The Middle (TV series)

The Middle
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Eileen Heisler DeAnn Heline
Starring	Patricia Heaton Neil Flynn Charlie McDermott Eden Sher Atticus Shaffer Chris Kattan
Narrated by	Patricia Heaton
Composer	Joey Newman
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	120 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	DeAnn Heline Eileen Heisler
Producers	Werner Walian Vijal Patel Roy Brown Robin Shorr
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	22 minutes
Production companies	Blackie and Blondie Productions Warner Bros. Television
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	September 30, 2009 (2009-09-30) – present

The Middle is an American sitcom, airing on ABC since September 30, 2009.^[1] The show was created by former Roseanne and Murphy Brown writers Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline.

Premise

The series features Frances "Frankie" Heck (Patricia Heaton), a working class, middle-aged, Midwestern ^[2] woman and her husband Mike (Neil Flynn), who reside in the small fictional town of Orson, in southwest Indiana. They are the parents of three children, Axl (Charlie McDermott), Sue (Eden Sher), and Brick (Atticus Shaffer).^[3]

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. The children are quite different from one another: oldest son Axl, an under-motivated and cynical teenager, does well in sports but not in academics; daughter Sue (the middle child), is an enthusiastic young teen, but chronically unsuccessful and socially awkward; and son Brick (the youngest), is an intelligent but introverted compulsive reader with quirky behavioral traits.

Cast and characters

Main

Actor	Character	Seasons
		1	2	3	4	5
Patricia Heaton	Frances "Frankie" Heck	Main
Neil Flynn	Michael "Mike" Heck Jr.	Main
Charlie McDermott	Axl Redford Heck	Main
Eden Sher	Sue Heck	Main
Atticus Shaffer	Brick Heck	Main
Chris Kattan	Bob	Main

• Patricia Heaton as Frances "Frankie" Heck, wife of Mike and mother of Axl, Sue, and Brick. Frankie is the central character in the show, as it is her voice that is heard narrating at some point in every episode. 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 husband and three kids, as well as her older ailing relatives who often depend on her. Frankie attended college but did not finish. She worked as a salesman at Ehlert Motors, a job she took after losing her position as a dentist's receptionist when the office closed down, only to lose her job at Ehlert Motors early in Season 4. She completes dental assisting school, and gets a new job near the end of Season 4. Heaton wore a wig for Seasons 1–4; for Season 5, her real hair has been featured.

• Neil Flynn as Michael "Mike" Heck Jr., Frankie's husband, known for his straightforward manner and emotional stability. Mike works at the local limestone quarry as the manager, and despite his no-nonsense approach to work and family, he is a devoted and understanding husband and father who always seems to come through for Frankie and the kids. 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 also liked the film. Mike's reclusive, unaffectionate father, "Big Mike" (John Cullum), and Mike's well-meaning, but unreliable and unsuccessful 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 home as he has been living in a tent since his house burned down.

• Charlie McDermott as Axl Redford Heck, teenage son of Frankie and Mike, who can't be bothered to put on more than boxer shorts most of the time at home. As the elder brother, he is sarcastic, lazy, and selfish 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 frustrating to 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 freshman year. Mike has said that Axl is his favorite child. He has gone to prom twice with Weird Ashley, an outcast at his school, both times accidentally inviting her. Axl gets another girlfriend in Season 4 named Cassidy, who tutors him after Sue runs over his foot and breaks it while learning to drive. Axl and Cassidy later break up in "Hallelujah Hoedown". He is a running back on his high school football team and gets recruited by a Division II college in Indiana. Axl plays the electric guitar, and it is presumed that he was named after Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose.

