Premiere |
Season Finale |
TV Season |
Rank |
Viewers
(in millions) |
Demo/Share |
| 1 |
Wednesday 8:30 P.M. |
September 30, 2009 |
May 19, 2010 |
2009–2010 |
#63 |
6.90[13] |
2.3/6 (t63)[14] |
| 2 |
Wednesday 8:00 P.M. |
September 22, 2010 |
May 25, 2011 |
2010–2011 |
#56[15] |
8.11[16] |
2.4/7[15] |
| 3 |
Wednesday 8:00 P.M. |
September 21, 2011 |
May 2012 |
2011–2012 |
|
|
|
The season 3 episode "Halloween II" was the most watched episode so far, viewed by 10.16 million viewers.[17]
DVD distribution
| The Complete First Season[18] |
| Set details |
Special features |
|
|
- Raising a Sitcom Family
- Sue's Best Shots
- Unaired scenes
- Gag reel
|
| Release Dates |
| Region 1 |
Region 2 |
Region 4 |
| August 31, 2010 |
September 12, 2011 |
October 5, 2011 |
International broadcasting
| Country / Region |
Network(s) |
Series Premiere |
| Argentina |
Warner Channel |
July 19, 2010 |
| Australia |
Nine Network/GO! |
December 7, 2009 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
HBO Adria |
September, 2010 |
| Brazil |
Warner Channel |
July 14, 2010 |
| Canada |
Citytv |
September 30, 2009 |
| Colombia |
Warner Channel |
July 19, 2010 |
| Costa Rica |
Warner Channel |
July 12, 2010 |
| Denmark |
TV3+ |
May 24, 2010 |
| Dominican Republic |
Warner Channel |
July 19, 2010 |
| France |
Comédie! |
September 3, 2010 |
| Guatemala |
Warner Channel |
July 12, 2010 |
| Hungary |
HBO Comedy |
September 1, 2010 |
| Iceland |
Stöð 2 |
August 10, 2010 |
| India |
Zee Cafe |
March 21, 2011[20] |
| Ireland |
TV3/3e/Sky1 |
April 16, 2010 |
| Israel |
HOT3 |
August 1, 2010 |
| Italy |
Joi |
January 17, 2010[21] |
| Japan |
Warner Channel |
July 12, 2010 |
| Mexico |
Warner Channel/Canal 5 |
July 19, 2010 |
|
Warner Channel |
July 12, 2010 |
| Netherlands |
Comedy Central |
January 3, 2011 |
| New Zealand |
TV2 |
May 8, 2010 |
| Peru |
Warner Channel |
July 10, 2010 |
| Poland |
HBO Comedy Comedy Central Poland |
September 6, 2010 |
| Portugal |
Fox Life, RTP regional channels, RTP2 |
April 13, 2011 |
| Romania |
HBO Comedy |
December, 2010 |
| Russia |
ТНТ |
April 8, 2011 |
| South Africa |
M-Net |
April 1, 2010 |
| Sweden |
Kanal 5 |
October 5, 2010 |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
Warner Channel |
July 19, 2010 |
| United Kingdom |
Sky1 |
August 29, 2010 |
| Uruguay |
Warner Channel |
July 19, 2010 |
| Venezuela |
Warner Channel |
July 12, 2010 |
| Ukraine |
K1 |
June 2011 |
References
- ^ ""The Middle" Pilot (2009)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2010-01-17. http://www.webcitation.org/5mqdMpXAz. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
- ^ a b "ABC Puts Patricia Heaton in 'The Middle'". Zap2it. 2008-11-19. Archived from the original on 2010-01-17. http://www.webcitation.org/5mqcPOB6O. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
- ^ a b Abrams, Natalie (2009-10-08). "ABC Picks Up Cougar Town, Modern Family and The Middle". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-17. http://www.webcitation.org/5mqbsfwyd. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
- ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/abc-picks-modern-family-greys-69894
- ^ Porter, Rick (2010-01-12). ""Modern Family", "Cougar Town", "The Middle" Picked Up". Zap2It.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-15. http://www.webcitation.org/5mn8zqfru. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
- ^ "ABC bringing back 'Modern Family', 'Cougar Town'". The Hollywood Reporter. 2010-01-12. http://www.thrfeed.com/2010/01/abc-executive-session-live-blog.html. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
- ^ http://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-middle|title=The Middle|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2010-10-06-returnees06_ST_N.htm
- ^ http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20459145,00.html
- ^ http://www.metacritic.com/feature/best-and-worst-tv-shows-2009-2010-season
- ^ http://www.thegracies.org/2011-grace-awards.php
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Critics'_Choice_Television_Awards
- ^ Final 2009-10 Broadcast Primetime Show Average Viewership
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/06/01/2010-11-season-broadcast-primetime-show-viewership-averages/94407/
- ^ http://www.deadline.com/2011/05/full-2010-11-season-series-rankers/
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Middle_episodes
- ^ tvshowsondvd.com
- ^ tvshowsondvd.com
- ^ "Zee Café launches two new shows, 'The Middle' and 'The Mentalist – II'". EsselNewsletter.com. http://www.esselnewsletter.com/zee-caf-launches-two-new-shows-the-middle-and-the-mentalist-ii.html. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
- ^ "Anticipazioni Febbraio canali Joi e Mya Mediaset Premium" (in italian). TeleBlog.it. Archived from the original on 2010-01-17. http://www.webcitation.org/5mqfYtu71. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
External links
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The Middle
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| Creators |
Eileen Heisler · DeAnn Heline
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Characters
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| Primetime |
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| Daytime |
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| Late night |
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| News |
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| Saturday morning |
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| Online |
- Squeegees (since 2008)
- Voicemail (since 2007)
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| Upcoming |
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