The Middle (TV series)
| The Middle | |
|---|---|
| File:The Middle.JPG The Middle title screen | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Directed by | Julie Anne Robinson |
| Starring | Patricia Heaton Neil Flynn Charlie McDermott Eden Sher Atticus Shaffer Chris Kattan |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 22[1] (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | DeAnn Heline Eileen Heisler |
| Running time | 30 minutes (20-22 min. without commercials) |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | September 30, 2009 – present |
The Middle is a comedy which premiered on ABC on September 30, 2009. The show features Patricia Heaton as a middle-class, Midwestern mother of three married to Neil Flynn.[2] Chris Kattan is Heaton's friend at the used car lot where she works. The show was picked up for a full season of 22 episodes after airing just 2 episodes.
Overview
Frankie and her husband Mike have lived their whole lives in Orson, Indiana (a fictitious small town, perhaps named after director Orson Welles, whose papers are archived at Indiana University Bloomington's Lilly Library). Mike is a manager at the town quarry and has a sarcastic streak and a tendency toward brutal honesty. Frankie is so far the least successful used-car salesperson at the local dealership. She may not be a high-powered career woman, but when it comes to her family, she'll go to just about any length to hold things together. With kids like hers, she often needs to. Axl, her rebellious teenage son, was conceived with Guns N' Roses playing a significant role; Sue, the awkward teenage daughter, struggles to get into something—anything—she tries out for, yet remains undiscouraged; and seven-year-old son Brick's best friends are his backpack, and his imagination.
Production
The series was originally developed in the 2006–07 development cycle and starred Ricki Lake.[2]
The pilot was directed by Golden Globe and BAFTA award nominated director Julie Anne Robinson under a blind directing agreement with ABC studios.[3] On October 8, the show was picked up for a full season, reps for the ABC series confirm to TVGuide.com.[4]
Reception
The show has received mainly positive reviews from critics. It holds a score of 70 on the review aggregator website Metacritic as of October 23, 2009.[5]
The show has been described as "...a dead ringer for 'Malcolm in the Middle' with its realistic, wry take on regular family life."[6] One TV critic described the show as a "live action version of Family Guy".[6]
Cast
- Patricia Heaton as Frankie Heck
- Neil Flynn as Mike Heck, Frankie's husband, known for his blunt honesty
- Charlie McDermott as Axl Heck, semi-nudist, teenage son of Frankie & Mike
- Eden Sher as Sue Heck, teenage middle child. Tries out for many things and mostly fails, but never gives up
- Atticus Shaffer as Brick Heck, youngest child, an unusual boy who loves to read (maybe a bit too much) and whose only friend seems to be his backpack
- Chris Kattan as Bob, Frankie's best friend at work
- Brian Doyle-Murray as Mr. Ehlert, owner of the car dealership where Frankie and Bob work
US Nielsen ratings
| Order | Episode | Rating | Share | Rating/share (18-49) |
Viewers (millions) |
Rank (Timeslot) |
Rank (Night) |
Aired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | 5.4 | 9 | 2.5/7[7] | 8.60 | 1 | 5 | September 30, 2009 |
| 2 | "The Cheerleader" | 4.4 | 7 | 2.1/6 | 6.78 | 3 | 8 | October 7, 2009 |
| 3 | "The Floating Anniversary" | 4.3 | 7 | 2.0/6 | 6.74 | 3 | 10 | October 14, 2009 |
| 4 | "The Trip" | 4.1 | 7 | 2.0/6 | 6.42 | 2 | 10 | October 21, 2009 |
| 5 | "The Block Party" | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | October 28, 2009 |
| 6 | "TBA" | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
References
- ^ Abrams, Natalie (2009-09-08). [http:http://www.seattlepi.com/tvguide/410977_tvgif8.html "ABC Picks Up Cougar Town, Modern Family and The Middle"]. Seattle Pi. Retrieved 08 October 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b "ABC Puts Patricia Heaton in 'The Middle'". Zap2it. 2008-11-19. Archived from the original on 2009-07-11. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) - ^ http://britweek.com/film
- ^ Natalie Abrams. "ABC Picks Up Cougar Town, Modern Family and The Middle". TVGuide.com.
- ^ http://www.metacritic.com/tv/shows/middle
- ^ a b [1]
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/10/01/abcs-cougar-town-increases-to-a-3-8-a18-49-rating-in-finals-tops-all-shows/29226
External links
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