• Eden Sher as Sue Heck, socially awkward 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 elder brother. Despite her best efforts, she is usually unrecognized by teachers and other students, and snubbed by her peers. Many of her plot lines involve her being overlooked, or trying to organize parties or events and receiving no help. In season 1, she is not pictured in the yearbook despite having her picture taken three times, and she finds her favorite teacher has no memory of her at all. (She is eventually placed in the yearbook, but in the section reserved for students who died, with the caption reading: "In Loving Memory of Sue Heck, Gone Too Soon.") Her first and middle names are both Sue, which was accidentally written twice on her birth certificate. In one episode, she considers changing her name to Sue Lily Heck, but ends up sticking with "Sue Sue" after the clerk says that it is the most unique name she's ever heard. She wears braces on her teeth, which were briefly removed in season 3, but it was determined that they over-corrected her condition. She now has to wear braces plus head gear. She is also left-handed, apparently the only southpaw in her immediate family. As of season 5, she is a junior in high school. She is known for trying out for almost everything but never actually getting picked, because she's always terrible. In season 2, however, she joins the no-cut cross country team by heroically going around the track five times on crutches because she was hit by a deer the day before. She becomes a "wrestlerette" in season 3 (which turns out to be a group of fellow misfits) and dates a wrestler named Matt for a short time, until Matt's family moves away from Orson. In season 4, she dates Axl's friend Darrin. The season 3 episode "Leap Year" reveals she was a leap day baby.

• Atticus Shaffer as Brick Heck, youngest of Mike and Frankie's children, loves to read and has a habit of repeating words from his previous sentence to himself in a whisper. In season 1 episode 5, it is revealed that he possesses an eidetic memory. He is smarter than most teenagers, having read Of Mice and Men, a book his elder brother is struggling with at the same time. He also loves the "Planet Nowhere" series, and the real-life "Percy Jackson and the Olympians". He has referred to Diary of a Wimpy Kid as "the book that changed my life." He is exceptionally intelligent but easily distracted, leading him to procrastinate on doing his homework assignments and projects. (Its loosely implied that he may perhaps have asperger's syndrome.) Brick is a known gephyrophobiac, and is fascinated with fonts. Due to his awkwardness, he struggles to make friends. In Season 2, he befriends an equally awkward boy named Arlo, whom Brick himself struggles to deal with. In season 1, he is in the second grade, and is in the sixth grade in Season 5.
• Bob (Chris Kattan) is Frankie's best friend at her Ehlert Motors job. He doesn't seem to have a family. He was part of the main cast in Seasons 1 and 2 and guest cast member in Seasons 3-5.

