It Just Takes Some Time, Litttle Girl You're in the Middle of the Ride

Last fall, Modern Family got a lion share of the attention, and its was much deserved, but there a couple other new sitcoms that debuted that were worth some attention. Community on NBC was a weird zeitgeist of pop culture that weirder and better as the season progressed. Then there was the show that aired right before Modern Family, The Middle which put a modern spin on nineties sitcoms. Here is a synopsis:

Patricia Heaton stars as Frankie Heck in this warm and witty single-camera comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations. Frankie Heck is a superhero. Well, no, not an actual superhero - but sometimes it seems to Frankie as though getting her kids out the door for school every morning is a superheroic act. Middle aged, middle class and living in the middle of the country, this harried wife and working mother of three uses her wry wit and sense of humor to try to get her family through each day intact.

Own it on DVD which is out today, The Middle may star Patricia Heaton (Everbody Loves Raymond), but the secret weapon on the show is her TV daughter Eden Sher (Weeds) who is an eager beaver who seems to fail at everything from show choir to a tennis ball girl and most hilariously trying to make the no-cut cross country team in the season finally. She even fails at boys too, even the ones she can get, including a witless recurring boyfriend who may have other interests even if he hasn’t realized it yet. All the while she manages to do all the failing with a smile on her face, a braces enhanced smile.

The other main breakout character comes in the form of Neil Flynn (Scrubs) as Heaton’s other half, a man of few words, but the few he does say tend to be brutally true. Even when he tries to more outgoing, his at being socially acceptable conversation ends humorously. Flynn’s dry wit is good for multiple laughs every episode.

The other guys, both named to make them cool, in the family tend to hit or miss and usually more of the latter. The problem with elder Axl (Charlie McDermott, Frozen River), is he is too authentic as the apathetic teen that thinks everything suck and only cares when it comes to sports and girls. He was at his best when he actually managed a girlfriend (Alexa Vega, Sleepover). Then there is the precocious Brick (Atticus Shaffer, Hancock), who for whatever reason routinely repeated everything, whispering to himself. This joke paid off when he entered the Spelling Bee, but otherwise got old quick.

There are a few worth wild bit characters that pop up during the show. Brian Doyle-Murray (Bill’s older brother, you will know him when you see him) is Heaton’s curmudgeoned boss at the car dealership she works at. The family’s aunt’s dog, which has been resigned to a cart and oxygen mask due to years of second hand smoke, always provides a good sight gag whenever he shows up. And what would 2010 be without an appearance from Betty White as a librarian who harasses Brick when he has failed to being back thirty books at the end of the school year.

The DVD spreads the twenty-four first season episodes across three disks, six of which come with deleted scenes, though most of them last less than thirty seconds. But it is nice that they the scenes easily accessed next to the individual episodes on the menu instead of one lump option. The set also comes with three special features, your run of the mill “making of” feature Raising a Sitcom Family that runs around twelve minutes. There is a short feature Sue’s Best Shots where the cast share (verbally) some of their worst picture day shots and there is also a short Gag Reel.

There is plenty of time to catch up on season one of The Middle before the second premieres Wednesday, September 22 at 8:00 on ABC. Check out the official site.



Full Disclosure Notice: This DVD was given to me on behalf of Warner Brothers Entertainment for the purpose of reviewing the television show.