One ofThe Middlestars shuts down the idea of the ABC sitcom coming back for a reboot. Following the lives of the Heck family in Indiana,The Middlewas asitcom that ran on ABCfrom 2009 to 2018. It had over 200 episodes across nine seasons. Theseries featured a leading cast including Patricia Heaton, Atticus Shaffer, Neil Flynn, Brock Ciarlelli, Eden Sher, and Charlie McDermott. Despite the show ending seven years ago, the series has come back into the public eye through clips circulating online.
Speaking withYahoo Entertainment, Heaton shares her opinion on a potentialThe Middlereboot. In her opinion,The Middle(along with her other major series,Everybody Loves Raymond),is “perfection” and does not need to be revisited. The actor pointed out that “people have such a good feeling about the show” and its ending provided closure, making it good as it is. As for its return to popularity, she thinks it is a “beautiful thing.” Check out the full quote from Heaton below:
The way they wrapped it up, where we got to flash-forward in the lives of the Heck family and see where they all ended up, it was so beautiful, and I think people have such a good feeling about the show.
The Middleis having such a resurgence on TikTok, of all places, that kids are rediscovering or discovering it for the first time. … It’s a beautiful thing. ’s like a great work of art — you don’t need to go in there and touch it up or change it or do anything to it. Just let it be what it is. And the wonderful thing about TV and about streaming [is] you’ll be able to enjoy it as much as you want.
What This Means For The Middle’s Reboot Potential
Despite Heaton’s thoughts onThe Middle’spositive ending,the show almost returned in the form of a reboot. ABC had once planned for a spinoff based on the Heck family’s Sue Heck. Following her life and career after high school, thespinoff would have been calledSue Sue in the Cityand would have followed Sue as she went to live in Chicago. The creators even wrote and filmed a pilot forSue Sue in the City, but the show ended up nixed by the network.
Now, there has also been a renewed interest inSue Sue in the Cityin the years sinceThe Middle’s Sue Heck-based show was shut down. Just recently, Sher expressed hope about the spinoff coming back, saying she is"going to find a way for people to see it somehow." She has also described the pilot as “really good” and previously stated that it “was pretty devastating when it didn’t go.” Unlike Heaton, stars likeSher and Ciarlelli still have an interest in continuing the franchise.
Our Take On The Middle’s Continuation
Not All Spinoffs Are Created Equally
In Heaton’s defense, extendingThe Middlewould risk tainting the show’s well-received reputation. As it stands, the sitcom is well-received by audiences, getting an 88% Popcornmeter audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. WhileSue Sue in the Citycould have been great, this is not always the case with reboots, as evidenced recently by themixed reception ofSuits LA. Reboots and spinoffs of long-ended TV shows may be on the rise right now, but that does not mean that they are always good ideas.
The Middle
Cast
The Middle is a family sitcom that follows the lives of the Heck family in the fictional town of Orson, Indiana. Patricia Heaton stars as Frankie Heck, a harried mother of three trying to balance work and family life with her husband Mike, played by Neil Flynn. The show highlights the everyday struggles and humorous moments of raising a family in middle America.