Recurring characters

• Don Ehlert (Brian Doyle-Murray) is the self-absorbed owner of the car dealership where Frankie used to work, and where Bob presumably still works. Frankie and Bob constantly worried he was going to fire them. Ehlert's wife left him when he chose work over her, and Frankie was first sympathetic but later turned angry. He often drinks at work. Elhert, like Mike, likes sports.
• Edie and Ginny Freehold (Jeanette Miller and Frances Bay) are Frankie's elderly aunts who are heavy smokers and drinkers. Aunt Edie used to work in Mike's quarry as the bookkeeper, often showing signs of memory loss. One such occasion is when they went to a funeral for Edie and Ginny's brother, and Aunt Edie thought it was her birthday. Aunt Ginny uses a wheelchair and rarely talks. They have a sickly Basset Hound named Doris. On many occasions, Frankie is forced to care for Doris unexpectedly; on one such occasion, Doris gave birth to puppies. In the season 3 episode "The Map", which premiered in early 2012, Aunt Ginny passes away. (The actress who portrayed her, Frances Bay, had died in real life.) Brick's elderly friend, Grandma Dot, then moves in with Edie to take care of her.
• Brad Bottig (Brock Ciarlelli) is Sue's flamboyant, theater-loving, tap dancing and probably homosexual ex-boyfriend, who is on the high school wrestling team. They "dated" during Thanksgiving (Season 1), but shortly broke up when Sue found out Brad is a smoker. Brad and Sue have remained friends despite their breakup.
• Carly (Blaine Saunders) is Sue's best friend. She began in season 1 as a geeky character, wearing glasses and braces. Her braces were removed mid-season 1, and she became more popular as a result. Sue seems to be jealous, if only subconsciously, and wears makeup which her family finds garish. From season 2 onwards, Carly has reverted to a more geeky look.
• Nancy Donahue (Jen Ray) is the Hecks' neighbor and president of the booster club. The Donahues are portrayed as the idyllic family Frankie yearns for herself.
• Sean Donahue (Beau Wirick) is one of Axl's best friends, teammate on the football team, and Nancy Donahue's only son. He is helpful, polite, and friendly, which makes him outwardly the opposite of Axl; that said, he always supports everything Axl does. In season 2, Sue develops a crush on Sean, but eventually ends the one-way relationship.
• Darrin (John Gammon) is Axl's other best friend and teammate. Darrin is the most passive and simple of Axl's friends, often landing himself, Sean, and Axl in problematic situations. In season 3, he takes Sue to the prom because of her "sunny disposition" and explained to Axl that he (Darrin) just wanted to go with someone and dance. In season 4, Darrin takes Sue to a Valentine's Day dance after her date cancels; later, Darrin confides that he wants to continue dating Sue, which angers Axl. However, near the end of season 4, Sue breaks up with him after he accidentally punched her in the face while she was trying to break up a fight between him and Axl. After high school, Darrin enrolls in a heating and air conditioning repair school. In season 5, Sue feels like the breakup was a mistake, and she has renewed interest in Darrin until she sees that he has a new girlfriend. Darrin later decides that his current girlfriend is too high-maintenance and he brings flowers to Sue, only to see her being kissed by Derrick Glossner. Despite a series of misunderstandings, the two ultimately reconnect at Sue's prom in Season 5, and become a couple again. Darrin's last name has never been revealed.
• Paula Norwood (Julie Brown) is another of the Hecks' neighbors. She serves as somewhat of a counterpoint to the idyllic Nancy Donahue in that her life and family is depicted as being similar to Frankie's, having a lot of the same issues.
• Michael "Big Mike" Heck Sr. (John Cullum) is Mike's reclusive, man-of-few-words father. He appears to be an unloving, uncaring parent, but this is primarily because he simply does not want to be a "bother" for either of his sons. He is also a hoarder.
• Rusty Heck (Norm Macdonald) is Mike's unreliable, silly brother. He often makes up excuses why he can't be anywhere or do anything Mike asks him to do. He once took Brick out of school to bowl and to teach him how to drive, even though he was not old enough or ready. It is revealed in the season 3 finale that his real first name is Orville.
• Pat Spence (Marsha Mason) is Frankie's mother.
• Tag Spence (Jerry Van Dyke) is Frankie's father.
• Reverend Timothy "Tim-Tom" Thomas (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 plays guitar with Axl on one occasion when encouraging him to do the right thing.
