If you were as big a fan of Linwood Boomer’s “Malcolm in the Middle” — the family sitcom that was recently renewed for a revival — as I was when I was growing up, you certainly felt the gap the show left behind when it ended in 2006. There were a lot of great sitcoms in the mid and late aughts, but very few managed to capture that family-centred narrative and silly vibe that “Malcolm” almost singularly represented. For me, the one that came closest (though never as wild, boundary-pushing, or outrageous as Boomer’s series) was Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline’s “The Middle.” The series stars the wonderful “Everybody Loves Raymond’s” Patricia Heaton, “Scrubs'” Neil Flynn, and three child/teen actors (Charlie McDermott, Atticus Shaffer, and Eden Sher) who were just getting their feet wet in the huge pond of American television.
“The Middle,” which ran on ABC from 2009 to 2018 for 9 seasons, followed the everyday lives of the Hecks, a barely middle-class family in the fictional town of Orson, Indiana, including the disillusioned and worn-out parents Frankie (Heaton) and Mike (Flynn), and their three regular children, the oldest lazy jock Axl (McDermott), the overachieving middle child Sue (Sher), and the youngest, and most eccentric, bookworm Brick (Shaffer). Funnily enough, the show’s charm was in its casual yet spot-on ordinariness. There was no unusual angle, nor any social agenda, nor some inciting incident that would stir up the protagonists’ lives when we first joined them. From the start, it felt like the Hecks could be our neighbours, insipidly typical, yet that’s exactly why they were enticing in the first place. A group of familiar faces that were just as miserable, occasionally happy, and often unintentionally hilarious as the rest of us.
The family you know, you are, or you have been at some point in your life
Whether you’re a parent with multiple kids of different ages or someone who likes to reminisce in their own childhood (or still a kid for that matter), “The Middle” pretty confidently covers all the basics. The show’s approach was to highlight how ordinary family life in the suburbs can suck — with navigating all the dull day jobs, unwanted social events, pain-in-the-ass school assignments, insufferable grandparents, and the debilitating finances to cover it all — while trying to somehow find those small victories and little joys that keep us afloat. Which is especially tough for the Heck children, who aren’t particularly talented at anything, have weird habits (like whispering to oneself), and often find themselves in challenging scenarios they can’t get out of. In other words, they’re stereotypes. Yet they also have just enough quirks that make them simultaneously goofy, at times sweet, and almost always laughable.
Though the show’s humor is mild and family-friendly, frequently employing predictable slapstick gags, it’s also smarter and more effectively used than in other similar sitcoms. Whether it’s the ups and downs of parenting, typical sibling quarrels, or significant life moments like leaving the family home for college or an awkward confession of divorce, the writers generally find the best ways to deliver them. And once you really get to know the Hecks, there are a few truly touching moments too that you may see coming but still find yourself surprisingly moved by.
Although “The Middle” wasn’t bombarded with awards throughout its run (its only Emmy nomination came in 2012 for Outstanding Make-up), it’s a testament to the show’s quality that it was able to stay on air for nine years and go out under its own terms in 2018 with a heart-warming finale. Overall, if you’re looking for some light family entertainment to put on after work, you can’t go wrong with it. It’s also convenient that all nine seasons of the series are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
