Uma Família Perdida no Meio do Nada

It will be sad to see the end of tv's most under appreciated show in years, The Middle. Kudos to the superb cast, talented writers, directors, etc. Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn beautifully and often hilariously play the parents of the Heck family of Orson Indiana. The three children are also played very well ( Charlie McDermott, Eden Sher and Atticus Shaffer)and their very individual characters nicely developed and consistent. The supporting cast is also excellent. The show even offers a gay friend who is sensitively portrayed by Brock Ciarlelli, and whose character is handled beautifully. The Heck's neighbors, the Donahues, The Glossners (Brooke Shields is amazing), The Heck's parents (Marsha Mason, Jerry Van Dyke, and John Collum), and all the other regulars and semi-regulars contribute substantially to the high quality of the show. I often had belly laughs from many of the uproarious lines and even tears at certain points. like when Brock's character 'came out' to his best friend played by Eden. What an incredibly poignant moment. I watch very little television in general, but do not ever miss watching The Middle. The only saving grace for those of us hooked on this terrific series can be summed up in one word..syndication. LJM

I'm guessing the family portrayed in 'The Middle' is not the norm but they certainly are closer to 'real' people than most sitcom characters or, for that matter, most 'reality' show contestants. The children are not perfect nor are they drug addicted or sex-crazed or alcoholic or parent-hating brats. The oldest son hanging out in boxer shorts? My son did that. The middle child, the daughter, trying to find her place in the school social order but often coming up short? Who hasn't failed at something in life? And the youngest child, the little boy who often repeats things in a whisper, is sweet and loves his parents. These kids make you laugh both from their unintentional humor and from recognition. And I especially like the fact that each episode ends on an upbeat note. The family members, no matter what crazy circumstances they may find themselves in, love each other and accept their lot in life without bitterness and anger. Far removed from the pop culture norms we've been fed lately, people living in 'The Middle' may actually exist after all.

You'd want to see this show because of the household names, Patricia Heaton, Neil Flynn, Chris Kattan, Brian Doyle Murray, and you'd be pleasantly surprised by the writing. We all "know" the harried mom, laid back dad, "under achiever" kids, but within a twenty minute episode I realize how really well the writers capture the frustration and absurdity that goes with life in "the middle". This program doesn't fit the "oh poor hapless daddy" sitcoms, the kind Bob Newhart would NEVER do, and that's why I've been watching it. Because they have a real mess of a home and wear clothes you do see in the newspaper insert ads, these are some real people dealing with some way out there kinds of characters in situations which are hilarious and sometimes heartwarming, without being mushy. This is one show I look forward to each week!!

Supernaturally talented Patricia Heaton may be doomed to playing the long suffering wife now, as far as television goes -- but she is SO good at it. After who knows how many seasons of Everybody Loves Raymond she appears to have completely mastered the role. And who's complaining? I would never have thought there was so much fertile ground left for family comedy but the writers seem to have tapped a whole new vein. Patricia Heaton being one of the most talented humans ever, your expectations are high on anything new from this lady. No disappointments here! Great story - great imagery - sizzling dialog - wonderful character work from a top-notch cast. Where are all these brilliant new kid actors coming from? Atticus Shaffer is simply miraculous in his role as the ... "unusual child". There was so much entertaining content in this half-hour (or about 22 minutes, I guess, minus the commercials) that I felt like I'd watched a class A feature film comedy. It's not going to be easy to maintain this level of excellence but if they even get close, I'll be a huge fan. Can't wait to see the next episode!

I really wish ABC would promote this show more, and give the actors credit for their work. They have been robbed of Emmy nominations twice. I honestly enjoy Modern Family but I don't get why that show gets a million Emmy nods every year. Anyway, I've been watching since day 1 and have loved it since. Frankie Heck is the harried car-saleslady mother of 3 kids, living in the fictional town of Orson, Indiana. She is always trying to get the kids to bond, while trying to get by herself, as she and her husband Mike don't make a lot of money and their house is always a mess. Axl, the oldest, is a typical lazy, sarcastic teenager who is almost always making fun of his sister Sue, the middle teen daughter. She is very optimistic and bubbly, but nobody really knows she exists, and can never make anything out of herself, especially at school. Finally we have little Brick, who's nose is always stuck in a book and doesn't really have any friends, but if he does make a friend, they're even quirkier than he is. And they are always trying to compete with their practically perfect neighbors, the Donahues. I think we can all relate to this show in some way--the house is always a mess, the mom doesn't always feel like cooking so she brings home fast food, there's those neighbors who are like the perfect family that you've always wanted to be, and the kids don't always get along. It's not laugh out loud funny but I still tune in every Wednesday. And it is NOT a ripoff of Malcolm. That show was about 4 brothers, one of them being a genius. And they lived in California whereas the Hecks live in the MID-west. And they're middle-income, and this show is focused on the mom, trying to do her best to support her family. This show also has more positive vibes. If it didn't have the word "Middle" in the title, people probably wouldn't say a word, right? 8/10.