• Derrick Glossner (David Chandler), Wade Glossner (Parker Bolek), and Little Glossner (Gibson Bobby Sjobeck) make up the dreaded Glossner boys, neighborhood bullies who used to terrorize Sue and Brick. Their mother is Rita Glossner (Brooke Shields); they have no father figure, as their father was kicked out of their house by their mother. In the first season, Sue and Carly attempt to fight the two older Glossner boys via a dance routine set to "Kung Fu Fighting". In the fifth season, Derrick reveals he has a crush on Sue and unexpectedly kisses her multiple times. Despite describing her as a "rich girl" with "one dad and two different kinds of chips" (and thus out of his league), he vows to better himself and come back for her someday.
• Zack (Andrew J. Fishman) is Brick's friend from the socially challenged class. He has a tendency to behave like a cat.
• Pete Miller (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 and Bob's expense, putting them down about how little they contribute to the business while attempting to impress Mr. Ehlert.
• Morgan (Alexa Vega) is Axl's ex-girlfriend in Season 1, whom Frankie takes an instant liking to due to her straight As and talent in multiple areas. However, after she breaks Axl's heart time and time again, Frankie eventually explodes with anger and throws a beanbag at Morgan during a birthday party.
• Matt (Moisés Arias), a boy on the wrestling team at Sue and Axl's school who likes Sue; he becomes Sue's first real boyfriend but eventually ends the relationship after moving away and falling for another girl.
• Ashley Wyman (Katlin Mastandrea) is Axl's weird classmate (hence her nickname is "Weird Ashley") who has twice been his accidental date to prom. She is also on Sue's wrestlerette team. She has a keen interest in wizards, although she has never heard of Harry Potter. At their third prom together, Ashley is not Axl's date but dances with him when he's announced as prom king, as Axl and his date Cassidy had broken up only a few moments before the announcement. Axl is known to have a hatred towards her as he still regrets sending a text message about going to a prom with her. In Season 5, Ashley invites Sue to hang with her at prom, as they are both there without dates, while Frankie's voice-over chides: "It wouldn't be prom if a Heck wasn't accompanied by Weird Ashley."
• Ruth (Grace Bannon) is a member of Sue's wrestlerette team, depicted as an extreme religious conservative, often referencing "the rapture". Unlike the other wrestlerettes, Ruth wears an ankle-length skirt.
• Courtney and Debbie (Brittany Ross and Natalie Lander) are cheerleaders in Axl and Sue's high school who date Axl as one. They stop dating Axl when he kisses Courtney inappropriately, which causes both girls to slap him. They perpetually overlook Sue and still believe that Sue is a new student.
• Mrs. Tompkins (Krista Braun) is Brick's social skills mentor and guidance counselor.
• Dr. Fulton (Dave Foley) is the school therapist that works with Mrs. Tompkins. He is an odd character who helps Brick bond with his peers and try to fit in more at school.
• Arlo (Nick Shafer) is a friend Brick meets during the second season. He has an obsession with keeping everything on a schedule and takes frequent and lengthy bathroom breaks in the episode "Mother's Day II" when he is accompanying the Hecks to Brown County. He does not show up in the third or fourth season, although in "Year of the Hecks", he is mentioned.
• Mr. Wilkerson (Chord Overstreet) is Brick's fourth grade teacher in the beginning of season 3. He doesn't insist that Brick needs to participate in physical education which aggravates Mike, who wants his socially awkward son to go to gym class. Mr. Wilkerson is a young teacher who likes to keep in touch with parents through video chatting or social networking. He throws the answer ball to someone when they want to contribute their thoughts.
• Dr. Ted Goodwin (Jack McBrayer) is the dentist who hires Frankie as a hygienist in season 4. He has few friends, and Frankie is forced to spend time with him after work in "The Jump" (season 5).^[4]
• Cassidy Finch (Galadriel Stineman) is Axl's girlfriend in season 4. She met Axl when he was trying to boost his grades and needed a tutor. They didn't get along very well in their first session, but then Axl kissed her and soon found out she had a boyfriend. She later broke up with her old boyfriend to be with Axl. Late in season 4, Cassidy's ex-boyfriend returns, putting tension between Axl and Cassidy for a while before they come back together. They break up in the episode "Hallelujah Hoedown", after Cassidy reveals she is going away in three weeks for an internship program and that they will be in different colleges anyway come September. They begin speaking again in "The Award" (season 5), after Cassidy leaves an embarrassing message on Axl's voicemail. After a brief reconnection during spring break, Cassidy breaks up with Axl again, saying it isn't fair to either of them to pursue a relationship while being 800 miles apart.
• Kenny (Tommy Bechtold) is Axl's college roommate who does nothing but play World of Warcraft. He is mostly shown from behind as he sits at his computer.
• Hutch (Alphonso McAuley) is Axl's football teammate and best friend at college.

