‘Young Sheldon’ Fans Looking for a New Family Show Should Binge This 9-Season Sitcom

Undeniably one of the small screen’s most criminally-underrated gems, the wholesome and zany 2009 sitcom…featured a stellar cast of both new and familiar faces, with TV greats Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn headlining the series as the perpetually exhausted Frankie and Mike Heck as they attempt to raise their three rambunctious kids in a small Indiana town. The wildly entertaining comedy ran for nine seasons from 2009 to 2018 and spawned 215 episodes, keeping audiences laughing week-after-week as the kooky clan found themselves in chaotic situations and engaging in uproarious shenanigans.

Those looking for an endearing family sitcom and some good-natured humor need not look further than The Middle, which is every bit as fun and enjoyable as the more well-known fellow shows like Young Sheldon, Modern Family, and Malcolm in the Middle. The ABC original hit currently holds a stellar 88% Popcornmeter score from fans and a 7.7 IMDb rating based on 56,000 reviews, with the series being declared by the Chicago Sun-Times as “not the kind of sitcom you laugh at; it’s the kind you laugh with.” Let’s take a closer look at the underappreciated show and why it’s worthy of being binge-watched.

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  Patricia Heaton
• Neil Flynn
• Charlie McDermott
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A Fun & Delightfully Zany Sitcom Sensation

Created by former Murphy Brown and Roseanne writers DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler, the sidesplitting 2009 sitcom The Middle focuses on the lovable and eccentric Hecks, a family from the fictional town of Orson, Indiana who attempt to juggle life’s many day-to-day hurdles and hardships as they try to navigate their professions, school, and chaotic kids in a lower-middle-class household. Small-screen staples Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn winningly portray Frances “Frankie” and Mike Heck, with the Midwestern matriarch initially working at a used-car dealership while her more easy-going husband manages the local quarry in order to make ends meet.

Together, the perpetually exhausted couple attempt to raise their three rambunctious and drastically different children: oldest son, Axl (Charlie McDermott), a popular and self-centered jock; their earnest-yet-socially awkward daughter, Sue (Eden Sher); and youngest boy, Brick, a brilliant student and lover of books who also possesses very strange quirks and is hinted at having autism (hello, Sheldon Cooper). Together, the kooky clan attempts to combat the endless stress that comes with growing up and raising a family as Frankie attempts to make her career goals come to fruition while serving as the heart of their household.

Both Heaton and Flynn are two of the television world’s most recognizable faces, as the actress previously skyrocketed to prominence when she appeared as Debra Barone in the…. memorably starring alongside Ray Romano in the celebrated Emmy-winning series from 1996 to 2005. Similarly, Flynn first made a name for himself when he played the aptly-named Janitor in the fan-favorite… a role he hilariously portrayed over the course of its nine seasons. Together, the seasoned stars combined their collective comedic powers to help make The Middle yet another feather in their TV caps, as audiences tuned in week-after-week to see what new shenanigans the Hecks would find themselves in.

Featuring the additional talents of famous faces like Chris Kattan, Brooke Shields, Dave Foley, and Norm McDonald, The Middle quickly became a knockout with viewers and critics when it first premiered on September 30, 2009, with many appreciating its quirky humor and refreshingly realistic depiction of a lower-middle-class family. Not only did acting veterans Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn serve up amusing hijinks and endearing chemistry as the endlessly frazzled parents, but the younger cast members more than held their own and hilariously embodied their own oddball characters and their respective peculiarities.

In many ways, the dynamic of the Heck household mirrors that of the… (and numerous other sitcoms of television’s past) in the beloved coming-of-age comedy Young Sheldon. The series also features a stereotypical dim-witted jock brother (Axl & Georgie), a idiosyncratic and highly-intelligent son (Brick & Sheldon), and daughters who are just trying to figure out who they are and what they want in life (Sue & Missy). Both families are working-class and often struggle to make ends meet, as both Frankie and Mary are very hands-on with their children, while the more unflappable Mike and George often try to stay out of the everyday drama and ultimately provide much-needed stability and calmness.

After airing only two episodes, The Middle was quickly given a full-season pickup with the premiere episode attracting 8.707 million viewers, and it was also named one of Metacritic’s “Best Reviewed New Network Show” list for the 2009–2010 season. The sitcom would go on to run for nine uproarious seasons and attracted rave reviews during its impressive tenure, earning countless accolades and nominations like a Gracie Award and Critics’ Choice Television Award, though it was nonetheless considered an…. In 2016, Esquire….about the series entitled “The Middle Is the Best TV Show You’re Not Watching,” with writer Bob Sassone expressing that the underappreciated show “is the finest American sitcom on TV right now.”

The wholesome Heck family officially said goodbye to fans on May 22, 2018, after 215 episodes, with the sitcom’s final season nabbing a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, with 7.09 million longtime viewers tuning to watch what happens to the charming characters as they face new and exciting adventures. In their heartwarming tribute to The Middle and its bittersweet last season,…”Like a kinder but not entirely gentler Roseanne, this sorely under-appreciated comedy honored the struggles of the heartland middle class without taking itself too seriously.”