A Man. And His Blog.

This pilot managed, what its lead-in Hank couldn’t do: It was funny, it didn’t try to copy several family shows (but the writers had an inspiring example after all: Malcolm in the Middle), the characters are fairly interesting, the live audience doesn’t exist and everything seems crazy again. If you want to, then maybe this show is really a next Malcolm in the Middle. And look at the title of both shows ( ).
First: This show can’t be paired with Hank, but it suits Modern Family and Cougar Town. Not only is The Middle a series between family craziness (a la Malcolm in the Middle, or Modern Family) and small town comedy with small town problems (a la Cougar Town or all the small town dramedies running on ABC). And in the middle (hey, series title again) some talented actors from different generations. We have the “big name” Patricia Heaton (which lets me ask why every new comedy show needs a big name nowadays), the far more little name Neil Flynn (but he is well known in the circle of comedy series) and the young actors Charlie McDermott, Eden Sher and Atticus Shaffer and everybody has their own talent to convince their characters. While the big son Axl runs around the house half naked, middle daughter Sue failing in everything what she is doing and youngest son Brick is kind of genius, but still dumb in some sort of way, their parents Frankie and Mike are working, trying to live the life in Indiana and trying not to sink under their own stress. Well, this only goes for Frankie, because Mike doesn’t have any interest… in picking up the kids or listening to everybody (but secretly he is in love with his family and will be a good dad after all).

All in all: I liked the pilot, even though the producers try to hard being the new Malcolm in the Middle. Compared to the first season of FOX’s old comedy series, The Middle loses, because it isn’t really interesting enough. It hides behind Cougar Town and Modern Family and it is way more better than Hank and Eastwick. Patricia Heaton is great in her role, Neil Flynn too much of a “stand beside” character and the kids are mostly over-the-top, but this is okay for now. But I don’t think this show won’t be very much interesting for a whole season, if nothing is changing.
6,5 out of 10 points.