Special guest stars

• Patricia Belcher as Brick's Teacher in Season 1. (S1 E1: "Pilot").
• Brooke Shields as Rita Glossner is the Heck's uncouth and troubled neighbor (S1 E12: "The Neighbor", S4 E5: "The Hose" and S5 E19: "The Wind Chimes").
• Betty White as Mrs. Nethercott is Brick's school librarian. She can be mean, as she gets mad for Brick failing to return one library book. She calls the books "her babies" (S1 E24: "Average Rules").
• Doris Roberts as Ms. Rinsky is 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, which she will later have serious cause to regret. Brick likes Mrs. Rinsky because she designates reading time during tests (S2 E01, E17 and E24: "Back to School", "The Math Class" and "Back to Summer").
• Ray Romano as Nicky is a not so pleasant blast from Frankie and Mike's past (S3 E01/02: "Forced Family Fun").
• Molly Shannon as Janet is Frankie's sister (S3 E10: "Thanksgiving III" and S4 E18: "The Name").
• Ed Asner as Ben is the town's veteran newsman (S3 E19: "The Paper Route").
• Whoopi Goldberg as Mrs. Marsh is Sue's school guidance counselor (S3 E21: "The Guidance Counselor").
• Jane Kaczmarek as Mrs. Armwood is Frankie's dental teacher (S4 E07 and E17: "The Safe" and "Wheel of Pain").
• Marion Ross as Mrs. Dunlap is Brick's fifth grade vice principal (S4 E24: "The Graduation").
• Rachel Dratch as Mrs. Barker is Brick's sixth grade principal (S5 E03 and E12: "The Potato" and "The Carpool").

Development and production

The series was originally developed in the 2006–07 development cycle and was to star Ricki Lake as Frankie.^[3] Atticus Shaffer was the only actor to retain his role when the show was re-developed.^[5] The series was created by Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline and the pilot was directed by Julie Anne Robinson.

The series was picked up for a full season of 24 episodes after airing just two episodes.^[6] On January 12, 2010, ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson announced that he was renewing The Middle for a second season.^[7][8] 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,^[9] which premiered with a one-hour special on September 26, 2012. The show was renewed for a fifth season on May 10th, 2013. ABC confirmed on May 9, 2014 that the series was picked up for a sixth season.^[10]

Reception

Critical 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.^[11] 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."^[12] 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..."^[13] In the 2009–2010 season, The Middle ranked number six on Metacritic's "Best Reviewed New Network Show" list.^[14] 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 the show to 8:00pm and ratings increased substantially, with the show usually ranking second in its time slot to CBS's Survivor.

Awards and nominations

In 2011, The Middle received a Gracie Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.^[15] 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	Recipients and nominees	Outcome
2010	Young Artist Award[16]	Best Recurring Young Actor 14 and Over	Brock Ciarlelli	Nominated
		Best Recurring Young Actress	Eden Sher	Nominated
	Humanitas Prize	30 Minute Category	Episode: "The Block Party"	Nominated
2011	Gracie Award[17]	Outstanding Comedy Series		Won
	1st Critics' Choice Television Awards[18]	Best Comedy Series		Nominated
		Best Actress in a Comedy Series	Patricia Heaton	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Eden Sher	Nominated
	Young Artist Award[19]	Best Guest Starring Young Actor Ten and Under	Parker Contreras	Won
			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[20]	Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Eden Sher	Nominated
	1st PAAFTJ Television Awards[21]	Best Comedy Series		Nominated
		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[22]	Best Recurring Young Actor 17–21	Brock Ciarlelli	Won
		Best Guest Starring Young Actress 17–21	Katlin Mastandrea	Nominated
		Best Guest Starring Young Actress Ten and Under	Marlowe Peyton	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Award[23]	Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)	Episode: "The Play"	Nominated
	Humanitas Prize	30 Minute Category	Episode: "The Map"	Nominated
2013	Young Artist Award[24]	Best Recurring Young Actor 17–21	Brock Ciarelli	Won
		Best Recurring Young Actress 17–21	Katlin Mastandrea	Nominated
	3rd Critics' Choice Television Awards[25]	Best Comedy Series		Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy	Eden Sher	Won
	2013 Teen Choice Awards[26]	Choice TV Female Scene Stealer	Eden Sher	Nominated
	TV Guide Award	Favorite Comedy Series		Nominated
	2nd PAAFTJ Television Awards[27]	Best Comedy Series		Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Charlie McDermott	Nominated
		Best Artistic/Visual Achievement in a Comedy Series	Episode: "Hallelujah Hoedown"	Nominated
	EWwy Awards[28]	Best Actor in a Comedy Series	Neil Flynn	Nominated
2014	Young Artist Award[29]	Best Recurring Young Actor 17–21	Brock Ciarelli	Nominated
		Best Recurring Young Actress 17–21	Katlin Mastandrea	Nominated
	EWwy Awards[30]	Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Eden Sher	Pending

