"The Big Bang Theory" gets all the fervent fan attention. "Modern Family" gets all the critical acclaim. Yet, for nine solid seasons, I got more laughs and smiles from "The Middle" than anything else on TV. And that's saying something when it comes out of my mouth.
"The Middle" has always been sort of the neglected middle child in a family, very similar to the character of Sue Heck in the show. It wasn't a darling of the critics. Other programs got all the big buzz. It never really won any Emmys, let alone get nominations. But, somehow, it chugged along for nine fun seasons and had a fan base that was very appreciative. Largely because the Heck family were more like us than anybody you would find on other sitcoms. The recognition scale was off the proverbial charts.
I had mainly tuned in to "The Middle" in Year 1, Day 1 because of the participation of Patricia Heaton, who I thought was the Krazy Glue that held the brilliant "Everybody Loves Raymond" together...also for nine years. But I was sucked in almost immediately by two of the younger actors on the show. Namely Eden Sher as the always put-upon Sue and Atticus Shaffer as the ultra-weird but enjoyable Brick. There was a natural comedic quality of those two that lit up the screen. Indeed, Eden's inability to ever get a Supporting Comedy Actress nomination is one of the great mysteries of life.
The Heck family of Orson, Indiana, living check-to-check with duct tape showing on virtually every kitchen appliance, was just like all of us. Making ends meet and barely managing to have dinner together. There are always arguments and bruised feelings and holes in the wall that never got repaired. I remember, as a teenager myself, I tripped in my family's hallway and created a crevice in the wall. We covered it up with a cheap painting of flowers that my mother bought in Woolworth's. The dent was still there the day we moved out. That is definitely something the Hecks would have done as well.
As the years unfolded, we got to meet the extended Heck family. Neighbors who are annoyed. Boyfriends and girlfriends who are weird. Relatives we wish to ignore. Again, the Hecks were shining a light on our worlds just as much as illuminating their own. All along the way, the adventures were told with hilariously crafted scripts and an acting ensemble from Heaven.
"The Middle" closes with more than 200 episodes and, in this day where TV seasons are often 10 to 13 episodes long, I doubt we will see the long running life of a sitcom like this again. As probably one of the last comedy classics, we salute "The Middle" one more time.
Thanks for the smiles. And bravo for all the great work!
Dinner last night: Leftover chicken and vegetables.
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