"We're all gonna die, and we're all gonna have a gravestone with a dash on it...and that dash represents your life. And the thing I know for sure is cause of my family, is that dash will have meant something." - Mike Heck on The Middle
What makes a good family sitcom? Back in the earlier years of tv, it involved a normal nuclear family that got into wacky situations from time to time. The parents, especially the father, knew best, and there was always a happy ending. This dynamic changed a bit in the seventies with shows like One Day At A Time that featured a single mother. Shows like Roseanne, Full House, and The Brady Bunch added some non-traditional twists and the parents grew less in control.
The Wonder Years debuted in 1988 and presented a more powerful format that had an emotional gut punch. Not only did the kids get into mischief, but things got emotional at the end of every episode as one of the main characters learned a new lesson. Nostalgic music played and the happy ending was restored, this time as a more bittersweet one akin to real life.
Family sitcoms have almost disappeared from television today, with the popular Young Sheldon coming to a close in 2024. It seems such a shame that much of what is on television today only relates to crime, game shows, and sports. Being able to see an example of a family that faces realistic challenges and survives them with humor and love would come in handy in troubled times such as these.
That is why I chose ABC's neglected family sitcom, The Middle, to binge watch this past summer. The show ran from 2009-2018, and I watched all nine seasons and over 200 episodes. It follows the Heck family from Orson, Indiana and stars Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn. The show was never nominated for an Emmy award and flew under the radar for much of its run, but upon rewatching I discovered why it has such lasting charm and relevance today.
As with Roseanne, The Middle follows a struggling blue collar family with very little money but much heart. The mother, Frankie, is always apologizing for not being on top of things, and it's refreshing to see a role model who admits her flaws and somehow manages to be a good mom anyway. The emotional moments are not as obvious as on The Wonder Years or The Goldbergs, but they are authentic and powerful. The three kids can be both clueless and thoughtful in the same episode, and no matter what they say, they eventually end up doing the right thing. The parents don't always know what to do or say, but their basic decency leads them to noble acts in the midst of chaos.
The star of the show for me is the daughter Sue, played by Eden Sher. Sue is played as a dorky and awkward teenager, but also as an inspirational optimist who never stops trying to find her way. Her kind heart and plucky spirit are what drive a lot of the episodes, with her two brothers filling the comic relief angle more often than not. Sue now has a podcast, Middling, where she discusses all of the episodes with her castmate Brad. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2383843
This is yet another show that was almost cancelled before it got started. The original pilot episode featured Ricki Lake and a cast that didn't work out. For some reason, they chose to shoot a second pilot with the cast that went forward, showing how important personal chemistry can change how you see an almost identical script. (Brick is the only character that survived from the first pilot)
The Middle is a show for those of us on Misfit Island. We don't quite succeed at everything we do, but we find people to love and support and feel okay with that. It's such a breath of fresh air from reality shows where pretty people pretend to be great and rarely show their true human, vulnerable sides.
The concept of families has been changing for decades now, mostly because of the evolution of women and mothers in the power dynamic. Some would prefer a return to a rigid patriarchy like they have in Iran, but most of us are happier with the messier possibilities in the middle, as long as love is allowed to reign supreme.
Here, if you can handle it, are some great moments from The Middle.
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