The Middle 

The daily mishaps of a married woman and her semi-dysfunctional family and their attempts to survive life in general in the town of Orson, Indiana.

Creators:

Eileen Heisler, DeAnn Heline

Stars:

Patricia Heaton, Neil Flynn, Charlie McDermott

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 12 wins & 37 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Patricia Heaton	...	Frankie Heck 214 episodes, 2009-2018
Neil Flynn	...	Mike Heck 214 episodes, 2009-2018
Charlie McDermott	...	Axl Heck 214 episodes, 2009-2018
Eden Sher	...	Sue Heck 214 episodes, 2009-2018
Atticus Shaffer	...	Brick Heck 214 episodes, 2009-2018

Storyline

Following a woman named Frankie, and her boisterous family, the Hecks. Her husband, Mike, her daughter, Sue, and her two sons, Axl, and Brick go on what you might call family adventures as they explore life and its meaning. Mike and Frankie Heck watch their three crazy children grow up into young adults.

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Plot Keywords:

woman | indiana | boyfriend girlfriend relationship | teenage girl | teenage boy | 

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Taglines:

Just like your family...kind of. Not really. Well, maybe.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Middle.

Filming Locations:

Columbia/Warner Bros. Ranch - 411 North Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Blackie and Blondie Productions,Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

22 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Frankie is an eternal optimist.

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Goofs

The interior layout of the house differs from the outside plan of the house. Standing out front of the house there is the family room on the left, then the front door and dining room in the center, then the garage on the right. The inside floorplan has a hall going to the right leading to the bedrooms. To the right is the garage, so the bedrooms for Sue, Axl, and Brick would have to be in the garage. Some scenes do show a small extension on the right side of the house, but it is too small to be the boys room and could not include Sue's room at all.

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Connections

Featured in 18th Annual: A Place Called Sacramento Film Festival (2017)

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Soundtracks

The Middle
(uncredited)
Written by Jim Adkins, Tom Linton, Rick Burch and Zach Lind
Performed by Jimmy Eat World

User Reviews

Heaton hits a home run

Often times an actor or actress gets associated with an iconic role, a role they basically continue to play over and over, no matter what show or movie they're in. Happily, this is not the case for Patricia Heaton in her new show "The Middle". Her new character, while still a wife and mother of three, is much different than Debra Barone, the character she played for 9 years in "Everybody Loves Raymond."

In Debra, Heaton developed a character identified by her sharp, sarcastic wit, razor-sharp tongue, explosive temper, sexy appearance and a love-hate relationship with her husband and his family. Debra's problems were dealing with her passive-aggressive mother-in-law and her over-the-top intrusiveness, or the little "moral superiority" battles with Raymond. Because of this limited source for trouble and tension, the problems they had, while funny,were not down-to-earth, day-to-day problems most average families worry about.

In Frankie, Heaton has created a character who is more of a mother than a wife, and is on the same level as her husband instead of above him. That makes a huge difference in the tone of the show, and it's quite refreshing. The problems this family faces are problems most families can identify with, from struggling with bills and worrying about work to having a kid who just can't seem to get it together and find his or her place in the world. Frankie doesn't have time to worry about who didn't put up a suitcase or to fake a boob job to prove some minor point; she has to work together with her whole family just to get by. They face each crisis together, and sometimes have to settle for a less than optimal solution. But at the end of the day, they love and support each other in sweet, often surprisingly tender ways.

While not laugh out loud funny, the show has a sweetness and reality to it I find enjoyable. It has the same feel as old classic sitcoms from the 70's and early 80's, an era many consider to be the Golden Age of sitcom television. I think the biggest draw for me, though, is that I LIKE this family; I'd like to live next door to them, and get to know them. And really, can you say anything better about a show than that, that it makes a family so real and so genuine that you'd be happy to have them as neighbors? I hope the show continues and only gets better.