Ratings

Season	Timeslot (ET)	# Ep.	Premiered			Ended			TV Season	Rank	Viewers (in millions)
			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[31]	2.6[31]	May 19, 2010	7.55[32]	2.5[32]	2009–2010	#65[33]	6.90[33]
2	Wednesday 8:00 pm	24	September 22, 2010	8.81[34]	2.7[34]	May 25, 2011	7.33[35]	2.2[35]	2010–2011	#56[36]	8.11[36]
3		24	September 21, 2011	9.74[37]	3.1[37]	May 23, 2012	6.52[38]	2.0[38]	2011–2012	#64[39]	8.08[39]
4		24	September 26, 2012	9.16[40]	2.9[40]	May 22, 2013	7.70[41]	2.0[41]	2012–2013	#48[42]	8.40[42]
5		24	September 25, 2013	8.94[43]	2.5[43]	May 21, 2014	7.85[43]	2.1[43]	2013–2014	#44[44]	8.24[44]
6		24	September 24, 2014[45]						2014–2015

The season 3 episode "Halloween II" was the most watched episode so far, viewed by 10.16 million viewers.^[46]

Syndication

On March 6, 2012, it was announced that ABC Family obtained the rights to The Middle, which began airing the series in September 2013.^[47]

Hallmark Channel also acquired The Middle for syndication to begin airing in March 2014.^[48] In addition, the series debuted in local syndication on September 16, 2013.^[49]

DVD distribution

The Complete First Season[50]
Set details			Special features
24 episodes 3-disc set 1.78:1 aspect ratio Languages: English (Dolby Digital 5.1, with subtitles) Português (Dolby Digital 5.1, with subtitles) Français subtitles Español subtitles Chinese subtitles Thai subtitles			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	January 13, 2011

The Complete Second Season[51]
Set details			Special features
24 episodes 3-disc set 1.78:1 aspect ratio Languages: English (Dolby Digital 5.1, with subtitles) Português subtitles Français subtitles Español subtitles Chinese subtitles			Unaired scenes Gag reel
Release Dates
Region 1	Region 2	Region 4
September 20, 2011	November 5, 2012	October 6, 2011

The Complete Third Season[52]
Set details			Special features
24 episodes 3-disc set 1.78:1 aspect ratio Languages: English (Dolby Digital 5.1, with subtitles) Português subtitles Français subtitles Español subtitles Chinese subtitles			Unaired scenes Gag reel
Release Dates
Region 1	Region 2	Region 4
October 8, 2013		May 28, 2014

The Complete Fourth Season[53]
Set details			Special features
24 episodes 3-disc set 1.78:1 aspect ratio Languages: English (Dolby Digital 5.1, with subtitles) Português subtitles Français subtitles Español subtitles Chinese subtitles			Unaired scenes Gag reel
Release Dates
Region 1	Region 2	Region 4
February 25, 2014		May 28, 2014

Broadcasts

The Middle premiered in the US on September 30, 2009 on ABC and in Canada on City. In Australia, the show premiered on December 7, 2009 on Nine Network. The New Zealand premiere was on May 8, 2010 on TV2. 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.

References

External links

• Official website
• The Middle 5 days a week
• The Middle at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show