The Middle (stylized as the middle.) is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 30, 2009, to May 22, 2018. The series, set in Indiana, follows a lower middle class family living and facing the day-to-day struggles of home life, work, and raising children. Starring Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn, the show was created by former Roseanne and Murphy Brown writers Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline, and produced by Warner Bros. Television and Blackie and Blondie Productions. It was praised by television critics and earned numerous award nominations. A spin-off of the series, centered around Eden Sher's character, Sue Heck, was set to launch in 2019. However, ABC passed on the project. It was shopped to other networks but was never picked up. Premise The series features Frances "Frankie" Heck (Patricia Heaton), a middle class, middle aged, Midwestern woman and her husband Mike (Neil Flynn), who reside in the small fictional town of Orson, Indiana, based on the real town of Jasper, Indiana. They are the parents of three children, Axl (Charlie McDermott), Sue (Eden Sher), and Brick (Atticus Shaffer). The series is narrated by Frankie, initially an under-performing salesperson at a used-car dealership and later a dental assistant. Her stoic husband Mike manages a local quarry and serves as a stabilizing influence in the family, though Frankie complains about his lack of affection at times. The kids are quite different from one another: oldest son Axl, a popular but lazy teenager, does well in sports but not in academics; daughter Sue is an enthusiastic young teen but chronically unsuccessful and socially awkward; and youngest son Brick is an intelligent but introverted compulsive reader with odd behavioral traits loosely hinted to derive from autism. Other characters include Frankie's co-worker Bob (main character in the first two seasons), Frankie's elderly Aunt Edie, Sue's first boyfriend Brad, and Mike's brother Rusty, Axl's friends Sean and Darrin, both had a relationship with Sue. Cast and characters Patricia Heaton as Frances Patricia "Frankie" Heck (née Spence) Neil Flynn as Michael Bartholomew "Mike" Heck Jr. Charlie McDermott as Axl Redford Heck Eden Sher as Sue Sue Heck Atticus Shaffer as Brick Ishmail Heck Chris Kattan as Bob Weaver (main, seasons 1 & 2; recurring, season 3; special guest, seasons 4 & 5) Episodes Development and production The series was originally developed in the 2006–07 development cycle for ABC and was to star